Meriwether and Noble Star in CT Production of Love Letters

Stage and television veterans Lee Meriwether ("Barnaby Jones," "All My Children" and a former Miss America) and James Noble (Governor Gatling on "Benson") will star in A.R. Gurney's Love Letters, presented by Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport, CT, on Saturday, June 2 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 3 at 3 p.m.  Scott M. Robbins directs.  

"Love Letters is a poignant and romantic comedy that traces the relationship between a man and a woman solely through their correspondence. The production follows the bittersweet relationship and love affair of lifelong friends over 50 years through a series of letters. Pen pals for life, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III are childhood sweethearts who meet in the second grade and begin a correspondence that chronicles their entire lives. The story of their relationship gradually unfolds from what is written - and what is left unsaid - in their letters.  The words are both hysterical and moving," according to production notes on the A.R. Gurney (The Dining Room, The Cocktail Hour, Sylvia).

"Love Letters will kick start our new theatre initiative to bring mainstage productions back to Playhouse on the Green," said Robbins. "The full season will begin in the fall, with the funds raised from Love Letters supporting these upcoming efforts."

Lee Meriwether was crowned Miss America in 1955.  She plays Ruth Martin on the ABC soap "All My Children."  Her most recent film is The Ultimate Gift, in which she appears with James Garner, Brian Dennehy, Drew Fuller, Bill Cobbs, Alli Hillis and Abigail Breslin.  She is currently appearing at Theatre West in a Storybook Theatre production of Snow White, playing the wicked Queen and Witch. Recently she played a wine guzzling, cigarette smoking mother to Ed Harris in Winston, scheduled to be in movie theatres next year.  She was on the boards at Theatre West appearing in Love Letters with Beau Bridges, and in the West coast premiere of Sherwood Schwartz's comedy Rockers.  She recently appeared in Dan Goggin's musical Nunsense with Betty Garrett and in her own one-woman show: Women from Spoon River, Their Voices from the Hill.  

Meriwether co-starred with Buddy Ebsen on the "Barnaby Jones" series for eight years, and was nominated for the Golden Globe and the Emmy. She began in television as the first "on air" women's editor for Dave Garroway's "Today Show."  She played Catwoman in the original "Batman" movie, Ann on the "Time Tunnel" series, Lily II on "The Munsters Today" and Losira on a popular "Star Trek" episode.  Other film roles include Andy Griffith's pregnant wife in Angel in My Pocket and Rock Hudson's southern belle wife in The Undefeated, with John Wayne.  She starred in many musicals including Hello, Dolly!, Mame, The King and I, A Little Night Music, Gilligan's Island and I Do, I Do. Active with a number of humanitarian endeavors and charities, Ms. Meriwether has served for over 12 years as Honorary Chairman of Ability First (formerly the Crippled Children's Society), and has been involved with other charitable and humanitarian organizations. 

On and off Broadway, and in theatres throughout this country and Canada, Noble has appeared in some 200 plays, and even one in Shakespeare's birthplace. While he was in Columbia Midshipman's School in 1943, he played the lead in The Egoist, one of the first dramas ever presented on TV, and he's done at least a thousand shows since then, including seven years on the series "Benson." He has made a few movies, notably Ten, Being There, 1776, and Chances Are. With actress Colleen Murphy, Noble has produced a movie, Glacier Bay, starring Dorothy Bryce, Ms. Murphy and himself which has won awards at festivals all over the country. He is a life member of The Actors Studio, and, for the last 15 years, of Connecticut's Theatre Artists Workshop.

"Playhouse on the Green is a 228-seat, state-of-the-Art Theatre. Originating in 1954 as the Polka Dot Playhouse located in Stratford's Redman's Hall, the theatre had several homes before moving in 1967 to Pleasure Beach, an island off Bridgeport.  In 1996, access to The Playhouse was cut off when the connecting bridge to Pleasure Beach burned down. With support of People's Bank and the State of Connecticut, the Polka Dot Playhouse reopened in 1999 in a renovated, former bank building in the heart of downtown Bridgeport. In 2002, the name changed to Playhouse on the Green, reflecting its location on McLevy Green, accessible to nearby restaurants and parking.  The new theatre initiative will produce a season of professionally enhanced stage plays, musicals, new play readings and children's productions beginning in September through April, in addition to the current educational programming."

Tickets on Saturday are $35 for performance only; $50 includes performance and champagne and dessert reception with the stars.  Sunday tickets are $35.  Playhouse on the Green is located at 177 State Street, Bridgeport. Free parking is nearby. For information and directions, visit www.PlayhouseontheGreen.org, or call  (203) 333-3666.