Laughter was widespread across Norton Auditorium Nov. 3-5 and Nov. 10-12 as the UNA Department Music and Theater presented the classic British farce “Charley’s Aunt.”

The play, written by Brandon Thomas, follows the story of two young men attending Oxford University in the late 1800s. Jack and Charley are men in love with Kitty and Amy, respectively. The two plan to propose to the young women while Charley’s aunt, Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez, is visiting from Brazil. However, their plans go astray when they receive word that Donna Lucia will not be arriving as originally planned.

Desperate for a chaperone so they can propose, Jack and Charley convince their friend, Oxford undergraduate Lord Fancourt Babberly, to dress in drag and pose as Charley’s aunt. The tangled web becomes even more elaborate when Jack’s father, Sir Frances Chesney, and Kitty’s uncle, Stephen Spettigue, both fall in love with the fake Donna Lucia, before the real Donna Lucia arrives with her adopted niece, Miss Ela Delahay.

“Charley’s Aunt” elicited a good response from the audiences of each show, despite having roots in British comedy and the high Victorian time period.

“We always had a very active audience and I really appreciated their laughter every night,” said actress Summer Akers, who portrayed Kitty Verdun in the play. “Even though it was a British play, I could tell by the reactions that they understood the humor.”

The play is a classic example of a farce, which, in short, is a comedy that exists to entertain an audience by means of extravagant, unlikely, and improbable situations.

Dr. David Reubhausen, assistant professor of theater, directed the play. He said this play was a good, lighthearted change from the heavier, more thought-provoking plays the department has performed this semester.

“It is fun for anybody,” Reubhausen said. “It’s just a very clean, very fun play. Not to mention that it involves a good deal of entertainment and can appeal to everybody.”

It is safe to say that Reubhausen was correct-from the youngest to the oldest, audience members were entertained and kept on their toes for the next insane twist in the plot.

“It was a fantastic production,” said UNA sophomore Jenni Powell. “The actors and actresses were great, and I laughed the entire time. I couldn’t wait to see what the characters were going to come up with next!”

The play ran just over two hours each night, and according to actor Forrest Harlan, who played the character of Jack Chesney, each performance was special in its own way. He said, overall, thanks to the audience, the play was a success.

“We had some amazing nights,” Harlan said. “Each night was different, though. You never knew what they would laugh at or react to, and it was exciting. We had a great run, and it was due largely in part to our fans and supporters.”