The PNW Theatre Club’s spring production will actually be a show within a show.
The play “Moon Over Buffalo” is a comedy that follows George and Charlotte Hay, two fading actors of the 1950s who are performing in a repertory theater in Buffalo.
The action begins when a famous film director contacts George and says that he needs to replace two stars in a film he is producing and plans to see one of George’s shows and consider George and Charlotte for the roles.
With the couple having issues at home as a result of George’s affair with an actor in the company, the action culminates in George getting drunk right before a performance and going on stage in the wrong costume.
PNW Theatre Club President James Rhoten believes “Moon Over Buffalo” is a good choice for the club’s spring show.
“You always have to match the show with the actors and when I was remembering the show and reading it, I thought this was perfect for our actors,” he said. “We have the talent to do this show.
“A lot of chaos unfolds among the characters in the show,” said Rhoten, an English Teaching major. “It is a fast-paced, madcap comedy farce that keeps the audience on their toes wondering who is going to come out of what door next.”
The play is special for Rhoten, who plays George in the production.
“This play made me want to start acting,” he said. “The show … makes fun of stardom in Hollywood and how that is not as glamorous as it may appear and tackles those issues through a comedic lens.”
This is the second year that the Theatre Club has performed a comedy for its spring show. Last year, they did “Puffs”, a spoof of the Harry Potter series.
Rhoten, who portrayed the lead character Wayne Hopkins in “Puffs”, said “Moon Over Buffalo,” is unique.
“The show … makes fun of stardom in Hollywood and how that life is not as glamorous as it may appear and tackles those issues through a comedic lens,” said Rhoten. “Another thing that makes it unique is that the characters are actors, so the show starts with a different play.
“You’re not just watching one play about actors, you are watching them put on different shows and getting a few sneak peeks at different shows,” he said.
“Moon Over Buffalo” will be performed in Alumni Hall on the third floor of SULB in Hammond on April 27 and 28, with two performances each day. Specific times have yet to be determined.