“My Dearest Friend” Begins 5-Show Run at LowellArts

It will be hard to sit through a performance of “My Dearest Friend” and not learn something. After all, the two-person production centers on the life of John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife Abigail. However, this play isn’t merely educational.

“Don’t think of this as dry history,” says Gary E. Mitchell, who portrays John Adams. “It’s entertainment.” When people leave the LowellArts gallery after a performance, Mitchell hopes they will think: “Not only did I learn something, but I had a good time.”

Mitchell is joined on stage by his real-life wife Mary Beth Quillin, who plays the role of Abigail Adams. The couple say “My Dearest Friend” includes themes that will be familiar to modern audiences – from a disease sweeping the nation to race relations.

There will be five opportunities to see “My Dearest Friend:”

  • Friday, August 6 at 7:00pm
  • Saturday, August 7 at 7:00pm
  • Sunday, August 8 at 2:00pm
  • Friday, August 13 at 7:00pm
  • Saturday, August 14 at 7:00pm

The Sunday performance will include a special appearance by playwright Mary G. Kron who will be part of a Q&A after the matinee.

Tickets can be purchased in advance – and at a discount – on the LowellArts website, via the phone or at the LowellArts office. Admission can also be paid at the door. All performances will take place at the gallery at 223 W. Main Street.

Veteran Actors Commissioned Play

 

Mitchell and Quillin have a long history in local theater. They have appeared in performances staged by Actors’ Theatre, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids and Heritage Theatre Group, among others.

Quillin moved to the Grand Rapids area to attend college and performed in her first local show in 1976. Since then, she has filled diverse roles, not only taking the stage herself but also directing plays and teaching acting classes. Meanwhile, Mitchell is from Mt. Pleasant originally and has taken part in stage performances, training videos and a feature film. Like Quillin, he has taught acting classes, and he also provides audition coaching.

Together, the two founded GEM Theatrics with a mission of creating meaningful, enjoyable and engaging stage productions. It was out of GEM Theatrics that “My Dearest Friend” was born.

“It’s a homegrown production,” Mitchell explains. As a history buff and fan of the founding era, Mitchell commissioned the script. “We asked our friend [Mary G. Kron] to write this play for us.”

To make the play a reality, Kron had to pore over hundreds of letters written by John and Abigail Adams and then condense that material into a two-hour production. Mitchell and Quillin didn’t want a performance that would be merely actors reading letters so the source material was used to tell events in the form of flashbacks.

Since its creation, “My Dearest Friend” has been featured in the MI Arts & Humanities Touring Directory and performed at venues across the state.

Shedding Light on Little Known History

 

Colonial history of the United States is dominated by figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Those men deserve the praise they get, Mitchell says, but John Adams was just as crucial to the creation of the country.

“I truly believe there wouldn’t be a United States without [Adams],” Mitchell says. “When other people wanted to quit, he wouldn’t.”

The country’s second president had a wife in Abigail who was every bit as determined as he was. Abigail Adams was still a teenager when she married John Adams, who was ten years her senior, but she quickly became her husband’s most trusted advisor. “He thought she was pretty smart, and she was,” Quillin says.

Abigail was a voracious letter writer, even penning correspondence while in labor. While John’s work often took him away for extended periods as he participated in the Continental Congress and traveled to Europe on diplomatic missions, Abigail was responsible for managing household duties.

Their correspondence provides a unique look into the dynamics of their relationship as well as the challenges they faced. They encountered smallpox, lost children and discussed the challenges of a new nation – with Abigail advocating for John to keep the interests of women in mind.

“I think people will be surprised about how candid she was in her letters,” Mitchell says. That isn’t the only thing that may surprise audience members either. “There’s a lot of history [in the play] that you never hear in history class.”

There will be five opportunities for audiences to see “My Dearest Friend,” with opening night occurring on Friday, August 6, 2021. The play is appropriate for audiences from middle school age on up. For more information, visit the LowellArts website.

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