On Stage at AACC: 'Love Letters'

The best love letters contain a touch of the unexpected, and so it is with production of by A.R. Gurney, on stage this weekend at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC).

The comic-drama, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, follows the lives and loves of two childhood friends through the reading of a lifetime's correspondence. This special weekend will feature a different set of AACC "celebrity" actors at each performance.

“Every performance is different. It brings a different energy and challenge to the show,” said director Lawrence Tatom, assistant professor of performing arts at AACC.

The set is minimal—just two chairs, a table and a couple of potted plants—allowing the focus to be on “Andrew” and “Melissa” as their lives intertwine and unfold. Portraying the two characters are AACC President Martha Smith and chemistry professor Shree Iyengar (Sept. 9) English professor Vivian Gist Spencer and assistant professor of business management Shad Ewart (Sept. 10), and education professor Jennifer Lara and Performing Arts chair Doug Byerly (Sept. 11).

Teacher-actors Spencer and Ewart said they’re enjoying the opportunity to step outside their day-to-day routines to take on new “roles.” Through their letters, their characters share hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats. The two differ in their views of life, adding texture to their story.

“Andy follows the rules,” Ewart said. “And I don’t,” Spencer chimed in with a laugh. “Melissa’s a free spirit.”

The production will benefit the college’s general scholarship fund for students and is part of AACC’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, Sept. 9 and 10, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Robert E. Kauffman Theater, Pascal Center for Performing Arts, at AACC’s Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway.

Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for AACC students with valid identification. They can be reserved by calling the box office, at 410-777-2457, or via email at boxoffice@aacc.edu. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door.