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Vanilla Box Productions presents ‘Love Stories’ including ‘Other Letters,’ two men’s story RICHARD DUCKET T
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n the late playwright A.R. Gurney’s popular 1988 “Love Letters,” a male actor and female actor read to the audience letters and notes between Andrew and Melissa from early childhood through their respective marriages, children, and, in Melissa’s case, divorces. There is a good deal of humor in what is read and the authors of these letters do love each other, but for various reasons important opportunities get lost. In “Other Letters,” a play by Bryan Renaud and Carin Silkaitic inspired by “Love Letters,” Charlie and Tommy begin passing notes when they are 8 years old. What follows are lives and a love similarly told in letters, notes and emails with some connections and lots of near-misses. For the Vanilla Box Productions presentation of “Other Letters” that will be live online for four performances starting Feb. 19, the two characters are played by Kyle Collins and Norman Dubois of Worcester, who are a couple in real life. “I think you have a mix of both powerful scenes that deal with loss but it is really funny,” Collins said of “Other Letters.” Like “Love Letters,” when Charlie and Tommy are “ready to jump into their relationship, something always comes up,” said Dubois. “Other Letters” debuted in Chicago 2016. Renaud and Silkaitic have also written a version for two women. The letters and notes between Charlie and Tommy begin in the 1970s. One of the characters gets put through conversion therapy by his freaked out parents. However, “It’s not too focused on the fact they’re gay, it’s more focused on their relationship and they happen to be gay,” Collins said. “It’s very relatable. I didn’t grow up in the ‘70s, but growing up in the ‘90s a lot of what they talk about is very relatable.” “Other Letters” is part of a double-header of plays being put on by Vanilla Box Productions with Valentine’s Day in mind under the
overall title of “Love Stories.” The other play and the first part of “Love Stories” is “Blind Date Trilogy,” a very recent work by Tanis Galik made up of three scenes. In the first, Stanley and Alice are each getting ready for their blind date. The second depicts the aftermath, and in the third scene there is another couple and a surprise. The cast is Christopher Pinkerton, Dalita Getzoyan, Paul Spanagel and Heidi White. “Love Stories” will be presented live online at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, 20, 26 and 27. Vanilla Box Productions has staged many large musicals at live, in-person productions at the former Holy Name Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in Worcester, now St. Paul Diocesan Junior-Senior High School. With the pandemic, the theater group co-founded by Christine C. Seger and Joel D. Seger has been putting out a number of live online productions over the past few months. The actors perform from their homes and Joel Seger links it all together. “Vanilla Box Productions has become known for producing family-friendly musicals. Producing virtual plays gives us a chance to explore beyond what we were doing and expand our offerings,” said Joel Seger, who is directing “Love Stories.”
Norman Dubois and Kyle Collins, a couple in real life, star in “Other Letters,” part of Vanilla Box Production’s upcoming presentation of “Love Stories.” LAUREN PIANDES
“One way we can push the boundaries is to tell stories that are not always heard and show characters that are not always seen. We are trying to be more aware and more inclusive when picking shows. Since Act One (of “Love Stories) showcases a more traditional romantic narrative, we chose a show to complement that in Act Two which shows the complicated relationship of two men that meet when they are in grade school. We couldn’t be more excited to share these shows that we believe haven’t been seen in this area before,” he said. Joel Seger approached Collins
cember 2019. “Which feels like it’s not actually a year ago,” Collins said with a nod to all that has happened in the world since. Away from theater they both have day jobs. Collins works at the laboratories of Worcester State University doing prep for lab courses. Dubois is employed at the St. Vincent call center. Collins is originally from Framingham and Dubois from Milford, but they settled in Worcester believing it has a tremendous upside for the arts. Both emphatically said they would like to be professional actors here. “Yes.” “Yes.” “I think that Worcester is on a horizon to have professional theater start popping up. I would and Dubois really like to do that. We’ve been about “Other trying to get our feet in the door,” Letters.” Although Collins said. the two actors had Further afield, they were both never worked at Vanilla Box Productions before, they in an online North Shore Players production of “The Importance of knew the Segers, Dubois said. Being Earnest” Nov. 7, with Collins “It’s great. We’ve never been as Algernon and Dubois playing like a couple onstage before. It’s a Jack. new experience for us. It’s a good Still, with the pandemic, “We experience for us,” Dubois said. “It’s nice,” Collins said. Previous- haven’t seen as many auditions and shows going up, so it’s really nice to ly “We’ve played Frankenstein and be asked by Joel to have this opporIgor (in ‘Young Frankenstein’).” tunity,” Dubois said. Collins and Dubois met doing Collins and Dubois will be readtheater while students at Framinging the letters from their kitchen ham State University. with a camera set up. “We were friends for a while. It “Kyle and Norman are wonderdeveloped into more,” Collins said. ful,” Seger said. “They are bringing a They have both been active lot of life to these notes, cards and on the area theater scene, each letters that the characters send to drawing good reviews. They have each other. I found myself drawn also appeared in shows together, in to the story and even emotional including with the Regatta Players during rehearsal. The concept of (“Young Frankenstein,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”) and Worcester the show is simple, which means County Light Opera Company. But the audience can really focus on the characters and the story.” that isn’t always the case and they “It’s not just two guys reading have been up for the same role in letters, it’s our own (character’s) a show. A male couple auditioning for a story,” said Collins. “It’s interesting playing these role can be have a different experience than a male and female couple characters. Interesting to see the depths of the relationships and auditioning, Collins noted. “I feel a how that comes out when we’re couple that are a man and a womperforming,” Collins said. an, they’re not going for the same roles. With us, one of will get the Tickets for “Love Stories” are role and the other one won’t — but $11 and on sale now on the website: we can be there for each other.” www.vanillaboxproductions.com. They were both in WCLOC’s “The Drowsy Chaperone” in De-
