Warren Players present ‘She Loves Me’ this weekend at Struthers
Trending
When the Warren Players were founded in 1930 the objective was to "give Warren something in the way of real entertainment and appreciation of real play production and to develop the talent which abounds in the community."
That talent development piece will be on display this weekend at the Struthers Library Theatre with the Players' presentation of "She Loves Me."
The show marks the first time that Michael Stenberg crosses the divide from actor to director.
"Being a first-time director has been one of the hardest things I've ever done, while also being one of the most rewarding things I've ever done," he said.
"This leads up to holding auditions, casting the actors, and leading weeks of rehearsals, while experiencing a mix of emotions changing from pride, fear, happiness, and frustration, among others. But it has been worth it… doing it all in the name of putting together a show that I love so much, for our community, on the Struthers Library Theatre stage."
The cast is made up of Players veterans, including people who have led or directed shows in the past.
"Michael has such a clear vision for this show," Director Mentor Kevin Hunt said. "It's been great seeing him learn and grow as a director."
For any organization to approach its centennial, that knowledge transfer is essential.
"I was there to guide and teach aspects of directing that I myself have learned from people like John Check," Hunt said. "But this is very much Michael's show and his vision. He had the final say in every aspect of this show."
"Everyone working with me is someone who has worked above or beside me, on stage or behind the scenes, and now look to me as a leader," Stenberg said, "and they've been a dream to work with."
"She Loves Me" is an adaptation of a play – "Parfumerie" by Miklos Lazlo – that is almost as old as the Players, dating to 1937. Previous iterations have featured Jimmy Stewart and Judy Garland as well as the 1990s film "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
It was brought to Broadway in 1963 and was also the first production ever live streamed.
The story follows Georg and Amalia, two antagonistic coworkers who do not know that they are secretly each other's beloved pen pals.
The show opens Thursday night and includes 7 p.m. performance on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well as 2 p.m. show on Sunday.
Tickets are available online or at the Struthers office in addition to at the door an hour before showtime.
"This show is a community effort to give the best show that we can give the Warren area," Stenberg said. "The cast and crew are so excited to have everyone join us April 27th-30th st Struthers Library Theatre."