Music Theatre of Connecticut Presents LOVE LETTERS, 2/4

Music Theatre of Connecticut MainStage is proud to present Scott Bryce and Jodi Stevens in "Love Letters" by A.R. Gurney. One of the most beloved American plays of all time captures the romance of a lifetime as told through the couple's correspondence, and will be brought to life by celebrity couple and Connecticut residents Scott Bryce (Emmy nominee for ABC-TV's "As the World Turns") and Jodi Stevens (Star of Broadway's "Jekyll and Hyde" and "Urban Cowboy"). Perfect for Valentine's Day, this limited engagement of "Love Letters" will begin performances on February 4.

A. R. Gurney's "Love Letters" is unique and imagiNative Theatre piece about a fifty year love affair carried on primarily through letters, written in and about a world where letter-writing was very much a essential mode of communication, especially between men and women. The piece is comprised of letters exchanged over a lifetime between two people who grew up together, went their separate ways, but continued to share confidences. As the actors read the letters aloud, what is created is an evocative, touching, frequently funny but always telling pair of character studies in which what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written down. The Pulitzer Prize nominated "Love Letters" was originally performed in 1988, and has enjoyed productions around the world ever since.

Scott Bryce plays Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, and is the third generation of his family in show business. As an actor, Scott has an extensive career on stage, television and film. He has appeared on Broadway in "Caesar and Cleopatra," Off-Broadway in "Sally's Gone She Left Her Name" and at numerous regional theatres. On television, Scott was twice nominated for a Best Actor Daytime Emmy award for playing Craig Montgomery on "As the World Turns." Other television roles include series regular Mike McQueen on the WB's "Popular," co-starring with Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Beals in Joel Schumacher's "2000 Malibu Road" and guest star roles in dozens of series including "Law and Order," "Law and Order: SVU," "Gossip Girl," "30 Rock," "ER," "Reba" and "Sex and the City." Scott has starred in TV movies and miniseries including "Pandora's Clock," "Visions of Murder" and "Exclusive." He has played supporting roles in films including "Up Close and Personal" with Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer, "Above Freezing," "Ghost Dog" and "Lethal Weapon 3." On the other side of the camera, Scott has produced and directed commercials for Adidas, Sign Story, CBS Outer Net and Best Buy. He has produced and directed video for numerous corporate sales meetings and has helped develop new concept media such as the NCTF sponsored installation, StageVision, which appears on HD screens in the lobby and lounge areas of America's ten most prominent regional theatres. A green screen specialist, Scott has created special effects for Master Foods and U.S. Surgical. His corporate client list includes Canada Dry, Sun Oil, Grey Advertising, American Express, Bayer, Altria, D&B, GE, Vivometrics. Scott co-produced, "Frederick Douglass: From Slavery to Freedom," starring Jamie Hector for CPTV. He is co-executive producer and director of Steamboatseries.com, a comedy webi-sode series. He is currently a film and social media consultant for Praxis Media and has two features in development at Palace Digital Studios.

Jodi Stevens plays Melissa Gardner, and recently completed the Off-Broadway run of "Dietrich and Chevalier: The Musical" at St. Luke's Theatre, earning rave reviews for her portrayal of film icon, Marlene Dietrich. On Broadway, Stevens was in the original companies of "Urban Cowboy" as Pam and "Jekyll & Hyde" as Lucy. Other Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits include Claire Strider in "Under Fire: The Musical," "Heaven Help Us: A New Rat Pack Musical" at Denver Center and Florida Stage, as Marlene Dietrich in "Harmony" at La Jolla Playhouse, "I Can Get it for You Wholesale" at The York, "Eliot Ness in Cleveland" and "Body Shop" at Westbeth, the title role in "Antigone: The Musical at TADA!, "27 Wagons Full of Cotton" at Intar, "Dracula" at La Jolla Playhouse, Lily St. Regis in the 20th anniversary production of "Annie" at Goodspeed, "Twelfth Night" at Palm Beach Shakespeare Fest, "The 1940s Radio Hour," "Me and My Girl," "Fen," "The imaginary Invalid" and "Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean." On television, Stevens has been seen in "Conviction," "Career Horror Stories," "Sex and the City," "Central Park West," "Guiding Light," "All My Children" and "As the World Turns." Jodi Stevens' films include "The Funeral," "The Narrow Gate" and "Pervertigo," due out 2011. Vocal recordings include the solo album "Girl Talk," "The Kurt Weill: Centennial," "Johnny Mercer's Dream," both for The Actor's Fund, as a featured guest artist on "Rodgers and Leonhart" and on the original Broadway cast album of "Jekyll & Hyde." Her one woman show, "A Broad's Way," is booked at various locations thru 2011. Ms. Stevens is also a certified Music Together teacher in Fairfield County and a proud member of the Theatre Artists Workshop.

A. R. ("Pete") Gurney has been writing plays for over fifty years. Among them are "Scenes from American Life," "The Dining Room," "The Cocktail Hour," "Sylvia," "Big Bill," "Far East," "Mrs. Farnsworth," "Indian Blood," "Crazy Mary," "The Grand Manner" and "Buffalo Gal." He has also written three novels, a few television scripts, several unproduced movies and the librettos of two operas. Gurney is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has honorary degrees from Williams College and Buffalo State University, and taught literature at M.I.T. for many years.

"Love Letters" is directed by Kevin Connors, who serves as Executive Artistic Director and is a co-founder of MTC. Sets and lighting by Scott Holdredge, costumes by Diane Vanderkroef and stage managed by Jim Schilling.

"Love Letters" will be performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with matinees Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 3pm at MTC MainStage Studio Theatre, 246 Post Road East (ColoniAl Green/Lower Level) in downtown Westport, CT. Tickets are available by calling 203.454.3883 or visiting www.musictheatreofct.com Each performance is followed by a wine and cheese reception where the audience is invited to meet the actors and production team.

The Music Theatre of Connecticut 2010/11 MainStage Season will conclude with "My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" in April 2010. Two show subscriptions are still available, where you can see both productions for as little as $40 and enjoy perks exclusive to subscribers.

Tickets to "Love Letters" are $25-$45 ($5 off for seniors and students.) Call 203.454.3883 or visit www.musictheatreofct.com

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