Stage Review - Letters from Max (Seattle Public Theater)

Stage Review - Letters from Max
Presented By: Seattle Public Theater - Seattle, WA
Show Run: February 28 - March 23, 2025
Date Reviewed: Friday, February 28, 2025 (Opening Night)
Run Time: 2 Hours (including 15 minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

Relationships are a funny thing. We all have them, whether they’re with family, friends, romantic partners or spouses, or even just passing acquaintances. Most of them are fleeting, but every once in awhile there’s a connection that is so deep, one where two people are connected at their core, where each person in the relationship makes the other better, challenges the other equally, and loves the other with the same amount of caring imbued upon them. Sarah Ruhl’s 2023 play Letters From Max, which is based on her 2018 book co-written with Max Ritvo, tells the story of one such relationship. The full title of the book on which this adaptation, which runs on stage at Seattle Public Theater through March 23, is “Letters from Max: A Poet, a Teacher, and a Friendship”, described as "a resonant and profound contribution from two fully formed artists to the literature of illness”. This autobiographical story, based on the letters exchanged between playwright Sarah Ruhl and one of her former students, Max Ritvo, provides insight into a relationship that sees Sarah begin as a teacher and then become a student, and vice versa where Max is concerned. Max, as a cancer patient, never gives up on his dream of being a published author, initially with a dream of becoming a playwright, his attention turns more and more toward his poetry, poetry that becomes a common language between Sarah and Max. The pair teach each other and learn from each other, and though the play itself tackles some pretty emotional and heavy topics, including Max’s realization that his life is utterly finite, there is so much fondness in the discourse between these two artists, the play is ultimately one of love and the power and beauty of language to capture the emotional aspects of our humanity.

The play itself is a beautifully written piece, poetic in its construction, and intimate in its overall design. It’s Sarah’s story to tell, and in this production that means it’s Marianna de Fazio, who plays Sarah here, and as such her character is the narrator, though she also dances between that role and that of an active participant in the storytelling, when recounting scenes with Max, played by Alexander Kilian. In addition to the general storytelling, and especially when either has a need to provide an exceedingly heartfelt plea to the other, that’s where the poetry comes in. The poetry is excellent, and the timing of each poem in the story is just right. It’s as if the two reach a point in their conversation where normal words just won’t do, and one picks up a set of bells and ring it, signaling the other to step up and recite the poem that fits the context of the particular scene, and the words that couldn’t be found in conversation are now readily accessible.

Marianna and Alexander are simply wonderful together in this play. Their chemistry is believable, they appear genuinely interested in each other, like in the way Marianna looks toward Max when he’s reciting poetry, or contemplating his fate, and the way they grow together as friends, as teacher and student, and vice-versa, is presented very well. Conversationally, the pair are adept at beginning a back and forth letter/response by looking away and then turning toward each other to bring an intimacy to their discourse. Marianna’s performance as Sarah is just about perfect as she manages that balance between the narration and the storytelling, a midwesterner admittedly more closed off emotionally, it’s a treat to watch her character gradually open up, to have her walls broken down by this unlikely friendship, culminating at the end of Act 1. And Act 1 is a lot of development of both the characters and this friendship. It’s in the first act where Marianna is at her best in building up Alexander’s Max. As Sarah, she gives him the freedom to explore his dreams, despite his growing cancer and the treatment that takes time away from his formal studies. I mentioned before the genuine interest, and it’s true, there’s a lot of care that Marianna puts into her portrayal that shows the care she has for Max, recognizing that he’s someone special. As the play progresses, it becomes all about contrasts, the good news of Max either landing a poetry reading gig or getting published, against the backdrop of the inevitable and his declining health. As part of this, Sarah and Max engage in some pretty deep discussions, Sarah writes her own poem about dying and the afterlife, about reincarnation and her Buddhist viewpoints. As Max gets older and begins to face down death, his own afterlife considerations are deep, and thought-provoking. In fact, this puts a fine point on how good Alexander is in the role. His Max, throughout his struggles, is generally positive, and very funny, showing off Alexander’s comedic ability, and as he gets older the humor and positivity is tinged with a certain resolve, making for a nicely layered performance.

Letters From Max at Seattle Public Theater is directed by Amy Poisson, and her vision for what could otherwise be a simple play is superb. The design is exquisite, and that starts with the set, designed by production designer Robin Macartney. It’s a complete canvas, which includes a stage floor that resembles burnt parchment in a color that transitions to walnut furniture, bookcases, tables, and chairs, and finished with candles aplenty, providing a soft amber glow to the scene. It feels soft, comfortable, and intimate, and the perfect setting for the way the story of Sarah and Max is told. There are also a number of prop devices strategically placed on the set pieces that are used in various scenes. Amy has coordinated her blocking with the set in a way that makes this work within the flow of the show very well. There’s actually a decent amount of movement in Letters From Max, it’s purposeful, meaning that there’s not movement for movement’s sake, rather the actors only move when it makes sense for the story, and it the pace moves nicely. Above the set are three wooden grids, carrying on the color palette from the stage and set pieces, but also providing an upper border and at the same time giving the impression, as they are mounted at angles, that the ceiling has been pulled back on the lives of these two individuals, that the audience is peering in on this experience. On the lighting side, other than the general candlelit atmosphere, Dani Norbert’s use of spotlights to focus on the actors for emphasis and the way the lights are lower when the actors are turned away in conversation, but come up when they turn toward each other are each very well done. Andi Villegas’ sound design is a subtle, but important, component, mostly background sounds, crowd noises, etc, but imperative to bring depth to particular scenes.

Letters From Max, the story of playwright Sarah Ruhl, her former student Max Ritvo, and the friendship they cultivated as told through the many letters they exchanged from the time they met as teacher and student through his illness and cancer treatments, is a play about love and the power of language and how it reaches into our soul to provide a deeper level of communication. Featuring strong performances by Marianna de Fazio and Alexander Kilian, under the direction of Amy Poisson, and presented with a beautifully intimate design, Letters From Max, despite its heavy leaning subject matter, will leave you feeling hopeful, hopeful that as individuals and as humans we can strive to be as vulnerable and open as Sarah and Max, and as such we too can build a relationship that is lasting, despite the seriousness of any challenges that may befall us.

Letters from Max runs on stage at Seattle Public Theater on Green Lake through March 23. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.seattlepublictheater.org/.

Photo credit: Joe Iano