DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE Comes to Florida Studio Theatre Next Month

Florida Studio Theatre will present Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise, a comedic and touching look at life in 1942, as the next show in its Summer Mainstage Series. Inspired by the WWII courtship of Ludwig’s parents, Dear Jack, Dear Louise begins on July 3 at FST's Keating Theatre. 

Dear Jack, Dear Louise is part of a three-show subscription package, which also includes Kander and Ebb’s musical revue The World Goes Round, and The Outsider, a comedy that cleverly critiques modern politics. 

“I had in my mind for a few years to write a play about my mom and dad,” Ludwig said of his inspiration. “My mom was a zany, wacky, fun person, very outgoing, and show business was her dream. And Dad was shy—he had a sly sense of humor, and it was sweet, sweet, sweet, but he was quiet. They couldn’t have been more different. So, I always thought it would make a good play.”

The play is written entirely in letters, but the two actors are not confined to sitting behind desks. It is highly theatrical, with the characters’ letters often breaking down to resemble an actual conversation.

Director Kristin Clippard, who previously directed FST’s A Night in November and Ugly Lies the Bone, admired this epistolary play. “Communication by letter reveals things about a character in a particular way. Private thoughts are shared, and we interpret that character according to their words. The world around them is known only through their descriptions of it.”

Ludwig has written 34 plays and musicals, oscillating between drama, comedy, and a mix of both. They have been produced in over 20 languages in more than 30 countries, and many have become standards of the American repertoire.

“Ludwig is one of the few playwrights today who can write an excellent, funny, and smart comedy,” said FST’s Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins. “He writes intelligent, character-driven comedies that make you care about the people onstage. Dear Jack, Dear Louise has just the right tone and rhythm, which is difficult to accomplish.”

The play premiered in 2019 in Washington, D.C. and has been performed at various venues nationwide. The Washington Post described it as, “A poignant and funny tribute to the enduring power of human connection,” while The Chicago Sun-Times called it, “A tale of true love.”

Bringing this love story to life are two actors making their FST debut. Jordan Sobel will be playing the role of Jack Ludwig. Sobel is an actor, percussionist, and fight designer with an M.F.A. from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory and a B.A. from Boston University.  Jordan performed regionally with companies such as The Huntington Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company, American Repertory Theatre, and The Asolo Repertory Theatre, including regional and world premieres. He recently portrayed Jack Ludwig in Dear Jack, Dear Louise at the Virginia Theatre Festival in 2023. 

Maggie Lou Rader will tackle the role of Louise Rabiner. Rader attended William Jewell College, Oxford University, and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She has performed with several theatres, including Human Race Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, The Kitchen Theatre, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

The creative team features direction by Kristin Clippard, scenic design by Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay, costume design by Daniel Ciba, lighting design by Ethan Vail, and sound design by Nicholas Christensen.

FST’s production of Dear Jack, Dear Louise is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The production is also supported by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues, and the Shubert Foundation. Thank you to our media sponsor, The Observer.

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