Stage Review - Dear Jack, Dear Louise (Key City Public Theatre)
Stage Review - Dear Jack, Dear Louise
Presented By: Key City Public Theatre - Port Townsend, WA
Show Run: September 11 - September 14, 2025
Date Reviewed: Friday, September 12, 2025 (Opening Night)
Run Time: 1 Hour, 45 minutes (inclusive of a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Key City Public Theatre continues its tradition of presenting intimate, emotionally resonant works with its latest production, Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise, directed by Krista Curry and Erik Gratton and on stage in Port Townsend through Sunday, September 14. Dear Jack, Dear Louise is a small-scale production with a surprisingly big heart. Ken Ludwig’s wartime romance — based on the courtship of his own parents — could easily feel static, a mere recitation of letters. If you’ve seen A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters, the construction of the play is similar, though with more drama acted out by the actors on stage. But rather than just a reading of the letters, this production pulses with warmth, wit, and an emotional honesty that keeps the audience fully engaged.
The story is simple: Army doctor Jack Ludwig and aspiring actress Louise Rabiner are introduced in 1942, then sustain their courtship entirely through letters. Yet simplicity here is deceptive. Every pause, every carefully worded line, every silence between exchanges carries weight. Krista and Erik’s staging gives the letters a life of their own, moving naturally from playful banter to vulnerability and longing. The pacing is impeccable, and they skillfully balance humor with heart.
On stage, Krista and Erik also inhabit the roles themselves, and the results are quietly magnetic. Erik’s Jack begins restrained and formal, but gradually reveals warmth, humor, and a persistent yearning that makes every line feel lived-in. Krista’s Louise sparkles with intelligence, wit, and charm, her confidence softening only at the right moments to reveal depth and vulnerability. Their chemistry is palpable — a remarkable achievement considering their characters rarely share the same physical space. The silences between letters become charged with anticipation, a testament to both performers’ timing and subtlety. Notable as well is their actual style of delivery, Erik’s a bit more reserved, more nuanced but deployed with picture perfect timing, while Krista embodies a 1940s woman with the energy and pace of dialogue that is borderline exhausting just to watch, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. Their vocal ability, especially Krista’s is sheer beauty, in a voice that might seem contrary, but her ability to use it to deliver the emotion of her character, is so good. I also enjoyed watching how each of the actors reacted while the other was speaking, there’s so much depth of conversation in just a look, this pair captures that quite excellently.
The design work complements the performances with elegance. Terry Tennesen’s set is understated but effective, framing the action while suggesting both distance and domesticity. Terry’s use of two halves of the stage to show where each character is at any particular time is very well done, and the movement of the actors between the two halves is excellent. One touching scene, in which the pair sing White Christmas apart, but together at the same time uses the layout of the stage very nicely. Michelle Cesmat adds texture through practical touches — writing desks, fabrics, and period-appropriate props — that bring authenticity without distraction. Karen Anderson’s lighting shifts seamlessly between warm, intimate moments and cooler, uncertain tones, while spotlighting letters as narrative anchors. And her use of lighting to convey suspense is very good. Corinne Adams and Krista worked together on the costume designs, and their work is similarly precise: Louise’s evolving wardrobe mirrors her emotional journey, while Jack’s attire underscores both military life and the comforts of home.
Finally, Bry Kifolo’s sound design crafts a subtle but rich soundscape. The scratch of a pen, the rustle of paper, distant wartime echoes, and gentle musical flourishes never overwhelm; they remind us that life — even love — continues beyond the page. And her work underscores the horrors of war and the complexity of life during wartime.
Dear Jack, Dear Louise is more than a wartime romance. It is a meditation on patience, hope, and the courage required to trust another person in uncertain times. Key City Public Theatre achieves intimacy without sentimentality, humor without frivolity, and romance without cliché. Every element — the emotional performances of Krista Curry and Erik Gratton, the understated set, the evocative lighting and sound, and precise period costumes — works in concert to transport the audience into the emotional world of these letters. By the final scene, as the last letter is read, the audience is left with a sense of fulfillment and quiet awe: a reminder that love, connection, and human resilience endure, even when faced with the distance and uncertainty of war. This is theatre that lingers, inviting reflection long after the curtain falls. My only wish would be that it have more of a full run.
Ken Ludwig’s autobiographical Dear Jack, Dear Louise runs on stage at Key City Public Theatre in Port Townsend through September 14. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://keycitypublictheatre.org/.
Photo credit: Mel Carter
