She Loves Me, the irresistibly charming musical from Joe Masteroff (book), Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics), tells the delightful tale of Amalia and Georg.  These two co-workers at Maraczek’s perfume shop spend their workdays endlessly bickering with one another, while outside of work they both privately write beautiful love letters to their respective admirers–whose identities remain unknown to the two unabashed romantics.

Playing the role of Amalia will be Jessie Mueller, making her Writers’ Theatre debut.  Jessie has performed at Chicago’s biggest theatres, including the Goodman Theatre (Animal Crackers and A Christmas Carol), Court Theatre (Carousel), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Henry IV Parts I & II and The Three Musketeers), Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire (Fiddler on the Roof, All Shook Up and Shenandoah), and Drury Lane Oakbrook (Curtains and Meet Me in St. Louis).  She just finished a summer up at Peninsula Players in Door County, Wisconsin, appearing in both the classic Sondheim musical A Little Night Music and the comedy Over the Tavern.

Starring opposite her as Georg will be another Writers’ Theatre newcomer, Rod Thomas.  Rod has worked extensively on musicals, quite often at Drury Lane Oakbrook where he has appeared in Sugar, The Boys from Syracuse, Barefoot in the Park, Big – The Musical, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  His musical credits also include productions at Court Theatre (Man of La Mancha), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Second City’s Romeo and Juliet – The Musical), Light Opera Works (Carnival) and Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire (Sunset Boulevard and Beauty and the Beast), in addition to performing with the national tour and Las Vegas production of The Lion King.

She Loves Me will be directed by Writers’ Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam.  Performances begin September 14 at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.

Officially, it is closing week of  Streetcar and we must bid adieu to a summer of joy-filled memories.  Each night we celebrate the last performance of each calendar day and matinee, costume change and tossed chicken.  Of all the “goodbyes” dolled out, it might seem hard to place which one sits highest in our affections–however it is quite simple in the end.

Although endlessly endearing, it won’t be Danny’s weekly changing backstage game.  One week it was pronouncing lines, names, characters or actors names backwards (Natasha’s is “Ah Satan”).  Another week it was serenading everyone with cheesy 70′s rock ballades.  Currently, we are in the thick of some heated staring contests.  It isn’t the charm of Loren Lazerine’s logorian, uncensored internal monologue externalized.  It isn’t the utter and complete joy that I receive when squashing Ryan Hallahan in our regular scrimmage of scrabble.  Nor is it the consistently cunning, dry wit of our stage manager David Castellanos.

Today we mourn the loss of our greatest source of camaraderie during our run.  Every single person in the cast (and some staff) has communed with “Nancy” and yesterday (our last Tuesday performance), she left us.  We liked to pass her around–usually with four at a time.  I think Matt noticed it first…”does she look down?  Looks like she’s lost some air.”

“I don’t know, let’s just keep going.”

So we send her around a little bit more and surely, our lovely lady becomes more and more deflated.  *Oh this is so difficult to write about, now.  My hands are trembling.  Finally Danny comes out to make it official.  He steps in, gives her one last good slam and then we had to say goodbye to our best friend in the show.

Our four square ball: Nancy.

The rest of this week is dedicated to you!

(Clockwise from top left) Matt Hawkins, Esteban Cruz, Loren Lazerine, Danny McCarthy, Andrew Burden Swanson and Ryan Hallahan mourn the loss of "Nancy," their foursquare ball