(Crafton, PA) – The South Park Theatre—located at the intersection of Brownsville Road and Corrigan Drive in South Park, PA—will open its 2004 summer season of comedies with the world premiere staging of a new play written by Pittsburgh native David W. Dietz III.

The Celestial Social Service is a romantic comedy tinged with elements of fantasy. It chronicles the story of Daran Walters, perennial loser in the game of love (played by Ross Blumen), who inexplicably finds himself back in the home of Mitzi Doherty (Emily Lorini), the “one that got away.” As if that situation wasn’t awkward enough, Daran also begins seeing a mysterious and strangely alluring—not to mention mischievous—woman about the house (Megan May Mitchell) who may (or may not) be the fabled Goddess of Love! Is Daran dreaming? Hallucinating? Or could it be that he is being called to serve some higher purpose?

“The play’s really about learning to let go of the past baggage that prevents us from getting on with the important business of living,” said the playwright. Dietz drew upon people and events from his own life and wove them into a tale that is both hilarious and, at times, poignant. “It truly is a labor of love for me and I hope audiences will come to embrace it as much as I have.”

The Celestial Social Service opens Friday, May 21, 2004 and runs Thursdays through Sundays for three consecutive weekends through Sunday, June 6, 2004. Curtain time is 8:00pm with additional matinee performances on Saturday afternoons at 4:00pm. For ticket information, please contact the box office at South Park Theatre at 412.831.8552.

For more information about The Celestial Social Service and David W. Dietz III, log on to www.dietzthethird.com.