The Play Today

Melanie Collup as Katharine Hartgrove and David Regelmann as Johnny Chastain on the newly re-engineered collapsable set shown here at the Pentagon -- the first professional theatrical production to play at this historic and vital landmark.

Letters From the Front is, and always will be, a work in progress.  Since the play first hit the boards in March of '91, every new tour has brought about significant changes. Believing that you're either growing or withering away, we know that resting on our laurels is not an option.  We never stop looking for ways to improve the work, to give it more polish, and make it more relevant for our audiences, both in military and civilian venues. An example of this is our ever-evolving design and engineering inovations that make staging our show much more practical, easier, and less labor intensive -- especially important during these times of dwindling resources. We have always said,"Give us four walls and we'll give you a show." That statement is more true now than ever.

Demand for Letters From the Front increases yearly, as does the accolades it receives. It continues to engage audiences with its thoughtful, moving, and highly entertaining look at the American spirit, from Valley Forge to Baghdad. It remains the only professional touring production to examine the sacrifice, courage and commitment that defines military life, both on the battle front and the home front. As the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan rages on, non-military audiences embrace this refreshing and honest portrayal of a sector of fellow Americans who are often misunderstood and negatively typecast.

The Letters TO the Front Letter Writing Campaign that was developed as a spinoff of the play in 1999 continues to generate tens of thousands of letters of support yearly for our service men and women posted overseas -- and it was doing so well before the 9/11 attacks. Directly after the attacks, we were the only outlet approved by the Military Postal Service for sending letters to those serving overseas because we opened and examined each and every letter before sending them on to the troops -- something we still do today.

Our search for new material is an ongoing project.  Letters and photographs come to us from archives, private libraries, previously published collections, old trunks in attics, and from those who have seen the play and were motivated to dig up forgotten correspondence.  We welcome all contributions.