Director Dr. Judith Pender borrows the words of a comedian on his deathbed when describing the work that went into the drama department's latest production, Moon Over Buffalo.

"Dying's easy," Pender said. "Comedy's hard."

Moon Over Buffalo, by Ken Ludwig, follows the story of a family of actors, after they discover that director Frank Capra is coming to Buffalo, N.Y., to catch one of the family's performances. Capra is picking parts for his next film, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and the family sees this as their chance to impress Capra and make it to the big screen.

"And madcap mayhem ensues," said Pender, assistant professor of acting and directing.

Pender said the farcical comedy may not offer any deep message for audiences, but it does offer laughs and a heavy dose of physical comedy.

"I don't think they are going to arrive at any profound realization about their own lives," Pender said. "It's a good evening. ... It's a great date play."

The play presented a challenge for Pender because precision is important in comedy, she said. "Every kiss, every breath, every placement, every head slant" is planned.

"The actors must be absolutely precise in what they do," Pender said.

Pender said if things are not precise, the end result could be silence when there is supposed to be a laugh - or an actor getting hurt.

Stage manager Mandy Graessle said the parts for the play demand a high level of energy from the actors. But she said comforts like 20 minute breaks, bottled water and barbecues gave the actors time to rest during rehearsals.

She said she enjoyed watching the actors' facial expressions and the way they breathed life into their parts during rehearsal.

"It's so high energy, you can get tired watching it," Graessle said.

Pender said that this play may not suit everyone's taste, but most students will probably like it.

"It's fun. It's bawdy," Pender said. "The purpose of comedy is to reaffirm our relationship with mankind, to reaffirm the audience's connection with each other ... It's a healing thing."

Moon Over Buffalo starts at 8 Thursday night in Max Weitzenhoffer Theatre. The show will play at 8 p.m. today through Saturday and April 5 through 7. The show will also play at 2 p.m. on Sunday and April 8.

For students and children, tickets cost $6.50. For adults, tickets cost $12.50. For senior adults, tickets cost $10.50.

For reservations, call the Fine Arts College ticket Service at 325-4101 Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Seating is limited, and reservations are encouraged.
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