Actress Meredith Baxter, who came out of the closet ten years ago and is known for playing Elyse Keaton on the 1980s television series “Family Ties,” will be reunited with her television husband Michael Gross for a performance of “Love Letters” at Hampton’s American Theatre on February 23.
From the brilliant mind of award-winning playwright A.R. Gurney, “Love Letters” is a tribute to what makes a life: Love. Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross, who co-starred in “Family Ties” for seven seasons, will take to the stage to portray childhood friends Melissa and Andy.
They exchange letters through the years — physically apart, perhaps, but spiritually as close as only true lovers can be. As the actors read the letters aloud, what is created is an evocative, touching, frequently funny but always telling pair of character studies in which what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written down.
“It’s easy to see why A.R. Gurney’s play was a Pulitzer Prize finalist when it first premiered in 1990,” commented Hampton Arts Artistic Director Richard M. Parison, Jr. “The play speaks to the intimate journey of two people in an accessible, funny, and touching way that is sure to resonate with audiences. The American Theatre’s Broadway Series is a terrific way to share these modern classics and, in this case, welcome two of television’s most beloved stars to Coastal Virginia.”
Baxter wed her longtime partner, general contractor Nancy Locke in 2013.
Saturday, February 23, 8 p.m.
All tickets: $35
The American Theatre
125 East Mellen Street
Hampton, VA 23663
