Review: A GOODNIGHT KISS at Goshen Players

Truly romantic dramatized love stories are rare these days, but on Saturday, June 7th, I had the pleasure of seeing what I would consider to be the most romantic love story I have ever seen acted out on stage! This is a phenomenal production put on at the Goshen Players Playhouse in Goshen, CT, a Civil War love story called A GOODNIGHT KISS. This amazing drama, based on a true story, is written by award winning musical dramatist and writer Cinzi Lavin, and directed by Kathy Kelly who helps bring out the best in this stellar cast! About ninety historical love letters compiled by Ernest Barker fuel the content of this stage production. The show depicts how in the 1860s, in this town of Goshen, CT, basic Christian values had a far larger impact on the general day to day lives of mainstream American citizens, a fact that naturally lends itself to greater true romance, since the personal love stories of every successful genuinely married couple are ultimately written by God, the very Author of love.

As someone whose grandfather fought for the Army in World War II, as my grandmother wrote him letters every day he was away, I found the concept highly intriguing. My grandparents had already been married at the time, with my aunt already born. My grandfather survived the war, even after being shot. Had that bullet been inches over, it would have wiped out not merely my grandfather, but also my mother, another aunt, a cousin, me, my brother, two nieces, and any future descendants those nieces may have. My grandparents were blessed with over 65 years of marriage. 

A GOODNIGHT KISS, however, is different in that the couple involved were not a steady couple at the time they first exchanged letters. Rather, Fred Lucas (David Macharelli), who fought for the Union Army, and Jennie Wadhams (Olivia Wadsworth) were very distant cousins who were friendly with each other. In fairness, aren’t we all distant cousins, given that we are all descendants of Noah and his wife? Jennie had given Fred a New Testament before he went off to war, which was supposedly a common thing for single young women to do for male soldiers, at the time, in Goshen. Fred and Jennie stayed in touch, through letters, during the war, brightening each other’s days upon receiving the letters from each other.

The show starts with two gossipy women (Harmony Tanguay and Roni Gelormino) gossiping about Fred and Jennie. Harmony and Roni played off each other incredibly well in a very amusing back and forth. Their gossip is followed by the Narrator (Robert Kwalick) telling more of Fred and Jennie’s story. Robert is excellent in setting the tone for the two main protagonists. The show then switches back and forth between Fred and Jennie writing their letters to each other. Whoever is writing any given letter is the same person who is articulating the contents of the letter that he or she is writing. So, the tones and reactions are in the hands of whoever is composing the letter, as opposed to those of the intended recipient. This concept works incredibly well, especially since David Macharelli and Olivia Wadsworth are so highly talented that it feels like they have authentically become their characters. They both totally sell every line and emotion. They keep the audience’s attention the whole time!

There is no shock value or steamy eroticism in the letters. There does not need to be. The letters are classy and earnest, which is far more romantic and depicts a relationship built on far more solid ground than what we typically see in modern media, whether on stage or screen. It is refreshing to see such innocent wholesomeness. This far outshines any legendary fictional “love” story about infatuated teenagers from feuding families who would become suicidal without each other. It is also far superior to these modern day trashy “love” stories about young couples who live as if they are married before they get married. True relationships, anchored on true love, as defined by God, with courtships obedient to God, are the type of stories that truly bless all those who get to see them, and deeply resonate with audiences. A wholesome love story like this is on such a higher plane than the raunchy smut that dominates modern television and diabolically targets young audiences to twist and distort their understanding of romance and love. America desperately needs more shows like A GOODNIGHT KISS to inspire youth to seek the decent, wholesome, and honorable courtships that their hearts, minds, and souls truly yearn for.

Tom Huxley (Joel Osborne), who is Fred’s bunkmate, supports the relationship between Fred andJennie and wants Fred to enhance the level or overtly romantic talk in his letters. I would argue that the pure innocence of those letters makes them far more romantic. Regardless, Joel makes this character highly likeable in such a convincing performance as a close friend to the central male protagonist.

Jennie’s father, John Marsh Wadhams (John Fabiani), was somewhat of an antagonist in the story, in that he did not initially approve of the growing relationship between Fred and Jennie, on the grounds that Fred did not have much money or a high social standing. While it was clear that Jennie’s father had good intentions, he was also rather petty and superficial in his rejection of Fred.  Jennie's father was imposing his ideals of what he wanted in a son-in-law upon his daughter, rather than respecting her valid desires and freedom to prioritize the qualities in a man that she was most drawn to. If Jennie was fickle, naïve, petty, superficial, and based what she found attractive on whatever the social norms of the time told her were the “in” traits to look for in a guy, then such parental intervention would be absolutely necessary. In Jennie’s case, however, she gave her father no legitimate reason to mistrust her discernment between a decent guy and a toxic one. Personally, I took no issue with Fred or the way he treated Jennie. He came across as genuine and loving. Nevertheless, I found it fascinating that Jennie’s father warned Jennie to be careful about what she writes to Fred, on the grounds that Fred could potentially use those words to harm Jennie’s relationship with her future husband, if that future husband was not to be Fred. While words are minor in comparison, I like the fact that Jennie’s father explained to his daughter how an unmarried woman who makes the wrong choices with the wrong guys can cause irrevocable harm to her future marriage, a difficult discussion about a deeply sensitive truth that many modern parents are failing to effectively communicate to their young daughters.  John Fabiani truly brings this character to life in his tone and delivery!

I like the way the show presents the beauty of the handwritten letter. Text messages go away when people upgrade to a new phone. Emails disappear after the accounts have not been checked for a certain amount of time, due to the death of the account owners. Hand-written letters, though, if preserved, like these were, have value that remains even after the deaths of the writers and the intended recipients. That simpler way of life was a superior way of life in so many ways.

The show includes some Cinzi Lavin arrangements of music by Stephen Foster.

While the show addresses some of the horrors of war, the pervading and inspirational love story leaves audience members with a positive feeling, both in terms of the quality of the production itself, and the overarching theme of true love in a pure and innocent form.