Will Roland to Lead Benefit Reading of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters
(© David Gordon)
Will Roland (Dear Evan Hansen) will head a cast of four in an upcoming benefit reading of Love Letters by A.R. Gurney on December 9 at Feinstein's/54 Below. The reading is organized by Getting Together for Good, a charitable giving circle, to benefit the Ric Swezey Memorial Library, a program of the Family Equality Council, which supports and protects LGBTQ families through education, advocacy, and legal initiatives.
Love Letters is described as "a tender, tragicomic and nuanced examination of the shared nostalgia, missed opportunities, and deep closeness of two lifelong, complicated friends." Spanning five decades and numerous locations, it is usually staged with two actors. In this adaptation, the reading will be split between a straight couple and a gay couple to emphasize the universal theme of love. Directing is Broadway veteran and Tony Award winner Pearl Berman.
Appearing in the "straight couple" with Will Roland will be Annaliese Kirby, a New York-based actor and producer and co-founder of the No Name Collective. The "gay couple" will be played by Stan Ponte, president of the Drama League, and award-winning theatrical composer Andy Monroe.
The reading will be the centerpiece of the evening, which also includes videos from Family Equality Council and speakers.
