70s TV stars David Soul and Stefanie Powers head to the UAE for the play Love Letters
Best known for their starring roles in hit television shows Starsky and Hutch and Hart to Hart, American actors David Soul and Stefanie Powers will be performing their two-actor play Love Letters at First Group Theatre, Souk Madinat, Dubai, and the Armed Forces Officers’ Club, Abu Dhabi, beginning this Thursday.
Love Letters maps a fifty-year relationship between impulsive, rebellious Melissa Gardner and dependable, staid Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. From the first exchange of thank you notes and RSVPs, a lifetime of letter writing ensues. Often easier to express their true feelings on paper than in person, Love Letters is a witty and often candid glimpse into an unconventional romance.
Here the duo tells us more.
What can you tell us about the play and your characters?
David: They both start as friends and, through the letters they write to each other, we watch their lives grow and form them into the people they become.
What drew you to the character? Were they a challenge to portray?
Stephanie: The play has long been perceived as a gift to actors and is a joy to do, every character brings their own challenges.
Did you draw on any real life experiences to add to the characters and, if so, what?
Stephanie: In life we all experience tragedy, loss and happiness and we can think back to these moments and bring them into the performance.
With you both being iconic characters from your respective past TV shows, did you find it difficult to shake off the roles you are most known for?
David: Not really. We’ve both been involved in several projects since then.
Do you want to shake off those roles or are you happy to be approached because people are still fans of those programmes?
Stephanie: It’s very flattering when people enjoy your past performances, and it’s given us opportunities to do other projects, including this play.
How does it feel to be bringing a play to the UAE?
David: We are both very excited to be coming to this wonderful country and visiting some of the beautiful sites we’ve heard about. Also, getting the opportunity to perform in the stunning Madinat Theatre will be amazing.
What can you tell us about your current music projects? Is there another album or appearance on an album in the pipeline?
David: At the moment I’m just doing a one-off appearance with a Cuban group.
You both appear to be Anglophiles; why did you make the choice to live and work in the U.K. when so many actors go the other way?
David: I have dual citizenship so I’ve been lucky enough to be able to live and perform in the U.K. for some years now. Los Angeles is not the end of the world, but you can see it from there.
Stephanie: The U.K. is one of the many countries I get to live and work in and it’s a place I love to be in.
by David Light, City Times, January 27, 2013