The next production for Town Players of Newtown will be Double Vision, a brilliant, lively, and hilarious farce written and directed by veteran director, and farce and mystery expert, Gene Golaszewski.

In March, International Theater Competition Review (ITCR) described the show as “a fast-paced farce filled with chaotic mishaps, quick character changes, and non-stop laughs.”

The review also commended Double Vision for being “a delightfully absurd comedy of errors that keeps audiences howling.”

Golaszewski’s clever farce opens with a community theater group battling disaster on opening night. When most of the cast is hospitalized after colliding with a truck full of chickens, chaos reigns.

Director Barry (being played by local theater veteran Rob Pawlikowski) refuses to cancel the show and asks the ever-resourceful stage manager Nickie (Kimberly Marcus) for ideas. With only two remaining cast members — Trish and Carl (Kristin Aug and Shawn Brown, respectfully) — the four-person team frantically doubles up on roles to fill the six-character play.

Meanwhile, others have fallen ill with allergies, prompting Barry to enlist Mrs Hertel (Barbara Disraeli), the refreshment saleswoman, to take on a role. Just when things couldn’t get more chaotic, Nickie’s Grandma (Amanda Bunting) shows up, scissors in hand, and — thinking she’s being helpful — shreds the script and scatters the pages across the stage.

Forgotten lines, misplaced props, and characters appearing in the wrong costumes turn the performance into a delightful disaster.

During its theater competition in March, ITCR said “particularly hilarious is Trish’s slow realization that the script has been destroyed, followed by the cast’s futile attempts to piece things together. The escalating frustration — with cast members ready to strangle one another — adds to the show’s delightful absurdity.

“With sharp pacing, clever dialogue, and comedic timing that never falters, Double Vision is a madcap theatrical joyride though maybe we’ve seen it before. Golaszewski’s writing celebrates the resilience (and dysfunction) of theater folk while reminding us that sometimes the funniest moments emerge from total chaos,” the judges’ evaluation continued.

Director Golaszewski has been involved with community theater for over 25 years. He entered the theater community as an actor, then stage manager, lighting and sound operator, producer and finally as a director. He has been a board member with Town Players for many years.

He has produced and directed plays at Newtown as well as Brookfield Theatre for the Arts and TheatreWorks of New Milford. His acting credits include The Sisters Rosensweig, Goodbye Charlie, Guys and Dolls, Come Back Little Sheba, Whodunnit, House of Blue Leaves and The Night of the Iguana.

Among the shows he has produced are La Cage aux Folles, Fifth of July, Nunsense II, The Public Eye and the Private Ear, Dancing at Lughnasa and The Foreigner.

His directing credits have included Cash on Delivery, The Inspector Calls, Dial ‘M’ for Murder, Whodunnit, Spider’s Web, Exit the Body, Harvey, The Artificial Jungle, Design for Murder, The Fox on the Fairway, Tom, Dick and Harry, The Mousetrap, A Murder is Announced and The Christmas Carol.

After being involved with so many productions, he finally decided to try his hand at writing a play about something he’s most familiar with: theater people and all their idiosyncrasies.

Opening night for Town Players will be Friday, May 30, at 8 pm, at The Little Theatre, 18 Orchard Hill Road. Performances will continue Friday and Saturday evenings at 8, and Sunday afternoons at 2, though June 14.

One Thursday evening show, on June 12, has also been announced. Curtain will also be 8 pm.

Tickets for all shows are $30, with senior citizen discounts offered at the door. Tickets can be purchased at newtownplayers.org.