FAMED OFFSPRING TEAM : ACTING FRIENDS STAGE `LETTERS' FOR CHARITY.

Byline: Patricia Hesselbach Special to the Daily News

The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza production of A.R. Gurney's ``Love Letters'' is a collaboration of affection for the show's stars, Anne Lockhart and Barry Van Dyke.

This particular production of the time-honored favorite is a two-performance fund-raiser to benefit St. Jude the Apostle School in Westlake Village. The school's children will attend both performances.

``The whole thing was Annie's idea,'' said Van Dyke, who couldn't be more pleased about working with his friend of some 20 years. The two have known each other since childhood, though they never spent much time together as children.

Barry, son of veteran actor Dick Van Dyke, and Anne, daughter of television favorite June Lockhart, grew up in the same part of town and had mutual friends. Though their paths occasionally crossed, they were by no means part of the show business scene.

``Our parents kept us out of it,'' Van Dyke said of acting and the Hollywood environment.

``My mother brought us up `in,' but not `of' Hollywood,'' Lockhart added.

Opportunities did arise, however, for the youngsters to test their acting abilities. A family friend offered a small film part to the 4-year-old Anne Lockhart. Barry made his first television appearance at age 9 on ``The Dick Van Dyke Show.''

``This is great! You get paid for playing pretend?'' Lockhart giggled as she reminisced over her first experience with acting. Based on her film debut, Lockhart knew, at the tender age of 4, that she was meant to act. As the young girl grew up and continued to affirm her interest, mother June (``Lassie'') accepted her daughter's desire to become an actress - as long as acting did not interfere with a good education.

Barry Van Dyke and Anne Lockhart feel much the same as their parents did about the importance of a good education for their children. Van Dyke's four children - Taryn, Wes, Carey and Shane - and Lockhart's two children - Zane and Carly - have attended St. Jude the Apostle School.

Wanting to help raise money doing something a bit more unique than ``jogathons,'' magazine drives and the like, the two actors decided to combine their talents on stage.

``Love Letters,'' is a delightful, sentimental, bittersweet story of a lifetime love between Melissa and Andy. They grew up with each other, then grew apart from each other, yet managed to sustain a rather remarkable and poignant love through all of life's ups and downs. Generations of theatrical teams have starred in the timeless story of true love. One real-life couple, Robert Wagner and Jill St. John, are touring the country with the show.

``Everyone else has done it,'' Lockhart joked when questioned about her selection of this particular play. ``We're having fun doing it. We work together really well.''

In fact, there are some vague similarities between the real-life actors and the play's characters. Like Melissa and Andy, Anne and Barry led separate, parallel lives, growing up as children of celebrity parents.

``But, we never wrote letters to each other,'' Lockhart said, laughing. ``We called every now and then.''

The acting duo hopes to do more stage work in the near future. Lockhart looks forward to acting more in local theater now that her children are school-age.

``I can do the car pool and still make the curtain,'' she said. She puts her family ahead of her role as actress.

``I've always tried to involve myself in the kind of work that is family-oriented - that you can take your children to see and not be embarrassed.''

``Love Letters'' is just that kind of play. Young or old, audience members will sink their hearts into this saga of love lost and love found.

Tickets for the benefit performances are still available, though seats are limited. ``Love Seats,'' featuring prime seating and a post-performance wine reception with the two stars, is priced at $65. Regular reserved seating is $45. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Forum Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Call [phone].

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Photo

Photo: Barry Van Dyke, son of actor Dick Van Dyke, and Anne Lockhart, daughter of television's June Lockhart, team in ``Love Letters.''