Study Guide Provided To Enhance Your Experience When Seeing

Created By: Lark Wallis-Johnston

Stage West Theatre 821 W. Vickery Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76104

AboutTheShow

WhenSheLovesMeopenedonBroadwayonApril23,1963,thecriticNormanNadeldescribeditas“amusicalplaywithwhicheveryonecanfallinlove.”SheLovesMeisadelicate,sophisticatedlovestorywithabookbyJoeMasteroffandacloselyintegratedmusicalscoreof23numbersbylyricistSheldonHarnickandcomposerJerryBock.

TheoriginalBroadwayproductionwasthefirstmusicaltobebothproducedanddirectedonBroadwaybyHaroldPrince.In1993,30yearsafteritsfirstBroadwayopening,theshowwastriumphantlyrevivedbytheRoundaboutTheatreandmovedtotheBrooksAtkinsonTheatreonBroadway.DirectedbyScottEllis,thecriticallyacclaimedrevivalintroducedanewgenerationtothisheart‐lifting,intimateandbeguilingjewelboxofamusical.

SheLovesMeisbasedonaclassic1940’sMGMfilm,TheShopAroundTheCorner,whichwasdirectedbyErnstLubitschandstarredJamesStewartandMargaretSullavan.Thatfilm,aswellasthe1949JudyGarland‐VanJohnsonfilm,InTheGoodOldSummertime,wasbasedona1930’splaybyMiklosLaszlocalledParfumerie.

SetinacityinHungaryinthe1930’s,theshowconcernstheadventuresofthestaffofMaraczek’sParfumerie.Themanager,GeorgNowack,isconstantlyatoddswiththemostrecentadditiontothestaff,ayoungwomannamedAmaliaBalash,butisunawarethattheyareinfactanonymouspenpalsknowntoeachotherintheirlettersonlyas“DearFriend.”ArrivingattheCaféImperialetomeethismysterycorrespondent,GeorgrealizesthatitisAmalia,butdoesnotidentifyhimselftoher.Eventually,theirrelationshipblossomsintoloveandherevealsthetruthbyquotingfromherletters.

AlthoughthestorytoldinSheLovesMeisabeautifullycraftedsmallportraitofabittersweetromance,itisaglowwithimportanttruthsaboutthehumanexperience.Thecharactersaredepictedincarefuldetailasthebook,lyrics,andmusicweaveadelicatetapestryoffantasyandreality,smilesandtears.

Inthemiddle‐Europeanworldofthemid‐1930’sbeforetheNazisandbeforetheCommunists,signsoftroublewerealreadyinevidence.SheLovesMeoffersusaglimpseofadepressedeconomyinwhichbusinesseswereclosing,clerkswereafraidoflosingtheirjobs,andcustomerswhostillhadcashtospendweretreatedlikeroyalty.

TheradiancethatsurroundsthecharactersinSheLovesMetakesonaspecialpoignancywhenwerealizethatmanyofthemprobablyperishedduringtheSecondWorldWarastheGermansandRussiansstruggledoverBudapest.Inourpost‐perestroikaworld,theshowisevenmoreevocative.AsSheldonHarnickstatedinanarticleinPlaybillmagazine,“PeoplenowseemtofeelSheLovesMehassomethingtosayabouthumanity,aboutdecency–inthelightofeverythingthat’snowhappeninginEasternEurope.”

InreviewingtherevivalofSheLovesMe,HowardKisselsaid,“Astherealworldgrowsuglier,itstenderworldseemsmoreaffectingandevokeslongingforabygoneera.”Althoughtheshowitselfisfromamusicaltheatreera30yearsinthepast,criticFrankRichwroteinhisreviewofthe1993production,“itsunsentimentalromanticemotionsneverage.AsGeorgandAmaliagraduallyovercometheircynicismandmeltwithaffection,wemelttooinspiteofourowncynicalinstincts.SheLovesMeturnsouttobeoneloveaffairthat,againstBroadway’sodds,hasgrownonlydeeperwithtime.”

AbouttheCreators

SheldonHarnick‐(Lyrics)startedasaviolinistinChicago,thenmovedtoNewYorktopursueatheatricalcareer.Inthe1950’s,hecontributedsongstorevuesonandoff‐Broadway.In1957,heteamedwithJerryBocktocreateanumberofmemorablemusicalsincludingFiorello!(TonyAwardandPulitzerPrize),SheLovesMe(Grammy),andFiddlerOnTheRoof(TonyAward).

JerryBock‐(Music)composedthemusicforFiorello!(winnerofBroadway’sTripleCrown:theTonyAward,theNewYorkCriticsCircleAward,andthePulitzerPrize—thefourthmusicaltodoso),SheLovesMe,FiddlerOnTheRoof(winnerofnineTonyAwards,includingBestMusical),TheAppleTree,andTheRothschilds.

JoeMasteroff‐(Book)isbestknownasthebookwriterfortheTonyAwardwinningCabaret.ComingtoNewYorkfromPhiladelphiaafterservingintheU.S.AirForce,hehaswrittentheplayTheWarmPeninsula,thelibrettoforanoperaticversionofEugeneO’Neill’sDesireUnderTheElms,andthebookandlyricsforaproductionofSixWivesattheYorkTheatreCompany.

CharactersinSheLovesMe

LadislavSipos‐AveteransalesclerkattheParfumerie.

Arpad‐AnerrandboyattheParfumerie.Atage15,heexpectstobeanimportantbusinessmanoneday.

IlonaRitter‐Awisecracking,sexysalesgirlattheParfumeriewhogivestheimpressionofagirlwho’sbeenaround.

StevenKodaly‐AsalesclerkattheParfumeriewhoishandsome,dapper,shallow,andopportunistic.

GeorgNowack‐Thesoft‐spoken,shy,personable,capablemanageroftheParfumerie.

Mr.Maraczek‐Agenial‐lookinggentlemanwhoistheowneroftheParfumerie.

AmaliaBalish‐Adetermined,romanticyoungwomanwhobecomesasalesclerkattheParfumerie.

WindowShoppers

Customers

Keller‐Adetective.

Waiter

Nurse

Let’sConsiderRelationships….GeorgandAmalia

1. Thedramaticsituationoftwocharacterswhothinktheyhateeachotherwhileactuallylovingeachotherisaclassicthemeintheatre,literature,andfilm.Thinkofotherplays,novels,films,ortelevisionshowswherethisconflictexists.

2. HowdoesAmalia’srelationshipwithGeorgbegin?Howdoesheperceiveherfromthestart?Howdoessheperceivehimfromthestart?WhatkindsofexperiencesdotheyhavewitheachotherinActIwhichreinforcethoseperceptions?

3. Whydoesn’tGeorgaccuseAmaliaofbeingtheguiltypartywhenMr.Maraczekmistakenlyaccuseshimoffillingthecoldcreamtubesincorrectly?

4. WhenGeorgrealizesthathis“DearFriend”isactuallyAmalia,heisinitiallydisappointedthatthewomanhehasbeencorrespondingwithisnotabeautifulstranger.AlthoughhebeginstogiveAmaliaevidenceofhisidentityattheendofActI,shedoesn’twanttoletgoofherillusionsabouther“DearFriend”either.Whydotheyactlikethis?

ProjectIdeas:

1. WriteaboutasituationwhereyouactuallylikedsomeonebutmaskeditwithdislikeasGeorgandAmaliado.

2. Writeaboutadreamyou’vehadthatwashardtoletgoofonceyourealizedthatrealityhadsomethingquitedifferentinstoreforyou.Weretherewaysinwhichtherealitywasapleasantsurprise?Howwouldyoutellyourstoryinanovel?Amovie?Acomicstrip?

GeorgandMr.Maraczek

1. WhenMr.MaraczekencouragesGeorgtomeetsomeonetomarryatthebeginningofSheLovesMe,heappearstoperceiveGeorgasabonvivantwhorunsaroundwithalotofwomen.Isthisimpressioncorrect?Howdoweknow?HowdoesthismistakenimpressioninfluenceMr.Maraczek’ssuspicionsaboutGeorgandMrs.Maraczek?

2. AtwhatpointintheplaydoyouthinkMr.Maraczekreceivestheanonymousletterabouthiswife’saffair?

3. WhyisGeorgthepersonMr.Maraczekaccuses?4. WhatroledoesMr.Maraczek’sageplayinhisreactiontothenewsofhiswife’sinfidelity?5. ContrastthegenuinefeelingshisstaffhaveforMr.Maraczekwiththetreacheryofhiswife.

ProjectIdea:

1. Writeaboutanexperiencewhenaparent,teacher,supervisor,orotheradultinyourlifesuddenlychanged.Howdidtheirmoodshiftaffecteverythingaroundthem?

LONELYHEARTS

Whatdoyouthink….?

1. BothGeorgeandAmaliafelttheyhadtoresorttotheLonelyHeartscolumntofindsomeonetolove.Whydoyouthinktheywereunabletofindrelationshipswithouthavingtoresorttothismethod?

2. WhataboutthewayGeorgandAmaliabehavetowardseachotherinreallife

mightoffersomecluesintotheirinabilitytoestablishrelationshipswithoutthebenefitofaLonelyHeartscolumn?

3. WhataresomeofthecontemporaryformsofLonelyHeartscolumns?

ProjectIdeas:

1. Readthepersonaladsinyourlocalpaperoranotherpublication.Whatkindsofpeopleseemtobeusingtheseads?

2. Writeapersonaladdescribingyourselfasyouwouldlikeaprospective

respondenttoenvisionyou.Whatdoyoulearnabouttheprocessofpresentingyourselfinwritinginsteadofin“reallife”?

3. ExplorethecommunicationsphilosophyofMarshallMcLuhanwhosaidthat“the

mediumisthemessage.”Whatdoesthisstatementmean?Imagineyouaregoingtobreakupwithsomeonewithwhomyouhavesharedalongrelationship.Writethemessageyouwoulddeliverifyouweregoingtopresentitviacellphonetext,email,andinperson.

HowDoesEnvironmentAffecttheStoryof

SheLovesMe?

InsideTheParfumerie

1. DescribethetypicalcustomerwhofrequentedtheParfumerieinSheLovesMe.Whatkindofimagedoesthestoreseemtoproject?

2. HaveyoueverbeeninastorecomparabletoMaraczek’s?Describetheexperience.

3. Thereseemstobelittlesenseofthe“realworld”onceoneisinsidetheParfumerie.Whatfunctionsdosuchestablishmentsservefortheindividualswhofrequentthem?

4. Whatisthemeaningoftheformalsunggreetingsandgood‐byesthatthestaffpresentsthroughouttheshow?Whatcommentdoesitmakeaboutthewaythestoredoesbusiness?Whatistheeffectwhenthesameformalityisusedtosaygood‐byetoGeorg?

ProjectIdea:

DesignaconceptforastorethatwouldbecomparabletoMaraczek’stoday.Draw

thestorefront.Whatwoulditsell?Whowouldbeitscustomerbase?

TheWorldOutsidetheParfumerie

1. WhilethecharactersinSheLovesMeseemprimarilyconcernedwithmattersrelatedtotheirpersonallivesandtheParfumerie,thereismuchcommunicatedwithinthemusicalaboutconditionsintheworldaroundthem.Whataresomeofthethingswelearnaboutthesocialandeconomicconditionssurroundingthemfromeventsthatunfoldinthestory.

2. WhatistheimpactoftheeconomicclimateinBudapestonplotdevelopmentsin

SheLovesMesuchas: Mr.Maraczek’sdecisionnottoreplacetheclerkwhohasleftthe

Parfumeeriebeforetheplaybegins.

Mr.Maraczek’sdecisiontointroducenewproductsintothestore.

Thesolicitousmannerinwhichthecustomersaretreated.

Amalia’sdeterminationtogetthejobattheParfumerie.

Sipos’fearoflosinghisjobandhisdecisiontowritetheletter.

Georg’sdisturbanceatfindinghimselfsuddenlyunemployed.

Mr.Maraczek’ssenseofhopelessnessbeforehissuicideattempt.

ProjectIdeas:

1. ThefactthatEuropewasinupheavalaroundtheseeminglyplacidworldinsidetheParfumerieremindsusthatourownlivesoftengoalonginanormalwaywhilethefoundationforfuturecataclysmiceventsisevolvingaroundus.

WriteaboutthecontrastyouobservebetweenaprivilegedenvironmentsuchastheParfumerieandpovertyorhomelessnessinyourowncommunity.

WriteabouttheironyofsittinginacomfortableAmericanhomewatchingscenesofconflictandprivationinanothernationsuchasBosnia,Afghanistan,Rwanda,etc.

2. SheLovesMeisaportraitofaseeminglyinnocenttimebeforeacataclysmictime.Writeastoryaboutagroupofcharactersatanotherpointinhistorywhoarelivinginunseeinginnocencejustbeforeacatastrophe.

Write a Letter To Stage West

Stage West loves to receive letters from our audience!

Stage West Theatre Attention: Education 821 W. Vickery Blvd Fort Worth, TX 76104

You will write letters all of your life. You will write letters in school, to correspond with friends and family, and for your job. It is important to know how to write a good letter. Stage West uses feedback from our audience when picking our season of shows and when applying for grants and other funding. Your teacher may want you to write your letter in a proper format. Here is an example of one style:

Lark Wallis-Johnston Stage West Theatre 821 W. Vickery Blvd Fort Worth, TX 76104 Dear Audience, Stage West would like to thank all of you for attending our production! Everyone was so respectful during the performance. We hope that you enjoyed yourself as you watched the characters’ journeys. We look forward to your feedback and will consider it when we pick future shows. Also, we value your comments and use them when applying for future grant funding. Thank you for taking the time to let us know what you think. Sincerely, Lark Wallis-Johnston Education Director Stage West Theatre www.stagewest.org

You can send us: A Review

What You Learned Your Favorite Part

What You’d Like To See Next Time

What You Would Do Differently

Your Opinions Count!

Send your letters to Stage West Theatre 821 W. Vickery Blvd

Fort Worth, TX 76104 Or, you may email them to education@stagewest.org