‘Love Letters’ to return to The Space on Valentine’s Day Weekend in 2018
The debut of five “Love Letters” shows at Mark Shunock’s new community arts center The Space has proved so popular that he’s going to stage it again next Valentine’s Day Weekend. Several guests purchased tickets for all five performances.
Penn Jillette and wife Emily Jillette kicked off the series Friday night. She told me: “What a rush! I feel so lucky to have been able to perform ‘Love Letters’ with my husband, Penn. He is so talented and expressive, it made it all seem so natural and easy.
“The Space LV is amazing. If you’re expecting a little hole-in-the-wall, black-box theater, prepare to be surprised. It’s a luxurious, state-of-the-art theater and gorgeous to boot! I was so thrilled to have so many friends and family in the audience.
“When I was done, Mark looked at me and said, ‘Oh, you’ve got that rush, don’t you?’ And I think he’s right. Now I really want to try some more acting, maybe without a script in front of me.”
Mark told me: “Having Emily and Penn open the series was incredible. The energy in The Space is something special. We’ve created an experience and environment where people were moved. They walk out in tears. Each couple reading ‘Love Letters’ brings their own unique take. Being able to rehearse with each of them has been an incredible experience for me.
“Listening to different couples bring who they are to the piece has been truly rewarding. Every night is different, and I can’t wait for Valentine’s Day next year. I think that I found a cool, new tradition for The Space. I have always wanted to produce and direct ‘Love Letters,’ and Valentine’s Day and The Space gave me the chance.
“It lets us go back to a simpler time when we didn’t text or have Facebook, when we actually had to write to each other. I ask the audience to turn off their phones, not just silence them, and allow the piece to let them escape our world for a while. They chose to walk into the dark theater and let us take them away.
“Each couple to this point has been pros. I am so grateful for Emily and Penn, DeLee and Bob Torti and Josh Strickland and Todd DuBail. We had a few guests ask to buy the whole series. They wanted to come and see every couple read the play. Tonight, we have Graham Fenton and his wife Nicole, and tomorrow we wrap with Clint Holmes and his wife, Kelly Clinton-Holmes.
“I think this play helps to put things into perspective. We spend a lot of time with distractions and forget that our time on this planet is short. Love is love, and this play helps us get back to that. It is very moving, and being able to witness the raw emotion our performers bring to the stage is something I am blessed to share.”
