By Harry Forbes
Playwright Ken Ludwig’s touching two-hander concerns the extraordinary World War II-era courtship of his parents before they had ever actually met: Jacob (Jack) Ludwig, a medical doctor stationed at an Oregon army hospital; and Louise Rabiner, the aspiring Broadway performer. The fathers of both were friends and had suggested they write to each other.
The play premiered in 2019 at Washington DC’s Arena Stage, and now stars Alexandra Fortin and Michael Liebhauser. They are utterly engaging as Jack and Louise begin their awkward, then increasingly comfortable, correspondence. Jack especially is, at first, shyly stiff and formal in their exchanges, but the effervescent Louise loosens him up soon enough.
Ludwig deftly balances the poignancy and humor of the situation, and skillfully avoids any sense of the static sometimes characteristic of an epistolary format. “Conversation” flows briskly between the two, each on opposite ends of the stage. Director Stephen Nachamie must be commended for the smooth pacing, as well as for guiding his appealing leads to give pitch perfect performances. The rom-com flavor of the first act gives way to high drama and heightened suspense in the second, which sees Jack stationed overseas.
It will no doubt amaze younger audience members to learn of a pre-computerized time when, in a situation such as Jack and Louise found themselves, they could only communicate through letters, not even seeing photos of the other until their correspondence was well underway. Though Jack and Louise would not actually meet until V-E Day, Louise did have a memorable visit Jack’s parents in Pennsylvania, and her recounting of the trip -- including the hordes of relatives who greeted her at the train station, and the events which followed -- is a comic highlight.
Given Louise’s theatrical leanings, showbiz buffs will get a kick out of cultural references to period offerings like “Blithe Spirit,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Hellzapoppin',” and “Oklahoma,” though (one small nitpick) some of the chronology in that regard is somewhat inaccurate. In any case, when Louise volunteers at the Stage Door Canteen, there are fun references to Betty Grable, Hedy Lamarr, and other silver screen luminaries.
Christian Fleming’s simple setting -- mainly Jack’s army quarters, and Louise’s New York apartment -- cannily differentiated by lighting designer Keith A. Truax -- and swing-era costumes convey the times beautifully. So, too, does Jeff Knapp’s sound design encompassing, as it does, a mood-setting 40s playlist and vivid sounds of battle.
Ludwig is a hugely prolific and unfailingly entertaining playwright as everyone knows, but on this occasion, given the deeply personal subject matter, he writes with particular warmth and genuinely touching sentiment.
(59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street; boxoffice@59e59.org or 646-892-7999; through February 16)
Photo by Dorice Arden: (l..-r.) Michael Liebhauser & Alexandra Fortin
