College of Marin Drama Department Presents Special Valentine’s Fundraiser Performance of Love Letters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2015
KENTFIELD, CA – As a celebration of Valentine’s Day weekend and as a fundraiser for the College of Marin (COM) Drama Department, a limited engagement of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters will be performed, starring James Dunn and Anne Ripley. Directed by Robert Wilson, Love Letters is a universal love story that speaks to the lost art of the written word.
“Love Letters does what we’re told a good play should – it holds a mirror up to nature,” said Director Robert Wilson. “The audience becomes involved through the humor, embarrassments, conflicts, confessions and touching love revealed through a lifetime of correspondence between a complicated, but most appealing, couple. Because it touches everyone, it has endured and becomes fresh with each re-telling.”
CALENDAR INFORMATION:
WHAT:
Love Letters, Special Fundraiser for the College of Marin Drama Department
WHO:
Written by A.R. Gurney
Directed by Robert Wilson
Starring James Dunn and Anne Ripley
WHEN:
February 13* (Preview), 7:30 p.m.
February 14**, 7:30 p.m.
February 15**, 2 p.m.
WHERE:
Studio Theatre, Performing Arts Building
Kentfield Campus
(Corner of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Laurel Avenue, Kentfield)
ADMISSION:
*Suggested donation: $10
**Suggested donation: $25
Proceeds to benefit the College of Marin Drama Department
TICKETS:
Please contact Kim Foulger, 415.485.9555 or kim.foulger@marin.edu to reserve your seats.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES:
Robert Wilson (Director): Robert Wilson’s theatre experience began at the College of Marin 30 years ago, as a backstage go-fer, and subsequently as a student actor in such shows as Death of a Salesman, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Our Town, and most recently, in Detective Story.
Bob was stage manager for a number of COM productions. He attended drama department classes as a part-time student for a number of years and then moved on to full-time involvement in local Bay Area theatres with Marin Opera, Marin Civic Light Opera, Altarena Playhouse, The Masquers, The Mountain Play, and Ross Valley Players.
His experience includes performing, stage management, directing, and theatre administration. At RVP, he has directed 19 productions, and initially directed James Dunn and Anne Ripley in Love Letters in 1994. He has received San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle (SFBATCC) awards as both an actor and a director.
James Dunn (Andrew Makepeace Ladd III): Students have studied with Jim Dunn since he founded the College of Marin Drama Department in 1964. Jim taught full time for 30 years, and continues to teach on a part-time basis. He served as Chair of the Drama Department until 1994, directing more than 250 plays. Among his most notable is a 1971 Wild West production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. To the delight of students and audiences alike, Jim continues to teach Shakespeare and direct spring productions.
During his tenure at the College, Jim received several honors, most notably, several SFBATCC Awards for Directing, the Los Angeles Dramalogue Award for Directing, and the San Francisco Dramalogue Award for Directing. He was also nominated for the Hayward Award for Excellence in Teaching and received an Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Marin County from the Marin County Cultural Society. He also received a Milly Award for Achievement in Theatre Arts from the City of Mill Valley, California. Jim was honored to receive the 2012 Heroes of Marin Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the Pacific Sun and the Lifetime Achievement Directing Award from the SFBATCC. In 2012 the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the dedication of the College of Marin’s – James Dunn Theatre in recognition of his commitment and achievement.
Outside of the College, Dunn was the artistic director of the Marin County Mountain Play for 30 years. He has also worked as a visiting director at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Denver Center for the Arts in Colorado, the Julliard School in New York, the Marin Shakespeare Festival, and the Marin Theatre Company.
Anne Ripley: (Melissa Gardner): Anne’s most recent role was at Ross Valley Players, as Lady Dalrymple in Persuasion. Other roles at RVP include Mrs. Graves in Enchanted April (nominated by SFBATCC for best principal), Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy, Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond, and Mrs. Warren in Mrs. Warren’s Profession.
She also played Mrs. Sowerberry in Oliver!, Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady (nominated for an SFBATCC award) for the Mountain Play Association, Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret, and Mrs. Farragut in Detective Story at the College of Marin.
One of her favorite roles is Melissa in Love Letters, which she has had the privilege of performing with James Dunn, both at RVP and in nine benefit performances for various charity organizations. She is thrilled to be asked to do it again with Jim for this special engagement.
ABOUT COM DRAMA DEPARTMENT:
College of Marin Performing Arts productions have entertained audiences for 50 years while providing students opportunities to study with professional instructors. In order to maintain and grow our performing arts programming, we are completing capital improvements to our performing arts facilities. These improvements require special gifts for technology and equipment upgrades. This limited engagement of Love Letters will help us achieve these goals.