GREENFIELD — The latest KidsPlay production has gone to the dogs … and the cats, and the chickens. Not to mention the zombies.
This weekend’s fun-filled production by the local children’s theater troupe includes two one-act plays, both of which feature comical takes on pets.
“The Doctor is In” takes to the stage this weekend at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts in downtown Greenfield, with showtimes April 19-21.
The playwright of one of the one-act plays — Scott Haan — was at the theater Tuesday night for the Dress to Impress performance, a dress rehearsal held for local teachers and other supporters just before opening night.
Haan — a lifelong community theater actor who has published 30 plays — was treated like a rock star before the performance, signing autographs of the actor’s playbills on stage.
“This play is meant to be silly and entertaining,” said Haan, who spends his days recruiting students to Purdue University’s college of Agriculture in West Lafayette.
“My philosophy is that the world is dark enough, so I like to write plays that are fun so you can play and be silly for a while,” he said.
His play, “Attack of the Clown Dentist Zombies,” tells the story of a dentist who tries to put his patients at ease by dressing like a clown.
“But that of course goes wrong and then the zombie apocalypse breaks out, so you’ve got clown dentist zombies, which are three of people’s worst fears,” said Haan.
The resulting mayhem leads to the KidsPlay actors — in grades 3-8 — running around the stage in a comical sense of panic.
“It’s fun to see their enthusiasm and feed into that,” said the play’s director, Amy Studabaker, who has been working with the cast since January.
The zombie farce is followed by a second play, “Understanding Your Pet with Dr. Marla Brett,” which spins a comical take on the chaos that ensues when pets and their owners find themselves in need of medical attention, even chickens, who find their time to shine with a special dance number during the production.
“The Doctor is In” takes the stage at 7 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Ricks Centre, at 122 S. Main St. in downtown Greenfield.
Tickets can be purchased at Hometown Comics for $5, online for $6 or at the box office for $7 before the show.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit KidsPlay’s website at CrazyLakeActing.com.
