Hat Trick Theatre presenting ‘Noises Off’ at EDPAC

Lovers of live theater have a chance to beat the high cost of entertainment as Hat Trick Theatre Productions continues its residency at the Eleanor Dempsey Performing Arts Center in Shady Hills.

The theater company will offer two plays for the price of one, sort of, as it presents the popular comedy “Noises Off” July 15-31.

“Noises Off” was an immediate hit when it debuted in London in 1982, and got similar raves when it was brought to Broadway a year later.

The show is a classic example of a “play-within-a-play.” The idea came to author Michael Frayn as he stood in the wings watching one of his shows being performed. From his vantage point he could see the action on stage as well as all the frantic activity backstage, and he found them to be equally amusing.

The play follows a theater company during the run of a second-rate sex farce titled “Nothing On.” Act one is seen from the vantage point of the audience during the final dress rehearsal; act two takes place backstage during a performance one month later; and the third act returns us to the view of the audience during a performance toward the end of the show’s tour.

In big-budget productions of the show, a revolving set is used to show the audience both the on-stage and backstage world of “Nothing On.” For the Hat Trick Theatre production, the audience will literally move from the front of the house to backstage and back again as the play progresses.

Directed by Jow Winskye, “Noises Off” features a cast of Jack Holloway, Gi Sung, Matthew Belopavlovich, Nikki Smith, Steve Fisher, April Bender, Eric Swearingen, Paul McColgan and Emily Belvo.

Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets for adults are $16 at the door or $14 in advance.

For more information, visit the center, 13651 Hays Road, www.ed-pac.org or www.hattricktheatre.org.