Local army camp featured on stage
By Geoff Ridden for Ashland.news
How many plays can you think of which are set in the Rogue Valley?
OK, let’s limit that to the plays you can think of set in the Valley which are written by an established playwright.
Do you give in?
Ken Ludwig is one of the most successful contemporary U.S. writers for the stage (you will almost certainly have heard of “Lend Me A Tenor,” for example), and he has a close connection with Medford. That connection is being celebrated currently in a production at the Collaborative Theatre Company in the Medford Village Centre.
“Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is a poignant piece which tells the story of how Ludwig’s parents came to form a relationship during World War II. His father, Jack, was a doctor who was enlisted in the U.S. army in the 1940s, based in Camp White outside of Medford. He was shy young man who was encouraged by his family to write to Louise Rabiner, an aspiring young actress they knew in New York. The two developed a relationship over several years which was carried on entirely via letters.
Directed by Adam Cuppy, the play is a two-hander (although the actors actually take on more roles than are usually encompassed by this description) performed by Tessa Alleman-Harnen and Nick Walker. Those who have already seen the show have given the actors standing ovations, and many have left with tears in their eyes.
This production has a very limited run, and there are, in fact, only four opportunities left to see it: at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24, and Friday, July 25, and matinees at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27 .
For tickets and further details, check the CTP website at ctpmedford.org or call 541-779-1055.
Geoff Ridden first came to Ashland in 2002 and has been a permanent resident since 2008. He taught in universities in West Africa, Europe and the USA. In his retirement he has written reviews of books and plays for a number of publications, as well as giving talks in OSF’s Carpenter Noon series. He can be contacted at geoff.ridden@gmail.com.
