Sara Hastings is single and focused on her career as an attorney. Her crazy Aunt Martha (though she prefers the term “eccentric”) is concerned about her niece being single and not having anyone to care for her, so she decides to play matchmaker. She even knows the perfect guy for Sara: Brandon Cates. The problem is that Brandon is engaged to a wonderful girl named Heather. This does not deter Aunt Martha. She arranges to have Brandon delivered to Sara via a somewhat questionable delivery man. From there, hilarity ensues.

When I first read the synopsis for Getting Sara Married, it sounded like the type of play I thoroughly enjoy watching; a group of (mostly) normal people with just a little lunacy thrown in as a catalyst for laughter. Playwright Sam Bobrick has had a long career writing plays (he has more than 30 to his credit) and quite a bit of television, including episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched and, most recently, Saved by the Bell. This show was the perfect fit for a first-time director like me. It’s filled with great characters, great writing and a novel twist thrown into the plot to keep it humming along.

Though I have acted in several shows at Arena, this was my first at the helm of a production. The experience has been both wonderful and challenging. Perhaps the most challenging for me was giving the actors time to find their own piece of the characters they portray. As a director, I had some specific thoughts about how key points should play out, but left room for the actors to bring their own ideas about their characters into the mix. Those creative interactions have been some of the best moments for me.

To deliver this bit of entertainment I have assembled a cast that I am extremely proud of. Some of these folks are well known to Arena audiences (Gloria Minnich, Rebecca Karcher); some have made appearances in the past (Greg Sitcler, Duke Roth, Kevin Boner); and one, Casey Knuth, makes her stage debut in this production.

Getting Sara Married is a fun show that is full of laughter. And sometimes, you just need to laugh.