Black Birch where Valley Players will be performing their February production of “Love Letters.”
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
HATFIELD — Tickets are now available for the Valley Players’ February production of A. R. Gurney’s award-winning play of romance-by-post, “Love Letters.”
Opening night is Friday, Feb. 7 with another show on Saturday, Feb. 8. The last two shows will be on Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14 and end on Saturday, Feb. 15.
Each show will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Black Birch Vineyard, 108 Straits Rd., Hatfield. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. each evening and seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.
The show is produced and directed by Matteo Pangallo who talks about what the audience can expect.
“Love Letters” is about two characters sharing the letters they have written each other from second grade through their golden years, relating their struggles and triumphs, dreams and fears, and setbacks and second chances. Over the course of the evening, the often complicated, deeply touching, always messy story of their evolving love unfolds against the backdrop of the tumultuous events of the mid- to late-20th century.
The two-person play is also popular and gets constantly performed by some of the biggest names on stage and screen.
Pangallo explained, “It’s a very moving play, it’s a very funny play. In an hour and a half, it does an incredibly powerful job of capturing the entire relationship journey that these two characters undergo. It’s a very sweet and insightful book about the nature of relationships, things we say to each other, and also the things we fail to say to each other.”
It is also popular with actors because “the two characters are just read the love letters they’ve written to each other over the years so there’s no need to be off book or anything,” Pangallo said.
The Valley Players production features two different Valley actors on each evening of the run. Chip Roughton and Kimberly Salditt-Poulin will play the roles of “Andy” and “Melissa” for opening night on Feb. 7.
David Bull and Becca Greene-Van Horn will take the stage the next night on Feb. 8. On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, the cast features Paul Rothenberg and Katie Hertel.
The closing night show will be performed by Lisa Parker and Konrad Rogowski.
Pangallo went into the audition not knowing what to expect but was prepared to cast they play in a number of different ways.
After 30 actors tried out, Pangallo said he wanted to ensure as many folks were involved as possible.
He explained the decision to do a rotating cast with two different actors each night. “It’s really fun going through the rehearsal process because each couple is really unique in their perspectives and their take on the two characters so even if someone comes to see the show on two different nights or three different nights, or four different nights, even though obviously the script is the same, the actors bring very different energies and understandings and performance choices to the characters so it really does feel like a very different play each night.”
Tickets for “Love Letters” are available on a pay-what-you-can system starting at $15. Before the show and during intermission, audience members will be able to purchase fine wine by the glass from Black Birch Vineyard and a selection of sodas from Harmony Springs of Ludlow.
A spread of light bites will be available for purchase as well, including a grazing bar of custom-crafted charcuterie boards and pre-ordered snack boxes from E. Silver Charcuterie of Westfield.
Black Birch wines will also be available for purchase by the bottle to take home.
Seating is limited, so advanced booking is strongly recommended. The show runs one hour and 45 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission, and includes adult language and themes that may not be appropriate for all ages.
To purchase tickets or find more information, readers can visit valleyplayers.org.
As part of the Valley Players’ mission to support the community through community theater, half of net ticket revenue from the show will be donated to River Valley Counseling Center, a nonprofit community-based mental health agency serving the Valley for over 70 years.
“A crucial part of what Valley Players wants to do is contribute to the community by making community theater,” Pangallo said, “The combination I think of being able to see a play, enjoy a fine glass of wine from Black Birch Vineyards and also enjoy some nice foods from E. Silver Charcuterie in Westfield, it’s a very appealing Valentine’s Day weekend treat.”
The February production will also mark the first year of Valley Players operation and going forward Pangallo said the idea is to have two productions a year, in June and December, along with hosting other fundraising events.
