Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - "It's going to be a party" is how director Rick Jones describes SFA's School of Theatre's October production of Carlo Goldoni's "The Servant of Two Masters."

"There's something for everyone here: love honor, disguises, pratfalls and, of course, a young servant who somehow ends up working for two different masters at the same time," said Jones, SFA associate professor of theatre.

Written in 1745, the play's classification as a comedy is in keeping with a modern audience's expectation of humor.

While many 18th century plays were called comedies simply because they ended with a marriage or a couple getting together, the plots wouldn't necessarily cause the audience to laugh, explained Jones.

"'The Servant of Two Masters,' however, relies on stock comedic characters from the Commedia dell'Arte tradition, is very high tempo and contains a lot of physical humor," he continued. "Plus, we're throwing in elements of American vaudeville, corny sound effects and anything else we can think of."

The play concludes with three sets of lovers marrying, but their journey of finding one another along the way is full of mistaken identities, slapstick and puns.

"It's rather like a combination of The Three Stooges, Charlie Chaplin and the opening credits of the old Dick Van Dyke Show," said Jones. "There's not much about it that's intellectual."

The comedy, which is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Theatre, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, through Saturday, Oct. 7, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

It is sponsored in part by Tipton-Ford Lincoln Mercury of Nacogdoches.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors or students. For tickets or more information, please visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 250-ARTS.