War Correspondence: “Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” at the Black Box Theatre through March 1

It’s rare to find a piece of theatre that’s endearingly sweet without being schmaltzy, but that is exactly what the Black Box Theatre currently offers with Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise.

In Saturday’s pre-show announcements, stage manager Tyler Henning announced that this production was based on the true-life story of Ludwig’s parents. While that isn’t anything one couldn’t Google, it did make the second act’s WWII drama slightly less intense, given that we knew there was bound to be a happy ending.

With the show directed by Elizabeth Melville, its biggest challenge is that her two actors, Kassidy Holdridge and Zach Zelnio, communicate almost completely through letters. And yet the two managed to build a relationship that was both engaging and charming. Even though, by design, the two were off in their own little worlds (aptly designed and built by Lora Adams and Michael Kopriva), Jack and Louise still felt very connected.

Holdridge’s Louise, an aspiring New York-based actress, has an apartment featuring pictures of the famous actors she desires to emulate, as well as a writing desk filled with all manner of trinkets and jewelry. Zelnio’s Jack is a military doctor stationed in Oregon, and his space is exactly as no-frills as one would expect – and tidy, to boot. The pair’s respective spaces on either side of the stage gave them firm boundaries to stay within, though Melville did have the two moving around when it made sense. This is a piece in which the action could have been quite stagnant, yet it never felt as though anyone was just sitting and writing for too long.

Ludwig's scenes are accented by Jennifer Kingry’s lighting design and Reader reviewer Alexander Richardson’s sound design, and the intimate Black Box space lends itself well to Dear Jack, Dear Louise; it was very easy to get wrapped up in Jack and Louise, wondering whether they would ever get their in-person date. With a single shift of light, Kingry lets us know which person was going to talk or who would be out of contact for a little while. Adams' costume design was also lovely, capturing an entire era’s wardrobe through just a few of Louise’s well-chosen dresses, and Jack’s military garb was simple yet equally effective.

From the show’s initial letter, Zelnio’s deep voice perfectly captures the no-nonsense attitude of someone trying to get down to business, I found it interesting that Jack and Louise were somewhat set up by their parents, who knew each other, yet the two were communicating by letter completely across the country – and were also able to receive responses fairly quickly, most of the time within the week. (I don’t feel like the mail is that efficient now, eight decades later.) For the most part, Zelnio maintained his firm posture and personality, though Holdridge’s warmth slowly began to melt away some of the cold exterior the military cast upon Jack. It doesn’t take long for the brusque Jack to settle into a charming demeanor, and it really isn’t any wonder that these two fall under each other’s spell.

Holdridge, for her part, can be just as lively as she wants as Louise. Recounting her auditions and time with friends, chatting with Jack is a fun way to pass the time for Louise, and, to me at least, it seemed inevitable – but also somehow surprising – when the two began communicating on a deeper level and truly formed a connection.

Meanwhile, Holdridge was additionally responsible for much of this show’s comedy, and she infused real heart into her role. One of my favorite early moments came when Louise went to visit Jack’s family. Meeting the family of your long-distance correspondent is bound to be interesting, but I was ill-prepared for the fun it became. It takes a lot of chutzpah to visit strangers, but Holdridge brings personality-plus to the stage, and it didn't take much to believe that Louise would be just fine showing up at a pen pal’s home to look at his baby pictures and meet all 11 of his aunts.

It was easy to root for both Jack and Louise’s successes in both their careers and relationship. And while the show’s ending didn’t surprise me, I do wish that, after watching our leads dance around each other all night, the final tableau had lasted just a few seconds more before shifting to black; I wanted to savor the payoff a little more. Overall, though, the sweet little tale of Dear Jack, Dear Louise is a simply perfect way to warm your heart on these cold evenings. With its gamut of emotions from laughter to fear, there’s a little something for everyone in this show, and I’d be hard-pressed to think of someone who wouldn’t enjoy it. Thanks to the skilled Zelnio and Holdridge, you, too, can be swept away to the 1940s for a time. Don’t miss this one.

Dear Jack, Dear Louise runs at the Black Box Theatre (1623 Fifth Avenue, Moline IL) through March 1, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)284-2350 and visiting TheBlackBoxTheatre.com.