WordTheatre Sets Hearts Aflame

The famous and the infamous alike have penned love letters, and WordTheatre is bringing them — and every folly of the human heart — to life.

For the eighth summer, the nonprofit theatrical organization will return to Guild Hall in East Hampton with a new cast and one-night-only performance of “Hearts Aflame: Love Letters & Torch Songs” on Sunday, August 25, at 7 p.m., to benefit The Pushcart Prize and WordTheatre in the Schools.

“Throughout the ages, passions have led human beings to take pen to paper to articulate the whims and woes of the heart,” according to WordTheatre Founder and Artistic Director Cedering Fox. “Today, our culture is flattening. When we see the juxtaposition of 12th-century missives and 21st-century emails, we realize just how much our language has been truncated. But when we bring literature to life, we make it three-dimensional. We reinvigorate our imaginations and remind ourselves of the richness of words. Without doing this, language cannot fill our souls — let alone our hearts — in the same ways it once did.”

Performers will include Brian Cox, Vincent Piazza, Sarah Clarke, Emily Bergl, Spencer Garrett, Jihae, Holt McCallany, Xander Berkeley, Elyse LaFontaine, David Call, Nicole Ansari, Fernando Villegas and more — helping to keep WordTheater, its mission and 16-year legacy alive by inspiring empathy, curiosity and conversation from the stage.

“Esteemed authors, actors and musicians collaborate to inhabit and illuminate the texts of world-class authors,” a press release said. “Audiences — from underserved students to sophisticated cultural enthusiasts — are brought together to share exquisitely crafted stories that remind us of what it is to be human.”

Tickets range from $40 to $65, or $38 to $60 for members. For more information, call 631-324-4050 or visit guildhall.org.