THEATRE JACKSONVILLE

Love Letters, the Pulitzer Prize-finalist play by A.R. Gurney, follows the extraordinary lifelong relationship between Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III through more than fifty years of letters, notes, and cards.  Within their countless missives, these friends express a lifetime of hopes, fears, loves and losses. Filled with wit, humor, longing, and unforgettable moments of joy and heartbreak, this deeply moving play reminds us that letters hold our history and can become an important treasure waiting to be discovered.

 

Love Letters stars real life couple Patrick Duffy (Dallas, Step by Step) and Linda Purl (Happy Days, The Office), who bring warmth, grace, and authenticity to this poignant reading. Their genuine affection and chemistry illuminate every word, creating an unforgettable theatrical experience that will stay with you long after the curtain falls.

 

Linda Purl (Melissa Gardner) spent much of her youth raised in Japan, where she became the only foreigner to have trained at the prestigious Toho Geino Academy. Her studies continued at the Neighborhood Playhouse and Lee Strasberg Institute. Purl has starred in over 45 US made-for-TV movies. Her extensive television credits include Matlock (Charlene Matlock), Happy Days (Ashley Pfister/Fonzie’s fiancée), and The Office (Pam’s mom, Helene Beesly).  She also has many theatre credits including Broadway: Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Getting and Spending, Off-Broadway: Crazy Mama, Mr. Toole, The Baby Dance, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! and West End: The Year of Magical Thinking. An accomplished jazz vocalist, Purl and Music Director Tedd Firth currently tour with solo concerts worldwide. She was Co-Founder of the Colorado Festival of World Theatre, Executive Director from 2004-2008. She then founded the California International Theatre Festival and served as Artistic Director from 2008-2014. Purl has previously appeared on stage at Theatre Jacksonville in The Year of Magical Thinking and most recently starred in the staged concert production of Mame at the Florida Theatre in partnership with Theatre Jacksonville.

 

Patrick Duffy (Andrew Makepeace Ladd III) has captivated audiences for over 45 years on some of television’s most beloved series. He achieved global superstardom as the honorable Bobby Ewing on the historic 1980’s prime-time soap opera Dallas, a role he reprised in the 2012 TNT revival.   Duffy next starred in the ABC sitcom, Step by Step, with Suzanne Somers from 1991 to 1998.  Additionally, Duffy had a longstanding role in the CBS daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. Duffy was originally introduced to TV viewing audiences as the lead character in the sci-fi adventure series, Man From Atlantis.  He has made numerous movies for television and hosted many more specials.  In addition to his work in front of the camera, he is an experienced director, having helmed dozens of TV series episodes. Duffy has appeared in major films and has also has theatre credits including ART in London’s West End and UK tours of Catch Me if You Can and 12 Angry Men.  Most recently he starred with Linda Purl in Love Quest in central Florida.  

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Making the world a better place:

In 2022, taking their talents beyond the world of entertainment, Patrick and Linda founded a sourdough bread business called Duffy’s Dough. In partnership with Kroger stores, they now travel across the nation introducing a take-and-bake sourdough line of products sold exclusively at Kroger.  The partnership pairs a sourdough starter passed down by original Alaska Gold Rush miners and given to Patrick’s mother in 1952 with a charitable commitment to donate all net proceeds to hunger relief and food scarcity programs across the US.