Today and tonight signify Friday, March 20.
PORT ANGELES — When Readers Theatre Plus put out the call for original plays, a doozy came in from two writers in New York City.
It’s the story of a blind date, a dastardly plot, and just desserts. All atop the Empire State Building.
This is “The Cupcake Conspiracy,” by C.J. Ehrlich and Philip Kaplan, arriving on stage tonight for a two-weekend run at the Mount Pleasant Grange Hall, Readers Theatre Plus’ brand-new venue.
The production has much to distinguish it: “Cupcake” is a new work, performed just once before at the Rover Dramawerks theater festival in Texas, where it won the new play contest.
And it is Readers Theatre Plus’ 2015 scholarship fundraiser.
Last year the nonprofit theater group awarded $4,800 in scholarships, three to Port Angeles high school seniors and three to Sequim seniors. The hope, of course, is to do the same this year, noted Janice Parks, vice chairwoman of the Readers Theatre Plus board and the director of “Cupcake.”
In this story, we follow Max (Merv Wingard), a nervous air traffic controller who sneaks out on a blind date behind his soon-to-be ex-wife’s back. His date turns out to be Natasha (Brenda DeChant), a sultry woman with a thing about cupcakes.
Oh, and she’s a terrorist.
Not to worry. This is “so not scary,” promised Parks.
The play’s subtitle, in fact, is “Terrorism Is Easy. Marriage Is Complicated.”
To wit: Max’s estranged wife Suzie (Pam Fries) also has a meeting on the same night with Alvin (Jeff Clinton), a man of many identities. An assertive woman with some insecurities, Suzie gets mixed up in the cupcake-terror situation.
Also on the scene are more terrorists, a couple of henchmen and a hot dog vendor, all of whom are played by Ric Munhall and 13-year-old Damon Little.
Max must foil Natasha’s plot and fend off her henchmen — all without Suzie finding out he went on this blindest of dates. Fortunately we have a narrator: Judi Wingard, actor Merv’s real-life wife.
“Cupcake” is, ultimately, about relationships, said Parks.
Most important, “it’s full of laughs.”
