Why It Matters, Characters to Connect With

Hey everyone, welcome to the second Page to the Stage of the year.

This show is She Loves Me, a musical. If musicals are not usually your thing, don’t write it off. I promise it’s a lot of fun.

She Loves Me was written in the 1960s, but the story itself is older and has inspired other adaptations over the years. One example is the romantic comedy movie You’ve Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, which is based on the same story.

At its core, the show is about two anonymous pen pals who fall in love through letters without realizing they already know each other in real life. Once one of them discovers the truth, things get complicated. I won’t spoil too much beyond that.

What makes the show interesting is that it centers a romantic relationship in a very direct way. Those of you who participated in Miss Holmes Returns may remember that the central relationship there was Sherlock and Watson, while the romantic relationships around them didn’t really work out. This show is very different. It’s deeply focused on connection, romance, and the ways people relate to each other.

Even though people don’t usually meet through handwritten letters anymore, the themes still feel relevant. The story explores how we find people we connect with, not just romantically, but through friendship and community as well. It also looks at the people in our lives because we choose them, compared to the people we’re connected to because of circumstance, like coworkers, classmates, or peers.

Another character I think many of you will really enjoy is Arpad. The show takes place in Hungary, so some of the names may sound unfamiliar, like Amalia, Arpad, and Ladislav.

Arpad is a younger employee who desperately wants to prove himself. He’s often given small tasks and underestimated by the adults around him, but he’s observant, intelligent, hardworking, and far more aware of what’s happening than people assume.

I think many teenagers will connect with that experience. I believe young people are often underestimated, even though they are incredibly capable, thoughtful, and aware of the world around them. That’s a big part of Arpad’s journey in the show, and I think it’s an important reminder for adults too. Experience matters, but younger people should never be dismissed simply because they haven’t had as much time yet.

That’s one of the reasons this story still feels relevant today.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about what makes stories remain meaningful over time. Some stories are brand new, while others, like Romeo and Juliet, are still being performed hundreds of years after they were written.

What themes make a story feel timeless to you? What keeps audiences connecting to stories across generations?