Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The lasting impression of “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is the resilience of these two young people who forge a beautiful bond despite the constant fear and uncertainty of the war they are living through. Hoekstra and Price play these roles with charm and charisma, drawing the audience into this funny, heartwarming, romance, tenderly recreated for the stage by the couple’s son."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...If you could use a tale of true love enduring in the face of tremendous obstacles, Skokie's Northlight Theatre has you covered with "Dear Jack, Dear Louise." Ken Ludwig's warm, gently comedic World War II-set epistolary rom-com is a soft-focus balm that'll have you rooting for both the Army medic and the aspiring showgirl of the title."
Daily Herald - Recommended
"..."Dear Jack, Dear Louise," Ken Ludwig's sweet, epistolary tale currently running at Northlight Theatre, hits all the rom-com notes: boy and girl meet cute, banter affectionately, fall in love, endure a rough patch and, well, you can guess the rest. The ending is never in doubt in Ludwig's tenderhearted, two-hander, which was inspired by the real-life love story of his parents, Jacob and Louise."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...The wartime background means that there’s both urgency and doubt in their interactions; she feels guilty about complaining about her career, and he isn’t quite the straight arrow he appears at first. As the show progresses, we feel how much they’ve invested in each other, and even knowing how it ends, there are moments that we draw in our breath, rooting for it all to come out OK."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...Using a line in Ken Ludwig's Dear Jack, Dear Louise at the Northlight Theatre, this play is the bee's knees. This superb narration of Ludwig's parents' courtship during World War II brings back the beauty of long-distance romance and the intimacy of writing letters to someone you love during war-time — this is a phenomenal production."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...In the case of playwright Ken Ludwig's parents, there is a twist. That twist becomes straightened out in his personalized story "Dear Jack, Dear Louise" now onstage at Northlight Theatre in Skokie. Under the solid direction of Jessica Fisch, we watch the story unveil, almost letter by letter, month by month until the war ends and they are at once united. This is the love story to end all love stories! These are real people and the actual story of how they were first introduced and what came from the first letter from each to the other."
WTTW - Highly Recommended
"...Among the many charms of "Dear Jack, Dear Louise," Ken Ludwig's beguiling play about his parents' courtship during World War II, is the way it suggests the power of handwritten letters - those intensely personal, pen-on-paper documents that bore distinctive penmanship, were sent in stamped envelopes by way of the Post Office, often took weeks to arrive and are now widely viewed as old-fashioned."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This is a not-to-be-missed production. Not only does this comic drama mark another hit for talented playwright Ken Ludwig, it will take audiences out of their own troubles and concerns and focus on a heartwarming, personal history. It's a story that's never schmaltzy or dated, because its characters are real people and their story is filled with enough humor to balance the dramatic moments. The story both demonstrates the power of the written word and how love can ultimately conquer all. It radiates with affection and allegiance, positivity and playfulness, and is an example of how great storytelling can transform us. The letters that Ludwig has imagined are, indeed, a loving memorial to two incredible people."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Jack and Louise are polar opposites at first glance. We see this from the way they write their letters. Jack is formal and reserved, not providing much personal information. At the beginning of their exchanges, he signs his full name in the letters. Louise is witty and blunt. Their differences lead to humorous dialogue throughout the story."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Can two people who've never met fall in love? At Northlight Theatre's production of "Dear Jack, DEAR LOUISE," that's exactly what happens. It's a true story penned by the story of playwright, Ken Ludwig about his parent's courtship."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"..."Dear Jack, Dear Louise," a lively, funny, touching two-person show, is Ludwig's disarmingly charming love letter to his parents' love letters. Oddly, while the playwright's family lore is rich with stories of the letters, he never saw them. Before his mother died she burned them, perhaps because her free spirit was especially free in her private notes to her future husband. The playwright has invented all the letters in the play, but they ring true as if a shoebox of originals were at one's seat."