Prolific playwright Ken Ludwig, who boasts a portfolio of 34 plays and musicals, who has had 6 productions on Broadway and 8 performed in London’s West End, and whose works are staged throughout the world literally every night of the week is also dominating the onset of the 2025 Quad Cities theatre season. In January Circa 21 Dinner Theatre opened its season with Ludwig’s Baskerville, A Sherlock Holmes Mystery and now Moline’s The Black Box Theatre is running Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise the real-life, almost unbelievable World War II courtship of Ludwig’s parents: Jacob, or Jack, and Louise Rabiner, directed here by Elizabeth Melville.
Jack was a brand new doctor when he was drafted into the army medical corps shortly after the United States’ entry into WWII and was initially stationed in Washington state. One of the most amazing aspects of this story is that Jack’s and Louise’s courtship was initiated by their parents who were acquaintances and why they thought their analytical, science oriented, somewhat nerdy son would be a good match with an aspiring Broadway chorus girl is a bit of a mystery. However, Jack’s folks sent him Louise’s NEW YORK CITY address (yes, all the way across the country) suggesting he contact her. Their initial correspondence via snail mail is awkward but adorable and, as the war and their correspondence progress, their relationship deepens despite the fact that throughout the entire war, and despite multiple attempts to do so, they never physically meet each other until V.E. day.
Taking us through the ups and downs of this poignant love story are Zach Zelnio and Kassidy Holdridge. I had the privilege of sharing the stage with them last February in Harvey at Playcrafters and I really admired their talent. As impressive as they were in that production, they upped their game here to Olympian proficiency and take home the gold. They do a superb job of developing their characters from the first stumbling contact to forming an unbreakable bond. Their performance was a pure delight to watch.
As always, it never ceases to amaze me how Lora Adams manages impressive set design in this small venue and her costumes are spot on.
I don’t know why Ken Ludwig waited until 2019 to bring this precious love story to the boards, but I’m sure glad he did.
Dear Jack, Dear Louise continues at The Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Avenue in Moline, February 21, 22, 27, and 28 at 7:30 p.m. and March 1 at 2:00 p.m.
Oh, and I’d also like to give a shout out to Wilson Middle School’s recent and truly impressive production of Disney Junior’s Aladdin. Despite some technical glitches, those youngsters powered on and gave a performance worthy of big bravos. Here’s hoping we see some of them on adult stages in the future.
I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.