INTERVIEW: Michael Disher on “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” at the Southampton Arts Center

Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise stars SAC favorites Barbara Jo Howard and Jack Seabury. The show runs from February 13th to 15th, 2026, with shows at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 13th, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 14th, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 15th, at the Southampton Arts Center. Center Stage Founder, East End treasure, and icon Michael Disher will direct it.

The show centers around two strangers who meet by letter during World War II. Then this wonderful love story begins. It portrays U.S. Army Captain Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, who begins writing to Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress and dancer in New York City. Ludwig hopes to meet her someday, but only if the war allows. The longevity of the war threatens to end their relationship — before it even starts.

Michael Disher, in an exclusive interview, explains why he chose this two-time Olivier Award-winning play by Ken Ludwig, which tells the poignant story of the playwright’s own parents’ courtship during World War II.

What was the process of selecting Dear Jack, Dear Louise? 

I think most directors always look for titles that seem simple – but aren’t. Winter also isn’t particularly friendly for larger casts, so I stumbled upon this one. I know Ludwig’s works, respect him as a playwright, and liked the two-character format. And I wanted an alternative to Love Letters. It seems I always encounter struggles, hurdles, and waiting periods when pursuing newer titles. This was no exception. Patience and perseverance eventually granted the rights, and a Long Island premiere, too.

Did you know who you would cast right from the start?

I had a couple of duos in mind, but knew Barbara Jo and Jack would put in the required work. I adore them both, so rehearsals were frequent, resourceful, enlightening, beneficial, and full of discovering what not to do while inching toward all the right choices. And they were and are the right choices.

What are the positives of producing a show at the SAC? 

I like the intimacy of the space. I like the staff a great deal. I like theatre art, being surrounded by visual art. The technical crew is outstanding. Ken Blessing can take my thoughts and ideas and create visual worlds of wonder. It is a prime location for community theatre.

Tell us about your theater journey?

My journey? I never thought a boy from a small North Carolina town could move to NYC in 1977, continue to educate himself (No place is better to learn than NYC), and accumulate 45 years of directing, designing, teaching, choreographing, writing, and producing, while collecting more memories than should be legally permitted. I’ve met and worked with (and worked for) so many wonderful people. I do not take a single person for granted. I’ve been blessed.

For more info, visit Southamptonartscenter.org