JOHN DAVID WESTBY PLAYWRIGHT | SCREENWRITER | ACTOR | DIRECTOR | NEW PLAYS AVAILABLE
The Original Power Couple: John and Abigail Adams
She kept the home front. He ignited a revolution. Their letters wrote history.
Dear Abigail / Dear John: An Incandescent Match is a play for two voices, adapted from the real-life letters exchanged between Abigail and John Adams from 1774 to 1776, during the turbulent lead-up to the American Revolution.
Through deeply personal and often witty correspondence, the play traces John’s increasing political responsibilities at the Continental Congress and Abigail’s steadfast management of the home front amidst war, disease, and uncertainty.
Based on the actual letters of John and Abigail, the play uses their own words to create characters and a dramatic arc in one act.
Their relationship, rooted in mutual respect and intellectual intimacy, forms the emotional spine of the play as they navigate separation, grief, political ideals, and the building of a new nation. The play highlights not only their love and sacrifice but also the unseen labor and wisdom of Abigail, who emerges as a moral and political force in her own right.
Cast of 2 (1M, 1W)
Open set. Can be performed with simple backdrops, music and sound, or using music stands.
One-act for two actors
In a time of upheaval, the most radical act may be love—and the boldest words, written by candlelight.
Can love, intellect, and partnership endure across time and distance, as one couple sacrifices nearly everything in pursuit of liberty and principle—and will their private convictions help shape a nation's public destiny?