Arena Stage will present the world premiere of Ken Ludwig’s WWII romantic drama Dear Jack, Dear Louise this fall, starring Broadway alum Jake Epstein (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical). The two-hander will feature Epstein as Jacob S. Ludwig and Amelia Pedlow (The Metromaniacs) as Louise Rabiner.
Performances for the Jackie Maxwell-helmed production are set to begin November 21 and run through December 29 at Arena’s Kreeger Theater in Washington, D.C.
READ: A Cue & A With Beautiful’s Jake Epstein
Dear Jack, Dear Louise is based on Ludwig’s parents’ true meet-cute. The two were pen pals during World War II and didn’t encounter each other in person until after the war ended. The two-time Olivier winner returns to Arena Stage after his 2015 world premiere of Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Among his additional works are Broadway’s Lend Me a Tenor and Crazy for You.
The creative team includes set designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Linda Cho, lighting designer Jason Lyons, stage manager Kurt Hall, and assistant stage manager Rachael Danielle Albert. The play also features original music and sound design by Lindsay Jones.
This is not Ludwig’s only world premiere in 2019. In March, The Gods of Comedy debuted at McCarter Theatre in New Jersey.
