Love Stories

April 12 - 29, 2012
Three one act plays by George Bernard Shaw, Dorothy Parker, and Bertolt Brecht

Village Wooing by George Bernard Shaw

The Jewish Wife by Bertolt Brecht

Here We Are by Dorothy Parker

Forward Theater presents an evening dedicated to love and relationships – stories of courtship, marriage, and the inevitable evolution of relationships over time. Follow one pair of actors as they embark on an unforgettable journey, through giddy infatuation, nervous beginnings, passionate longing, and tumultuous endings. Penned by three of the most celebrated writers of all time, these plays were conceived in different eras, but their themes are universal. Join us as FTC takes a fresh look at these classic works.

The cast will feature American Players Theatre actors James Ridge and Colleen Madden. Love Stories is directed by Paula Suozzi, formerly of Milwaukee Shakespeare.

Reviews

"I wish I could tell you that the outstanding production on stage at Madison's Forward Theater was coming to Milwaukee some time soon. But it won't and I can't, so here's the scoop: Gas up the car and head west, because you have just one chance to see two of Wisconsin's finest actors performing three short plays about how we fall in love and what it takes to stay there." Read More.
~ Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Colleen Madden and James Ridge, American Players Theatre core company actors who are married in real life, deliver exceptional performances" Read More.
~ Jennifer A. Smith, The Isthmus

"The whole production is thoroughly enjoyable. It’s enough to restore one’s faith in the power of theater, if not in the power of lifelong matrimony." Read More.
~ Lindsay Christians, 77 Square

Behind-the-Scenes

Colleen Madden and James Ridge talk about how their own relationship informs their work in Love Stories.

Artistic Director Jennifer Uphoff Gray's blogs about the powerful first read-through of Love Stories, and how she came to pair these three classical pieces together many years ago. Click here to read blog.

Read about Love Stories from the director's husband, Jonathan West, who will be joining Forward Theater next season as part of our 44 Plays for 44 Presidents' cast. Click here to read blog.

Photos

Click here to see more Love Stories production photos.

Photos by Zane Williams

James Ridge and Colleen Madden play newlyweds, a couple in a strained marriage, and, as seen here in rehearsal for Shaw’s Village Wooing, a young woman and the travel writer she encounters.