Cape Ann Theater Troupe Gets the Last Laugh

“Don’t try to be funny. Just let the audience see your earnest struggle with an absurd situation.””

Laughter erupted from audience members in the Gloucester Stage Company theater on Thursday, Nov. 5, in response to Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe’s “Laugh Out Loud,” a series of three short plays.

“Seeing live theater is important to me. You only get this moment in time,” said Jillian Chueka, from Salem.

Founded in 2008, Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe (CAST), is a non-profit community theatre, who perform works of Shakespeare and other notable playwrights in Cape Ann.

When thinking about the first show for CAST’s latest season, Mark Efinger, a CAST board member and director, said they wanted to do something fun after performing “Richard III” in April 2026.  A year ago, Efinger said the company presented one act plays, which were successful, and decided to bring the idea back.

The show features “Base Model Man” and “Who Ate the Cheetos?,” two original works by Gloucester resident Kevin Perrin, and the second act includes “Black Comedy,” a one-act comedy by Peter Shaffer.

CAST’s One Act plays is a collaboration with Gloucester Writer’s Center (GWC).

Perrin, who is GWC’s interim director, met Efinger when they were trying to configure rehearsal dates for both their shows in November. A collaboration sparked from their meeting.

“After resolution, I wanted to talk about theater with (Efinger) due to a long-standing interest of mine and a recent desire to broaden Gloucester Writers Center in the writing aspects of theater and music,” Perrin said.

Perrin started writing plays a few years ago and took several playwriting workshops.

“Base Model Man,” is a story about a dealership where a woman shops for a perfect man, who will help with housework. Perrin said he imagined a reversed gender role shopping experience.

Directed by Alexis Armstrong, a Gloucester resident, she was drawn to the play’s experimental themes, humor, and social commentary. She was also interested in tackling relatable conversations in the perspective of a male playwright.

“It felt very self-aware, which is so essential in the art that people create,” Armstrong said. “This conversation is necessary from all individuals.”

For her rehearsals, Armstrong said she paid close attention to listening, physicality, and giving actors a chance to explore their characters.

“Who Ate the Cheetos?,” centers on a family erupting in arguments over an every-day snack. Perrin said he was inspired by a famous movie scene and wanted to tackle its use of gender roles.

Billy Lewand, a Salem resident, directs the short play. He enjoyed the show’s playful premise and the opportunity to work closely with actors in a smaller production. He added that shorter formatting allows performers to get off-book relatively earlier, leaving more time to experiment with ideas.

Comedy is a focal point, and Lewand said he believes comedy works when actors take the scene seriously.

“The more seriously they take the premise, the funnier it becomes,” he said.

The final play of the evening is “Black Comedy,” written by Peter Schaffer. Set in 1960s London, the lights go out in an apartment building on a very important evening, leaving several characters in the dark.

Efinger, who directs the play, has a personal connection to “Black Comedy.” When he was 15, Efinger starred in a production when he was a new student at Phillips Academy in the 1970s. He was the main character, Brindsley Miller, and the experience was unforgettable.

One of the biggest challenge was visual comedy, Efinger said, who added that it makes timing, movement, and dialogue important to coordinate.  

“You can’t have actors play for laughs; they have to play for the intention of the moment,” Efinger said.

In a unique stage setup, the lights remain on so audience see the chaos as characters fumble in the dark. For context of walking around in darkness, Rockport resident Cathryn Clark (Miss Furnival), said she wandered around her house with the lights off.

Mark Schulte (Colonel Melkett), said the group rehearsed four times a week at the American Legion Hall.

“The process has been challenging, in that the play’s farcical elements often require intricate physical choreography between characters, which we are continually tweaking for maximum effect,” the Rockport resident said.

Ian Owens (Harold), described rehearsals as a “carefully choreographed dance.”

“Don’t try to be funny. Just let the audience see your earnest struggle with an absurd situation,” Owens said.

Thursday, Nov. 5’s opening night brought a large audience together, who had the greatest time laughing at each play. The Gloucester Stage auditorium had a full set with a staircase, where one of the actors did a (planned) somersault down the stairs.

“I laughed a lot at ‘Black Comedy.’ You don’t see a ton of slapstick,” said Tricia Kennedy, from Danvers. “It’s also great to see local creativity to see what gets brought out to the stage.”

Perrin was also grateful as this was the first time his works were presented onstage.

“I thought the whole cast was fantastic and some real work (and love of theater) must have gone into this, and I tip my hat to the actors, set designers, directors, and producers,” he said.

The Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe (CAST) production of Laugh Out Loud at the Gloucester Stage Company continues this weekend, Thursday, Nov. 12 through Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Natti-Willsky Performance Center at Gloucester Stage, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. Tickets are available on the website or calling the box office.

An extra show is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 20 at the American Legion in Gloucester at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available on the Gloucester Stage Company’s website.