'Love Letters' to open this week at Triple Locks Theater

COSHOCTON — When director Susan A. Metz saw an excerpt from the play "Love Letters" at a theater competition last spring, she immediately thought how great it would be to do the show at the Coshocton Footlight Players with Jim and Bettsy Gauerke as the two-person cast.

Fast forward several months and that thought is about to become a reality. "Love Letters" is set to open Friday with the Gauerkes playing the roles of Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner.

This play, written by A. R. Gurney, focuses on letters written between Ladd and Gardner, who were both born to wealth and position. They are childhood friends whose lifelong correspondence begins with birthday party thank-you notes and summer camp postcards, and continues through the following 50 years. The letters exchanged and shared with the audience chronicle their lives; the joys, the sorrows, the complexities of the ever-changing kaleidoscope of life.

This show marks Jim and Bettsy's 60th anniversary of involvement with the Footlight Players. Their first show with the community theater was "King of Hearts" in 1955, where they also shared the stage. Each of them has participated, in some capacity, in more than 100 productions with the local community theater.

"Love Letters" will be presented at 8 p.m. October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, and 24 at the Triple Locks Theater, 685 N. Whitewoman Street. For those attending the opening night performance, there will be a complimentary reception before the show at 7 pm in the lobby of the theater.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students. Reservations can be made on the Footlight Players website at www.footlightplayers.com or by calling 740-622-2959 from 7-9 p.m. Monday to Thursday or from 2 to 4 p.m. on performance days.

Those who attend the play will also have the opportunity to win a diamond bracelet from the corporate sponsor, Dean's Jewelry. Dean's is celebrating its 50th anniversary of doing business in Coshocton. The bracelet can be viewed at the theater before and after the show. The winner will be drawn after the closing performance on Oct. 24 and the proceeds will be given to Hopewell School in Jim and Bettsy's honor in memory of their son, Jimmy.

"Love Letters" is presented with permission of the Dramatist Play Service. It contains some adult language and is not recommended for children.

Information and photo submitted by Susan Metz.