Hudson Stage Company of Westchester, NY, will deliver Love Letters starring Jill Clayburgh and John Rubinstein April 28 for its annual benefit.
The epistolary drama by A.R. Gurney has two actors reading letters between longtime friends over several decades in post Word War II America. The not-for-profit Hudson Stage troupe has new works as part of its mission.
Rubinstein was the original star of Love Letters in New York. It would blossom in theatres around the world and play national tours with stars including Lauren Bacall and Richard Kiley and Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner.
The gala takes place 7 PM at The Julie Harris Theatre at the ClearView School, 550 Albany Post Road in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Tickets are $75. A reception with the cast follows. Hudson Stage Company is the resident Equity company of The Julie Harris Theatre.
Clayburgh currently appears on the NBC TV series "Leap of Faith." Her career includes Pippin (with Love Letters co-star Rubinstein) and The Rothschilds. She was twice nominated for an Academy Award for her performances in "An Unmarried Woman" and "Starting Over." Rubinstein's Broadway credits include Pippin, Children of a Lesser God (Tony Award), Hurlyburly, M. Butterfly, Love Letters (original star) and Ragtime. He earned an Emmy Award for the TV series "Family," and starred in "Crazy Like a Fox." Hudson Stage was founded in 1998 by Dan Foster, Denise Bessette and Olivia Sklar as a professional theatre company with the mission of presenting new works. Originally offering staged readings of new plays by playwrights including Romulus Linney, Jeffrey Hatcher, Cass Morgan, Stephen Belber and David Grimm, the company began producing full productions two years ago at the Julie Harris Theatre with Suzanne Bradbeer's award-winning drama, Full Bloom. in fa;; 2001, the company presented Michael McKeever's 37 Postcards. Actors who have appeared with the company in productions or readings include Dana Ivey, Blythe Danner, Christopher Innvar, Liz Callaway, Robert Sella, Enid Graham, Susan Pellegrino and Keith Reddin. Danner, Bill Pullman, Mercedes Ruehl, Frances Sternhagen and Austin Pendleton serve on the company's advisory board.
Foster will supervise the reading of Love Letters. For reservations call (914) 271-2811.
— By Kenneth Jones
