WHAT: “Noises Off” by Michael Frayn

WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sept. 6 WHERE: The Desert Rose Playhouse, 6921-E Montgomery NE

HOW MUCH: $12 general public, $10 seniors and students. Call 881-0503 for ticket information

“Nothing On” at the Desert Rose Theater is an inept sex comedy by British playwright Robin Housemonger. It features the clumsy direction of Lloyd Dallas, a disappointing cast that frequently drop lines and sardines as they cavort — often in states of undress — around the stage. The good news is that “Nothing On” is the fictitious play at the heart of Michael Frayn’s classic backstage farce “Noises Off.”

The bad news is that there are occasionally similar problems with the main Frayn production. Director Beth Gautreaux has assembled an enthusiastic cast to take on the high-energy challenges of this adventure in physical comedy.

The director’s father, Douglas Gautreaux, has created a set with numerous entrances and a mini staircase for the cast to frolic on. We see the first act of Housemonger’s play-within-the-play three times: first in the final rehearsal; then being performed a month later — but we now watch from backstage; then what we can only hope is the last performance as the divisions within the company take their toll and everything goes wrong.

I enjoyed several of the performances. Art Tedesco does well as the exasperated Director, even employing a bit of a British accent. Diane Villegas is strong as Belinda. Villegas is able to keep the character she is playing in “Nothing On” separate from the character she is playing in “Noises Off.” Did you follow that?

The last time I saw Maddie Lusk on stage, she was playing a man. She is much better as the sexy ingénue Brooke. Lusk stays nicely in character, has a strong sense of physical comedy, and looks great in her abbreviated costume. And pretty newcomer Mandy Cain is fun in the role of Poppy, the Assistant Stage Manager. Laurie McFarland, however, quickly loses her Cockney accent as the dotty maid. Actor Garry (Vikram Bakshi), paired with Brooke, is inarticulate beyond words; he and Joseph Costantine as Frederick have accents that make them difficult to understand at times.

Chris Love is slow as the slow Stage Manager. Michael Montroy looks like a Woodstock hippie instead of a veteran Shakespearean actor with 50 years’ experience. Montroy doesn’t attempt an accent and his hesitations drain vigor from the action.

“Noises Off” is a challenging play to perform. Effective slapstick comedy requires high energy, rapid pace and exquisite timing that this group has yet to achieve.

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