“Tugs at all the right emotions” — Mary Damiano, ArtBurst

Make sure to bring plenty of tissues to “Left on Tenth,” now at GableStage, for all the happy and sad tears it evokes.

“Left on Tenth” is a biographical play by Delia Ephron, a journalist, novelist, and screenwriter whose work includes the screenplay for “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “You’ve Got Mail,” which she co-wrote with her sister, Nora Ephron. The play details Delia’s remarkable story of finding new love in her 70s and the devastating cancer diagnosis she received shortly into the relationship.

The play, running at GableStage through Sunday, Dec. 21, begins with Delia on a call with her cell phone company—an exchange so frustrating she writes an article about it. Delia has been widowed for six months, and the adjustment to life alone has been difficult. The publication of the article prompts an email from Peter, a man who went on a date with Delia when they were teenagers that Delia doesn’t remember.

So begins the swoon-worthy romance of Delia and Peter. It’s always wonderful to watch characters fall in love, but it’s especially refreshing to see an older couple confront each other’s baggage, break down their walls, and open themselves to loving someone new.

Buddy Dalton as Honey the dog accompanies her owner Delia (Dalia Alemon) as she embarks on a late-in-life romance with Peter (Stephen Schnetzer) in “Left on Tenth,” now at GableStage in Coral Gables through Dec. 21. (Photo by Magnus Stark/courtesy of GableStage)

“Left on Tenth” explores Delia’s insecurities about embarking on a new relationship after her 33-year marriage. Those insecurities deepen when she’s diagnosed with a rare form of cancer—the same cancer that took the life of her sister Nora. A life-threatening illness can test even the strongest partnership, so how does it fit into a burgeoning romance?

Playwright Ephron examines that question and expertly mines the humor and pain of her situation. Even though you know she survived, there are moments when you fear Delia won’t. It’s a moving and beautifully written play.

Dalia Aleman plays Delia, capturing the thrill of unexpected romance, the fear of losing everything to cancer, and the tentativeness of committing to a new man. Several times, Delia expresses her shock and denial of her diagnosis by insisting that something so terrible can’t possibly happen while she’s falling in love. In those moments, Aleman’s voice cracks ever so slightly, and her plaintive denial is heartbreaking.

Stephen Schnetzer plays Peter, Delia’s new love. Peter is something of a unicorn—a rare breed of man who embodies everything anyone could want. His character is one of those truth-is-stranger-than-fiction figures; were Peter not based on a real person, you’d never believe such a man existed. A role like this can be difficult, but Schnetzer’s portrayal invites the audience into the romance and grounds Peter with warmth, charm, and openness.

Delia (Dalia Aleman) in bed with Peter (Stephen Schnetzer) as their figment-of-Delia’s-imagination counterparts (Margot Moreland and Ben Sandomir) hover over the headboard in “Left on Tenth,” now at GableStage in Coral Gables through Dec. 21. (Photo by Magnus Stark/courtesy of GableStage)

Margot Moreland and Ban Sandomir play a variety of characters, including Delia’s friends, doctors, and figments of her imagination. Both create delineated characters quickly and add humor and drama to the production. In one scene, Delia tells the audience she fell in love with romantic comedy movies after watching the musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” and Moreland and Sandomir hilariously appear in old western costumes as exaggerated characters from the film, teasing each other in a flirty frolic.

There are two other characters in the play: Delia’s dogs, Honey and Charlie. Honey, played by Buddy Dalton, is a trouper—an older pooch unfazed by the lights and audience. Charlie, played by Winston Benjamin Dalton, is a different story. Winston bounds onto the stage with rambunctious energy and a big grin that seems to announce, “I’m a star!” Having both dogs onstage is an absolute delight.

Frank J. Oliva’s scenic design consists of dark bookcases filled with white books, some labeled with titles of novels and screenplays by Delia, Nora, and their other sisters, who are also writers.

Delia (Dalia Aleman) remembers watching the movie “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” as characters from the movie (Margot Moreland and Ben Sandomir) come to life in “Left on Tenth,” now at GableStage in Coral Gables through Dec. 21. (Photo by Magnus Stark/courtesy of GableStage)

The bookcases slide back and forth, becoming a metaphor for Delia’s emotional walls and boundaries in her new romance with Peter. It’s a striking design, enhanced by David Lander’s lighting, which makes the white books glow as if radiating light, complementing the play’s theme of unexpected love.

With all its humor and heartbreak, “Left on Tenth” is ultimately about hope—hope for love late in life, hope for happiness, and hope for survival.