South Park Theatre receives warm welcome during cold spring
Danette Levers performs in “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” South Park Theatre's current production.
Bob Rak performs in a monologue play, “Murderers” by Jeffrey Hatcher, produced by South Park Theatre in September.
The Village People in "Jack and the Frankenbeanstalk," October 2020
Ryan Hanshue, left, as MooMoo and Tristan Shay as Ogre in "Jack and the Frankenbeanstalk"
Cast of "Puss in Boots," August 2020
Cast of the Children's Theatre's Summer 2021 play "Pan!"
Cast of the Chldren's Theatre's "The Princess and the Pea," July 2020
Cast of "Jingle Bell Jukebox," the Children's Theatre 2020 holiday musical
Lynne Franks performs in a monologue play, “Murderers” by Jeffrey Hatcher, produced by South Park Theatre in September.
The lights are on for “Love, Loss and What I Wore."
Prior to the adjust-on-the-fly circumstances of 2020, South Park Theatre never used artificial lighting in conjunction with outdoor performances.
“We added that last year, and that came out of the pandemic. It’s so obvious to us now, but that has cracked open a whole new world of theater we can do under the stars,” executive director Lorraine Mszanski said. “It’s a really beautiful experience, and it will be even more beautiful when it gets a little warmer.”
Chloe McGee plays the title character in “Puss in Boots,” August 2020
Despite subpar weather, even for Western Pennsylvania, the company’s first production of 2021 has been a box-office success.
“People are coming,” Mszanski said. “I think they want something to do, and they’re like, I’ll put on an extra blanket if it means I get to see a show.”
In fact, an extra weekend is scheduled for “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” with the comedic play by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron running through May 23.
Four productions follow from June to September as South Park Theatre regroups after losing last year’s main-stage season to COVID-19.
South Park Theatre productions continue with:
• ”Just the Ticket” by Peter Quilter, May 27-June 6. Susan, an endlessly chatty, accident-prone, eccentric 60-year-old, decides to celebrate her birthday by repeating a journey to Australia she made with a group of friends when she was 20.
• ”2 Across” by Jerry Mayer, June 17-27. Two strangers who couldn’t be different board an empty train, both working on a New York Times crossword puzzle. As the train ride ends, it’s obvious that each has changed for the better.
• ”A Couple of Blaguards” by Frank and Malachy McCourt, Aug. 5-15. The McCourts recount the trials of their youth in Ireland and their journey to New York, where they learn to incorporate the day-to-day lessons of their hard Irish past.
• ”See How They Run” by Philip King, Aug. 26-Sept. 5. Galloping in and out of the doors of an English vicarage, an American actor and actress, cockney maid, slighted spinster, victimized vicar and four clergymen create chaos.
Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays on the South Park outdoor stage, Brownsville Road and Corrigan Drive. Lawn chairs and picnics are welcomed, and drive-in parking is available.
In the event of rain, tickets may be used at any other performance. In addition, the weekend following the show’s closing will be reserved for potential rain-date performances.
Subscriptions can be purchased by calling 412-831-8552 or emailing boxoffice@southparktheatre.com.
The show did go on, though, for the group’s younger performers. Mszanski and Emily Lorence-Ragan, director of Children’s Theatre, education and outreach, spent a considerable amount of time planning how to stage productions safely.
“All of the kids kept their masks on during the show. We incorporated the masks into the costumes,” Mszanski said. “We had to keep them out of the dressing room, so we needed to make sure we had a process where everything was outside at all times.”
That meant lighting became necessary as the season progressed and the sun began to set too early for effective performances. But whatever the case, Children’s Theatre turned out to be a hit.
“Every day we were at the theater, we had families thanking us for giving their kids something to do that wasn’t virtual,” Lorence-Ragan recalled. “I think that was truly the best compliment we received from all of our families across the board, that their kids could be outside, that they could be with their friends, that they could do something they loved that was normal.”
The response seems to be the same for 2021, especially with regard to the Children’s Theatre Summer Camp, which returns after the pandemic year’s hiatus.
“We started advertising it a month earlier than we normally do,” Mszanski said, “and then we sold out before we would have even normally started selling.”
The camp offers youngsters an opportunity to start developing their self-confidence, as Lorence-Ragan often tells parents.
“You’re putting on a performance. You’re working together. And every career you go into is going to require you to be able to speak on your own, work in a group setting and navigate those personal interactions,” she said. “So the earlier you can start with them, the better.”
The Bridgeville native had an early start with the company, herself.
Josie Manculich as Pinto Bean in “Jack and the Frankenbeanstalk”
“One of my favorite things to do every summer was to come and see the Children’s Theatre shows at South Park Theatre. I still have programs signed by the cast, and some of the names on those programs are now people I work with,” she said.
She later took part in productions, and then served as an intern while studying theater at California University of Pennsylvania, serving as assistant director to the children’s program and apparently making one strong impression.
“The semester before I graduated, Lorraine offered me the position to take over the Children’s Theatre programs,” Lorence-Ragan, who lives in Mt. Lebanon, reported. “So I had a job lined up on Graduation Day, which was very exciting.”
She subsequently was able to implement some changes.
“Before Lorraine hired me full-time, our Children’s Theatre program was just a summer program. We only did four shows every summer,” Lorence-Ragan said. “When she brought me on, the idea was to turn it into an all-year program, and in the six years since I’ve been here, we’ve successfully done that.”
Mszanski, who grew up in Monroeville and now is a resident of Dormont, also came up through the South Park Theatre ranks, starting by director productions two years after she graduated from St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Ind. Eventually, she was hired as an administrative employee by the company’s founder, Audrey Castracane, who retired as executive director in 2009.
Stories like theirs are fairly common for South Park Theatre, which offers plenty of opportunities for young participants to take on more responsible roles as they get older. For instance, costume designers Annelise Mox and Annabel Lorence, Emily’s sister, have taken part in company activities since they were children.
“I think a testament to our company, too, is we really try to make it an open, friendly environment for people, a place where they can feel comfortable,” Lorence-Ragan said. “We want people to enjoy their experience with us, from the adults down to the kids.”
For more information, visit sites.google.com/a/southparktheatre.com/south-park-theatre/home.
Anthony Luisi, left, performs as Peter Pan and Owen Chaffin as Capt. Hook in “Pan!” in June 2020.