Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Love Letters by Gurney

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   Hi All,

We are planning to do Gurney's "Love Letters" soon and I am looking for ideas on how to convey the idea to the audience of the passage of time and to help keep it from being too monotonous.  I've considered using backdrops of the seasons, progressing from spring to summer, etc.  I've also considered use of wardrobe.  Any lighting ideas?  What have some of you done with this show?

TIA,

N2D

Author	Message
n2drama Player Joined: 4/08/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 24	Topic: Love Letters by Gurney Posted: 1/18/09 at 6:48am
	Hi All, We are planning to do Gurney's "Love Letters" soon and I am looking for ideas on how to convey the idea to the audience of the passage of time and to help keep it from being too monotonous. I've considered using backdrops of the seasons, progressing from spring to summer, etc. I've also considered use of wardrobe. Any lighting ideas? What have some of you done with this show? TIA, N2D

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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 1/19/09 at 8:08pm
	You don't need to do anything beyond casting two talented actors. The script and the acting takes care of it all. IMO, scene changes would be distracting - and there is not time for costume changes. You lose part of the charm of the play by trying to turn it into something it's not. It's a reading - it's not not meant to be a fully staged play. Actors should be able to convey the passage of time by their voices and posture.
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stockhamlj Walk-On Joined: 8/25/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 1/22/09 at 8:02pm
	I have seen this play done on a bare stage with skrims, the two players seated at opposite desks. It wasn't boring at all. In fact, the play moved very quickly. You might think of doing a back-to-back production of another play in the same genre with LOVE LETTERS and that is Robert Yowell's wonderful MONTANA LOVE STORY: CHARLIE AND NANCY RUSSELL. For a copy, you can contact Dr. Yowell through the Department of Theatre at Northern Arizona University, at <robert.yowell@nau.edu> or go through the university's directory for his office telephone number.
	Linda Stockham
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bernster74 Star Joined: 10/20/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 51	Posted: 1/23/09 at 6:47pm
	We did this show with one table, a nice table cloth, two vases of roses, and that's it. The actor's added glasses (the man) and a artistic shawl (the woman) for Act II and that was it. Audeinces loved the simplicity of the production and the actor's carried the night. It was great.
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jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 1/24/09 at 3:03pm
	Everyone is right, you need a minimum of production, good actors can carry this show and it works very well.
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n2drama Player Joined: 4/08/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 24	Posted: 1/28/09 at 7:05am
	Thanks, everyone, for the input. N2D
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Topic: Love Letters by Gurney( Topic Closed)