"84, Charing Cross Road"

Presented by The Phipps Center for the Arts
$19-$26

109 Locust Street Hudson Wisconsin
United States

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120 minutes
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Drama, Comedy

The British website Theatretastic describes the show, “We currently live in a digital world, where most of us communicate with each other using email or social media. 84 Charing Cross Road transports us back to a time when correspondence involved detailed descriptive written accounts of everyday events and plans and hopes for the future. Receiving a letter from overseas was a particular delight.

“Adapted from Helene Hanff’s bestselling book of the same name by James Roose Evans, [it] tells the true story of the 20-year correspondence between Hanff (Jennifer Allton, New Richmond) and Frank Doel, the chief buyer of Marks and Co. Booksellers (Andrew Troth, St. Paul). Spanning a period from 1949 until 1969, the production paints a social picture of Britain from post war through to the brash, bright 1960s.

“This is a touching story of two people brought together by their love of literature. Hanff, a New York writer, contacted the bookshop (a supplier of rare second-hand books) in 1949 and a warm long-distance friendship developed between her, Doel, and other members of the staff. This resulted in the exchange of Christmas and birthday gifts, as well as Hanff sending parcels of food to a Britain still reeling from the effects of war.”

The other cast members are Leigh Webber, Blaine; Shelly Anderl, Minneapolis; Emily Rose Duea, Robin Gilmer and Lela Olson, St. Paul; Caleb Kaczmarck, New Richmond; and Scott H. Peterson, Hudson.

Director Mary Cutler staged The Phipps’ productions of Making God Laugh and A Murder is Announced. Her directing credits include Theatre Unbound, Bloomington Civic, Buffalo Community Theatre, Lex-Ham Theatre, The Park Theatre, Brazen Theatre, Eden Prairie Players, and SOAR Arts.