Rivals turn to lovers in South Park Theatre’s production of "She Loves Me"
A classic love story is coming to the heart of South Park.
South Park Theatre, which has been bringing affordable and accessible productions to the region for nearly 30 years, will present She Loves Me from June 29 through July 15. Executive Director Lorraine Mszanski says she’s thrilled for the show to begin.
“I’m excited for people to kind of experience the ‘wow factor’ that we’ve created and that we’ve worked really hard to make happen,” Mszanski says. “I’m excited to share that with everybody and show the talent that exists.”
She Loves Me follows the lives of two coworkers who despise working together in a perfumery during the day, but who have unknowingly been each other’s secret admirers, swapping anonymous love letters back and forth at night.
“You kind of see them develop this friendship out of their absolute disdain for each other,” Mszanski says, “and then come to find out that the people they fall in love with are actually one another.”
The storyline inspired many movies, including The Shop Around the Corner, You’ve Got Mail, and In the Good Old Summertime.
“The show is kind of a classic one, it’s got a nice old-timey feel, and it’s the original story that the movie You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks is based off of,” Mszanski says.
She Loves Me is a part of South Park Theatres’ Mainstage Season. Mszanski says they do one musical each year and two plays in their black box-style theater.
“There’s a cast of 13, plus a band that we fit on stage for this musical,” Mszanski adds. “So it’s a small little musical but kind of big for us, and we’re putting so much energy and resources in and throwing all of our love into this show.”
The musical features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and is orchestrated by Don Walker.
When she first started working for South Park Theatre, Mszanski says she fell in love with the scenery around the stage and the people she worked with.
“The theater is located within South Park, right in the heart of the park, and it’s just surrounded by all these trees, wildlife, and gorgeous gardens,” Mszanski says. “So that’s what drew me here: a mix of loving the environment and kind of surrounding myself with the people out here that I really love working with.”
She Loves Me will be performed at the South Park Theatre on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. between June 29 through July 15. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit southparktheatre.com.