NSU Theatre and Dance presents - "She Loves Me"

Northwestern State University Theatre and Dance and the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra will present "She Loves Me" April 23-25 in the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. each evening with a 2 p.m. matinee on April 25.

Tickets are $15. NSU, Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts and NSU @BPCC students are admitted free. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/she-loves-me-tickets-1984897142786?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse

Dr. Sloane Artis is the director and music director. Nhan Ho is the choreographer. Jay Trosclair of Bourg is assistant music director. Dr. Douglas Bakenhus is musical director of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra.

"She Loves Me" is a romantic comedy set in a 1930s Budapest perfume shop, where coworkers Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash constantly clash despite both secretly falling in love with anonymous pen pals through letters; as tensions rise in the shop and Georg discovers that Amalia is the woman he's been writing to, he wrestles with revealing the truth while reconciling his feelings for the real versus imagined version of her, and in the end he finally confesses his identity, leading Amalia to realize that her true love was beside her all along. 

"She Loves Me" is a story about how easily we misunderstand one another and how meaningful a true connection can be," said Artis. "I was drawn to its intimacy, where a small group of characters reveals the contrast between who we appear to be and who we truly are when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. Ultimately, I hope audiences leave reminded that love often exists closer than we think, sometimes right in front of us waiting to be recognized."

Members of the cast are Dylan Freeman, Fisher Cooley and Harleigh Miller of Lake Charles, Otto Straus of Lindale, Texas, Gabe Williams and Presley Walsworth of Shreveport, ShayAnna Beatty of Zephyhills, Florida, Matthew Pickrell of Livingston, Tristan Oliver of Lutcher, Malachi White of Covington and Caleb Barton of Marksville. 

The cast also includes Riley Corden of Erath, Ayden Hymel of Geismar, Ada Shoup of Pineville, Judah Castille and Addi Whittle of Lafayette, Michael Mumphrey of Prairieville, Beau Bernard of Thibodaux, Arianna Carrier of Broussard, Dani of Westwego, Reese Dickinson and Aydan Lemonier of Madisonville and Scarlett Duhe of New Orleans. 

Book is by Joe Mastroll with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. It is based on a play by Miklos Laszlo. The story inspired the films "The Shop Around the Corner" (1940 and "You've Got Mail (1998).