STAGE REVIEW : ‘Dear Emma’ Gives Heart, Soul to History

The last half of our century has seen the decline of a fine art, the art of letter writing. Along with that other lost art, the keeping of journals and diaries, the letters of a time fill in the flesh that the bones in history books lack. When Civil War widow Sarah Dillon fervently denies she will ever marry widower Pres Hylton, and adds, “Isn’t that hateful?” we learn as much about her reconstruction as the South’s.

Sarah’s vivacious, chatty letters about the state of her mind and heart in the aftermath of the War Between the States are only a part of those written by the Dillon family to Sarah’s sister Emma between 1863 and the end of the last century, many of them lovingly and thoughtfully presented in Rhonda Carlson’s musical theater piece “Dear Emma” at the Rose Theatre in Venice.

These are real letters, written by the Dillons of Virginia to a daughter who, at the age of 16 in the first years of the war, eloped to New England with a Yankee soldier. They make up a charming and touching portrait of a family in transition, presented with affection by this young company under the fluid direction of Carlson and Kevan Quinn.

A larger budget would give the staging more richness and detail, and a more experienced cast might give it a glossier patina, but its heart and soul are here and there is as much honesty in the performances as in the letters themselves.

Co-director Quinn plays young John, Emma’s brother, who joins the Confederate Army with his friend Pres Hylton in a burst of patriotic frenzy, and from the battlefield details to his sister his growing disillusionment. It’s a fine performance. Quinn captures the innocence, confusion, pride and vulnerability of a Matthew Brady photograph. Jennifer Levison’s Sarah is also outstanding; her humor and wealth of detail recreate the era and the aura of her character.

The well-staged action is artfully interspersed with melodies of the era, echoing the flow of the family’s life (Carlson is music director and the period choreography is by Quinn), and Sarah Scholfield’s costumes for the most part suit the various periods.

Yes, Sarah finally did agree to marry Pres Hylton, and it was their granddaughter Mary Lou who rediscovered the cache of letters. They’re a treasure.

At 318 Lincoln Blvd. (rear), Venice; Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; through Dec . 23. Tickets: $10; (213) 392-6963.