Quintessence opener puts love in spotlight

By Michael Ward

Love can come in many forms.

That is obvious from the opening of the Cleveland Play House women's committee Quintessence series. Once again Scottish actor John Cairney presented the opening offering on the stage of the Euclid-77th St. Theater.

His subject yesterday was "Famous Love Letters" and on stage with him was New Zealand actress Alannah O'Sullivan.

Much of her work was spent is reciting Dorothy Parker's delightfully cynical quotations on the subject. For example, one is: "One perfect rose, limousine."

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She also gave an idea of the love of loyalty with Catherine of Aragon's almost death-bed letter to her divorced husband, Henry VIII. It finishes, "My eyes desire you above all things."

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In Review

Others are not so charitable, Vanessa, a love of Irish author Jonathan Swift, writes full of jealousies.

Meanwhile, Cairney's reading of part of a letter from former British prime minister Benjamin Disrael struck a more practical note.

"This affair is approaching absurdity...." he said.

Napoleon, however, took a more fiery approach: "One fine night the door will be forced open and there I shall be," he wrote to Josephine.

Even homosexual love was no overlooked with an excerpt from letter by Oscar Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas.

The gem was saved to the end. This is a French nobleman's note to a lady: "When? Where? How much?"

The answer is: "Tonight. Your place. Free."

Cairney and Miss O'Sullivan delivered their rendition with style, wit and suitable accents.

The second of five Quintessence presentations will be on Nov. 19. Alan Jay Lerner, composer of scores for "My Fair Lady, "Camelot," and "Brigadoon," will talk, play the piano and sing.