Runway Theatre Presents: Love Letters

by AR Gurney | Rated PG-13

Cast

Friday - 8:00pm
Andy…………………………………………………………..………….…Rick Daussat
Melissa………………………………………………………..……….Patsy Daussat

Saturday - 3:00pm
Andy………………………………………………..…….…………..Jeremy Ferman
Melissa………………………………………….……….Emilie Buske-Ferman

Saturday - 8:00pm
Andy………………………………………………………………….………Greg Phillips
Melissa………………………………………Emily-Ann Moriarty-Phillips

Sunday - 3:00pm
Andy……………………………………………………………………………………..Woody
Melissa………………………………………………………….………..Noelle Salter

Crew

Director/Sound Design……………………………………………………….Amy Jackson
Asst Director/Stage Manager…………………………………….... Misty Baptiste
Set/Props Design…………………………………………..……………………..Tripp Jackson
Lighting Design…………...Jeremy Ferman and Emilie Buske-Ferman
Boards Operator…………………….…………………………………………………AJ DeLaOsa

Setting:

This staged reading takes us on a journey from 1937 to the early 80’s as we follow two letter-writers from childhood to senior citizenship.
Traditionally presented as two readers sharing a single table, without movement or other accoutrement, we’ve taken a few liberties with our vision but hope you feel our dedication to beautiful moments shared between two lives. It is presented in two acts.

  • Rick & Patsy Daussat

    Friday, February 13th - 8:00pm

    Patsy has been involved at Runway in many capacities for over thirty years. She is a Hall of Famer and previous board member, and is co-chair of Runway’s Play Selection Committee. She has directed, acted, costumed and written many shows for Runway including murder mysteries and The Makeover. Her recent roles were in Suite Surrender, Things My Mother Taught Me and Amanda in Southern Comforts, plus many JoHoWo comedies. She is happy to be performing with the love of her life for this special event.

    Rick has been around Runway over thirty years. He is in the Hall of Fame and is a past board member. He is an actor, singer and master set builder. After the fire of 1998, he built the stage, risers, and designed the lobby. He’s been in many of Runway’s Murder mysteries. Some of his favorite roles were in Hallelujah Girls here and the Devil in Damn Yankees at GLCT. He is thrilled to be retired, and to be sharing the stage with his wife.

  • Jeremy Ferman & Emilie Buske-Ferman

    Saturday, February 14th - 3:00pm

    Emilie Buske-Ferman (Melissa) cannot believe she gets to be on stage with her incredibly talented husband again! She was last seen on the Runway stage as Henrietta Leavitt in Silent Sky. After working for 10 years in live theatre, Emilie became an elementary theatre teacher and has now been a school librarian for 14 years. Before children, Emilie was frequently seen on stage and backstage in the DFW area, many times in collaboration with Jeremy as the director and Emilie serving as stage manager and/or lighting designer. Her favorite roles are Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest, Elaine in Arsenic and Old Lace, Eve in Running in the Red (ONSTAGE in Bedford directed by Jeremy Ferman), Louise “Scout” Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Suzy in Wait Until Dark (Runway Theatre).

    Jeremy Ferman (Andy) has not shared the stage with his beautiful wife since Wait Until Dark in the early 2000’s and is so excited for this opportunity! As a Runway Hall of Fame member, Jeremy has been involved in more than 50 productions at Runway. Some of his favorites have been working alongside Emilie in different capacities – they have collaborated on Fly By Night, Guys and Dolls, Silent Sky, Rabbit Hole and many more. They have starred in The Importance of Being Earnest and Arsenic and Old Lace together at ONSTAGE in Bedford and were the resident lighting designers at Pocket Sandwich Theatre for four years prior to becoming parents. Jeremy is also a theatre director at Legacy High School in Mansfield ISD where he has taught for almost 20 years.  He has overseen more than 50 productions and garnered numerous awards with his students.

    Jeremy and Emilie got married on the 11th anniversary of their first date, and live in Mansfield, Texas, with their two precious daughters, Rosalind and Cecily. 

  • Greg Phillips & Emily-Ann Moriarty-Phillips

    Saturday, February 14th - 8:00pm

    Emily-Ann Moriarty-Phillips (Melissa) is graciously sharing the stage with her husband, Greg. Last seen together, unexpectedly, in A Sherlock Carol, Emily-Ann  loves any opportunity to work with Greg…especially at their home away from home, Runway Theatre. 

    Greg Phillips (Andy) is honored to share the stage with his beautiful wife, Emily-Ann. No stranger to Runway, Greg has been seen in many roles onstage and off. While he has shared the stage with Emily-Ann multiple times, he is especially looking forward to this production. 

  • Woody & Noelle Salter

    Sunday, February 15th - 3:00pm


    After way too long away, Noelle Salter (Melissa) is so excited to be back on stage, especially at Runway Theatre. It is especially sweet, getting to share the stage with the love of her life, Woody, whom she met in this very theatre during the run of Guys and Dolls, 13 years ago.

    Noelle has performed all over the metroplex since 2001 and is no stranger to Runway.

    Her favorite credits here include Guys and Dolls, The Full Monty, Urinetown, Hands on a Hardbody, and Dixie Swim Club. Other credits around town include Jeckyll and Hyde (Onstage in Bedford), Next to Normal (Onstage in Bedford), Great American Trailer Park (GLCT), and many more.

    Many thanks to Amy and crew for this opportunity. I couldn’t ask for a better place to share Valentine’s with my Valentine!

    Woody (Andy) is excited to finally be back on the stage at Runway Theatre. He has performed in several theatres around the metroplex over the last 13 years, but Runway has always felt like home. Woody’s most notable performances include Guys and Dolls and The Full Monty (both at Runway Theatre), Ebeneezer Scrooge (Pocket Sandwich Theatre), Godspell (Trinity UMC Arlington), House of Blue Leaves (On Stage in Bedford), Beauty and the Beast (Rowlett Community Theatre), and many more.

    Woody has 3 kids, just became a grandfather in 2025, and is loving his role as Pa-Pa as often as he can.

    Woody is a full time Gondolier with Gondola Adventures in Las Colinas, and in June 2025, completed a bucket list item of rowing an authentic Gondola through the canals of Venice, Italy. What a ride!!

    Thanks to Amy and Runway Theatre for this opportunity to share the stage with the love of his life, and best friend, Noelle Salter. It was at this very theatre they met during Guys and Dolls, 13 years ago, and life has never been sweeter since. Ciou!

From Director, Amy Jackson:

I first discovered Love Letters years ago when I saw Alan Alda would star in a production. Alan Alda is my favorite actor and meeting him sits proudly at number two on my bucket list. I didn’t make it to that performance, but the piece stayed with me. Years later, during COVID, I stumbled back into Love Letters in a very different way. Paige Davis, another favorite of mine, presented it online alongside Doug, her good friend and a designer from Trading Spaces. I was struck again by how powerful the piece is, even in its most stripped-down form. Two people. Words on a page. A lifetime unfolding.

Traditionally, Love Letters is performed with two actors seated at a single table, reading letters aloud. For this presentation, we decided to dress it up just a bit and lean into something that feels very “Runway.” This format, featuring four real-life couples across four performances, was inspired by Cole Grissom, and I’m so grateful for his suggestion. It opened the door to something really special.

To our four couples, thank you for trusting this material and for sharing pieces of yourselves with our audience. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside you in many different ways at Runway over the years, but watching you bring these letters to life has been a special sort of joy.

I also want to thank my wonderful husband for jumping into this adventure with me. While I’m directing Love Letters, we’re also both deeply involved in Young Frankenstein, and somehow he still said yes to the adventure. We have our own unique love story, but my favorite part of it is how it began, much like the characters in this play, with a deep and enduring friendship.

Speaking of, thank you to so many friends who showed up in a thousand different ways to help pull this together. And to you, our audience, thank you for sharing your holiday with us and for supporting Runway Theatre. We’re so glad you’re here, and we hope these stories resonate long after the letters end.

From Runway’s President of the Board, John Grissom:

Thank you for choosing to spend part of your Valentine’s weekend with us at Runway Theatre. Love Letters is a special kind of storytelling: intimate, honest, and deeply human. This production is especially meaningful because it brings together four real-life Runway couples, each offering their own unique connection, history, and voice to these words.

I want to extend heartfelt thanks to Rick and Patsy Daussat, Jeremy Ferman and Emilie Buske-Ferman, Greg Phillips and Emily-Ann Moriarty-Phillips, and Woody and Noelle Salter for stepping into the spotlight in such a personal way. Sharing a story like this takes trust, vulnerability, and generosity, and we are so grateful for each of you.

I also want to recognize the incredible crew behind the scenes who helped make this fundraiser possible. Presenting four distinct performances across one weekend is no small feat, and their creativity, flexibility, and dedication ensured each audience experienced something truly special.

Most of all, thank you for being here. Because this is a fundraiser, your presence tonight directly supports the work we do...maintaining our space, investing in improvements, and continuing to tell stories that bring people together. Choosing to spend your holiday with Runway means more than you know, and we're all deeply thankful for your generosity and belief in our creative home.

I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to remind you there is so much more ahead this season. We hope you’ll join us in March for our spring musical, Young Frankenstein, and be sure to mark your calendar for our 42nd Season reveal event in April, where we’ll share what’s coming next to our stage.

Runway Theatre exists because of its patrons, volunteers, artists, and supporters. We're a creative family who shows up for one another again and again. Being part of this community, and getting to share nights like this with you, is one of the great joys of my life.

Thank you for loving this place as much as I do. Enjoy the show.

Special Thanks:

Gary Borofsky, Rick Daussat, Vince Connor, Steve Felton, and Greg Kozakis - the best set building crew!