About the Play: “Bob & Jean: A Love Story”
We live in a day and age where instant gratification is no longer a privilege but an expectation. We get irritated when our DoorDash doesn’t arrive at the expected time. We get anxious when our internet stops in the middle of our Netflix binge. We squirm at the idea of having to wait in line for a coffee. Even dating has become as easy as online shopping. Time and location are obstacles that aren’t as difficult to navigate anymore. And in an era where we just can’t wait, it’s hard to imagine a time when relationships were earned over time.
Bob & Jean: A Love Story is the telling of a young couple doing just that, set against the backdrop of one of the most defining global conflicts in history.
After discovering a series of letters between his parents during World War II, Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning, Emmy-nominated playwright Robert Schenkkan was inspired to write his most personal story yet—the love story of his parents.
Their story unfolds at the start of World War II, a conflict that spanned continents, with young men and women like Bob and Jean answering the call to serve. In the Pacific, the U.S. Navy and Marines fought against Japan, while in Europe, Allied forces battled Nazi Germany. For many, enlisting was not just a duty but a necessity—a fight to protect their country, their families, and the future.
And though Bob and Jean were just realizing their feelings for each other, the world was calling them to be a part of something bigger. Bob becomes a Navy Bomb Disposal Officer, tasked with defusing deadly threats, while Jean travels as a USO actress, lifting the spirits of soldiers with performances designed to distract them from war and remind them of home. Separated by duty and distance, the two cling to their love through handwritten letters, sent across hundreds of miles over months and years of uncertainty.
With every letter, they capture moments that define their relationship—moments of longing, reassurance, and the quiet ache of missing one another. The waiting was excruciating, but each word became a thread in the tapestry of their love. Unlike today, when a simple text can be edited, deleted, or instantly regretted, Bob and Jean had to commit to every sentence they wrote. Their words mattered because they didn’t know if their next letter would ever reach its destination. Each letter was a promise, a piece of themselves, an anchor in a chaotic world.
What makes this play even more extraordinary is that every word Bob and Jean speak is taken directly from their actual letters. Schenkkan undertook the remarkable challenge of crafting the play so that once the characters are introduced, everything they say is text from their real correspondence. He carefully sifted through and assembled their letters, shaping them into a deeply personal yet universally resonant story that captures both the reality of war and the resilience of love.
A slow burn that builds to a roaring fire rather than a fleeting spark, their love story stands in stark contrast to modern romance, where relationships often begin with a swipe and fizzle at the first sign of inconvenience. Bob & Jean: A Love Story is about love that is earned over time, tested by distance, and strengthened through perseverance.
Beyond its intimate romance, the play also highlights the vastly different yet equally crucial roles Bob and Jean played in the war. Bob’s work in bomb disposal placed him in constant, mortal danger, his steady hands the only thing between life and disaster.
Jean, meanwhile, carried the weight of keeping morale high, bringing laughter and light to those who desperately needed it. The war was fought in trenches and battlefields, but it was also fought in the quiet moments between, in letters filled with love and longing, in the resilience of those who kept hope alive.
Schenkkan’s ability to blend the personal with the historical is what makes Bob & Jean: A Love Story such a powerful theatrical event. His signature craftsmanship—sharp dialogue, immersive world-building, and a deep understanding of human emotion—is on full display. The play oscillates between the quiet introspection of letter-writing and the intensity of wartime realities, creating a narrative that is both intimate and epic in scope.
Despite its historical setting, Bob & Jean: A Love Story resonates profoundly with modern audiences. While our modes of communication have evolved, the fundamental desire to connect, to be heard, and to feel close to the ones we love remains unchanged. The play serves as a poignant reminder of what we have gained with instant communication—but also what we may have lost. There is something deeply meaningful about taking the time to write, to carefully choose one’s words, knowing they will be read and reread over time.
For Schenkkan, this is not just a play—it is a tribute. A love letter to his parents, yes, but also to an era when love had to be patient, when words carried weight, and when letters had the power to keep hearts beating across oceans and battlefields.
Bob & Jean: A Love Story reminds us to reflect on the ways we communicate, the things we might take for granted, and the endurance of love in the face of impossible circumstances. So, sit back and fall in love with Bob & Jean.