Theater in the last 100 years: Love Letters by A.R. Gurney
By Donald Partelow
In May of 2021, at the start of a year filled with special programs and events celebrating the Pawling Library’s 100 anniversary, Roger Hendricks Simon and Marian Grudko were with us for a masterful performance of T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. And on Friday, May 6th 2022, as our Centennial programming neared its close, Roger Hendricks Simon and Marian Grudko returned with a stellar presentation of A.R. Gurney’s heartbreaking play, Love Letters. An interactive discussion followed, touching upon the changes in theater over the last 100 years, from the time the Pawling Library was built through the debut of Love Letters in 1989 and into the present day. “It’s such a privilege to do this play for the Pawling Library for their 100th anniversary,” said Roger Hendricks Simon in closing. And as the program came to an end, a delighted audience shouted Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
Praise for our actors:
“I think the entire production that you did was so beautifully choreographed. It’s like a dance in many stages. It was so very moving. You both captured the audience.”
“I was focused on the emotion that came through your voices, the anger, the tenderness, the frustration, all of that. I loved every bit of it.”
“I was just enthralled with the entire performance. Absolutely beautiful.”
“A simply superb, sensitive performance by Marian and Roger of a gem of 20th-century American theater.”
Actor/director Roger Hendricks Simon recently won Best Supporting Actor from the International Independent Film Awards for his performance in the film Love in Kilnerry, which is currently playing in movie theaters throughout the country as well as internationally. Marian Grudko is an actress, author, composer, and storyteller. She is the author of Lucinda Snowdrop and co-authored, with T.A. Young, the book Claudine: A Fairy Tale for Exceptional Grownups. Marian’s work can be seen on her YouTube channel and listened to at soundcloud.com.
