A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters has been a favorite of critics and regional and community theaters since its debut in 1988. As a Pulitzer Prize finalist, the play is admired for its simply poignancy as it follows the relationship of the two protagonists, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III from childhood until Melissa’s death. Melissa, the rich, spoiled girl. And Andrew, firmly enough in the middle class to be from the “wrong side of the tracks”. The simple story told only through the letters the two exchange leads the audience through both lives with always underlying sexual tension, action and frustration and eventual role reversal. For regional and community theater the show is ideal. It only needs one or two desks for a set, two actors and minimal rehearsal time since it is done script-in-hand. It has never been a major hit but attracts a small, but loyal following of theater goers who like better written pieces.

This production of Love Letters produced by Creative Atlas and New Wave Arts is a translation and adaptation by Gera Sandler who also directs. The play is in Russian with English supertitles. Lex Grzhonko stars as Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Maria Atlas as Melissa Gardner. Both are exceptional in their roles. Sandler’s direction is solid. The supertitles are very well done, and the play moves slowly enough and is good that the play in Russian is not a problem.

The problem with the show is Sandler’s adaptation. The distance between Andrew and Melissa that is essential in Gurney’s original is closed in Sandler’s adaptation and we often see the two protagonists interact in person. That makes the show lose much of its emotional power. It is in many ways reduced to being a show about two people having an emotional and physical affair which means the show lacks the distinctiveness that makes Love Letters special.