THE WAR LETTERS, New Play Inspired by Real-Life Collection of WWII Love Letters, to be Presented at WP Theater

ThisThistle Media, in association with Bechdel Project, will present The War Letters, a new play by Charlotte Purser inspired by a collection of love letters written by Purser’s grandparents during World War II. Directed by Ana Margineanu and starring Purser and Jens Rasmussen, The War Letters offers audiences a poignant experience that delves into the depths of love, memory, and resilience. This limited engagement runs December 15–21, 2023, at WP Theater (2162 Broadway. Manhattan). Tickets, starting at $35, are currently on sale at the link below or at www.thisthistle.com.

The War Letters weaves together two narratives. The first is a touching love story between Purser’s grandparents, who wrote over a thousand letters to each other–sometimes four times a day. Their correspondences offer a glimpse into a simpler time when the handwritten letter was a lifeline that transcended distance and danger. The play also chronicles the heart-wrenching journey of Purser’s grandmother as she grapples with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The War Letters offers a sensitive portrayal of her experiences, immersing the audience in the fractured landscape of her memories where reality and illusion intermingle, blurring the lines between past and present.

“Shortly after my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was moved into a nursing home, we discovered a treasure trove of love letters in her attic,” says playwright and performer Purser. “When I first started reading them, it was like hearing my grandparents’ voices again, just younger- and sassier! The letters were not only filled with anecdotes about life during World War II, but they offered a tremendous catalog of human emotions: love, fear, anger, anxiety, joy, happiness... and hope. Each letter was written as if it could be their last and the power of those words resonates deeply.”

“When I first read The War Letters, the central story of Mimi fighting to hold onto her memories pierced through my heart,” said director Ana Margineanu. “The play speaks to how fragile us humans really are, how brief our existence is and how the only way to hold on to ourselves is through love. The production creates a magical world filled with the faint smell of perfume and old paper, with phantoms from a non-digital world that has almost disappeared itself.”

The creative team for The War Letters includes Deb O (set, costume, and prop design), Stephen Arnold (lighting design), Eden Segbefia (sound design), Angela Dogani (stage manager), and Tamilla Woodard (dramaturg).

Eight performances of The War Letters will take place December 15–21, 2023, at WP Theater, located at 2162 Broadway in Manhattan. Critics are welcome as of Friday, December 15, which also serves as the opening. The performance schedule is December 15–17, 19–21 at 7pm and December 15 and 21 at 3pm. The anticipated running time is 72 minutes with no intermission. Tickets, which are $35–$45, can be purchased online at the link below.

Please visit the link below for more information.

About the Artists
 

Charlotte Purser

(playwright, performer) is a New York City based playwright, producer, and actor who creates works for theatre, film, and new media. Purser’s work strives to tell the stories of women, to paint a picture of their real-life struggles, and identify and highlight shared humanity, regardless of gender. Her aim is to seek out authenticity and combine it with a little bit of magic to build a unique narrative that captivates the imagination. Purser produced a developmental workshop of The War Letters in October of 2021 after receiving a grant from New York City Artist Corps. In 2022, with Kori Rushton, Charlotte produced a reading of The War Letters at IRT Theatre as part of the 3B Residency. She has also produced over ten short films. She holds a Masters Degree in Acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and her work as an actor has been seen across the USA and UK. She has taught acting techniques to students at Montclair State University, actors in NYC, high school students in Denver, and corporate clients across the US. www.charlottepurser.com
 

Ana Margineanu

(director) is a theater director who works both nationally and internationally. She graduated from The National University of Theatre and Film of Bucharest, Romania. Margineanu is co-founder of PopUp Theatrics, a partnership creating immersive theatrical events around the world and in collaboration with international theatre artists. She is a past resident of Women’s Project Theater, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, and an alumnus of The Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Margineanu’s work has been presented and developed at the 3LD Art & Technology Center, Working Theater, Urban Stages, NYTW, The Lark, Ensemble Studio Theater, The Secret Theatre, and in numerous theaters and festivals in Europe, most notably: New Plays from Europe Wiesbaden, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, National Theatre Festival Bucharest, and Sibiu International Theatre Festival. She has also directed, taught, and facilitated workshops at Colleges and Universities like NYU, Pace University, Wesleyan University, Queens College, National Theatre, and the Film University of Bucharest. Called “one of the reigning queens of New York’s highly intimate, one-shot-only, conceptual-based theater” by the NYC critic Randy Gener, Margineanu is known for close cooperation with the local communities who are audiences for her work, highly metaphoric visual style, and ability to draw raw, visceral performances from her actors. She offers personal training sessions for actors and text developing counseling for playwrights. www.anamargineanu.com
 

Jens Rasmussen

(performer) is an award-winning theatre artist, co-founder of BECHDEL PROJECT, and a performer and co-creator of River Watchers and the DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD nominated American Dreams - two ground-breaking, form-bending, interactive shows. When not performing or building new work, He can be found teaching movement, devising, and playmaking at universities across the country - or pursuing other adventures. www.jensrasmussen.info

 

Photo credit: Bjorn Bolinder

 

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