“Love Letters,” by A.R. Gurney, springs to life at the Marblehead Arts Association for two performances only at the historic King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper St. in Marblehead.
“Love Letters” is a play made entirely of letters between the staid and proper Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, a free-spirited but troubled artist. The poignant and hilarious play spans the characters’ lives from the second grade through their mid-fifties. The benefit coincides with Valentine’s season, making a great adult evening or afternoon out. A.R. Gurney wrote over 40 plays, five novels, and screenplays and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Gurney’s plays often explored the theme of declining upper-class “WASP” life in contemporary America. Susan Bott Broadway/Off-Broadway favorites, Paula Vogel’s “And Baby Makes Seven, Julie Kramer’s “The Best of Everything” (New York Times Critic’s Choice), and Amy Wilson’s “Mother’s Load” (New York Magazine’s Critic’s Pick).
Comedy credits: “The Dana Carvey Show,” comedy duo “Steve” (Obie award-winning), New George’s sketch comedy group “Kinda Personal,” “Upright Citizens Brigade,” Caroline’s Stand Up NY. Hundreds of commercials and voiceovers, but the ones that solidified her legacy were the voice of the Lactaid cow and Beth, the crazy lady dancing to Devo while Swiffering her neighbor’s house. Fred Anthony Marco’s Stage appearances include Broadway, Off-Broadway, and U.S. Regional Theaters in over two decades of musicals and plays, as well as innumerable concert appearances on European and Asian stages and touring circuits.
Favorite non-singing roles include Senator Hanford Drake in “Gentlemen’s Wish” (Abington Theatre, NYC), Kenneth Hoyle in “Three Hotels” (HERE Playhouse, NYC), Aaron Geldhart in “The Substance Of Fire” (Exit Theater, San Francisco), F. Scott Fitzgerald in “Scott and Zelda Get a Pet” (The Drilling Company, NYC), and Mark Dolson in “Mass Appeal” (Millbrook Rep).
Those with a quick eye and a long memory may recall Fred as Lt. Billy McNamara on “As the World Turns” and Senator Richard Lawson on “The Guiding Light.” If you’re counting, “Love Letters” makes his third Senator — damn typecasting!
The Marblehead Arts Association (MAA) is in its 10th decade in the historic King Hooper Mansion. The MAA was founded in 1922 by a small group of artists who believed that a vibrant art community was integral to the well-being of Marblehead and the surrounding community.