Mischief, Mishap, and Fun with You’ve Got Hate Mail

The scene opens with five actors entering the stage, taking their seats, and turning on their laptops as they each type emails and speak for the first time. 

You’ve Got Hate Mail, written by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, was Off-Broadway and has toured major cities in the US with an ensemble. 

“It’s a bit of an unusual play in that everybody is seated at a table and a chair for the whole show, but it is done with a lot of facial interaction with the audience,” said play director Joan Gerberding. 

The play centers around what happens when you send a romantic email to the wrong person. Richard (played by Charlie Blum) wrote an email meant for Wanda, the office floozie, but instead, it went to his wife, Stephanie. Sending an email to the wrong person happens to almost everyone and comes with that familiar feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach. In this case, the results bring on a comedy of errors and a fantastic play. 

The talented cast bringing You’ve Got Hate Mail to life are: 

Charlie Blum as Richard. 

Gregg Birr as George, Richard’s best friend. 

Melinda Steffey as Stephanie, Richard’s wife. 

Leslie Sanderson as Peg, the office architect. 

Kayla Goss as Wanda, the office floozie. 

“The play is very off-beat, funny, and sexy and guaranteed to make everyone laugh,” said Gerberding, who launched her own theater company and along with writing partner Tom Carr, put on their first musical in the early 70s. It was performed in the Clinton Music Hall in Clinton, New Jersey, known for hosting various forms of vaudeville, music, and plays. Additionally, they went on to produce the musical Mame, in which Joan starred to rave reviews. In the mid-70s, Joan wrote and directed shows at the famed Barnstable Comedy Club on Cape Cod. And in the 80s, she stage managed a Trenton Theater Company production of The Sound of Music at the 1,800-seat Trenton War Memorial in New Jersey. Most recently, she stage managed Boeing Boeing and Famlet at ACT. In “real life,” Joan was EVP/COO of 21 radio stations in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania for 24 years and was National President of American Women in Radio and Television. 

Performances will take place at the Arts Center Theatre from April 9-26, 2026. The theater is located at 1089 N. Collier Blvd. in the Town Center, to the right of the Marco Brewery. Tickets are available online or by calling the Box Office at 239-784-1186. To purchase tickets or learn more, visit the Marco Island Center for the Arts website.