Playwright: Gloria Schramm
27 October 2025
Letters is a show spanning four generation, two countries, two World Wars, and possibly even multiple planes of existence.
The play begins in Italy during the year 1920, as the audience is introduced to the matriarch of the family that this story revolves around. Her name is Maria and she will do anything for her children, even if what she is doing is morally questionable, her intent for the long run is always good. Finances were not great for the family and once WWI began, Maria’s first born son was drafted into the war. Unfortunately, he never made it home. This is the catalyst that sets the rest of the play into motion.
Maria, reasonably, decides it would be best for her family, especially her youngest son Peter, if they were to move away from war. So they move to America. And from there the audience is treated to a beautiful story about love, loss, loyalty, fairness, greed, desire, and so much more.
This is a show that is not afraid to address serious topics such as abuse, bankruptcy, societal and even familiar expectations, and many different points of view. More importantly, however, Letters is self-aware enough that even the characters within the show are able to deconstruct those serious issues and examine why they exist in the first place. And I find that to be a rare delight in live theatre.
In a show that starts in 1920 Italy and goes all the way through at least the year 2000 (by the time the curtain closes) in America — I think having the different generations of characters questioning the actions of the generation before them is a beautiful way to express how society, culture, and even life as a whole shifts and changes not only by country, but just as the years pass by.
The main cast of characters is fairly small. Mentioned above is Maria, she is the head of the household and the main bread winner for the family while they are still in Italy. There is the character of Peter, Maria’s youngest child, who the audience sees at various points and ages throughout his life. Evangeline is Peter’s girlfriend, but she is not who Maria would have chosen for Peter. So what is a mother to do? The next character of note is Margaret. She is the first wife of Peter and the mother of Peter’s only daughter, Laura. Laura is the most self aware character in the show — or at least the most out spoken when it comes to recognising patterns and hypocrisies in people’s behaviour. Beyond that, there are a good number of minor characters to fill out the script and allow for deeper character development.
Letters does not shy away from showing the complexity of emotions — even within the most stoic of characters. Whether the character is able to actually state what they are feeling out loud, write it in a letter, or it is just expressed through body language and facial expressions — this show deals with it all. Aging traditions, jealousy, betrayal, and the ultimate question of all humanity — “why?” That is the main question of this show: why?
This show starts as a mother’s desperate attempt to save her son, becomes a story of love and betrayal, and ends in the quest of just wanting to understand why everything happened the way it did.
I guess the question is — does this show answer that “why”? I think that is up to each individual audience member to decide for themself.
All images in this review are curtesy of Gloria Schramm. Used by permission, their respective owner(s) reserve Copyright.