‘Comic Potential’ on stage through April 1

At long last, a comedy: USN theater seems often bemoaned for its lack of humorous programming, and the Student Theatre Guild responds with “Comic Potential,” a hilarious, subtle exploration of the marriage of man and machine. An aspiring comedy writer, Adam Trainsmith, enlists the help of a group of scrappy television employees, including Jacie, an "actoid" programmed to play small parts in soap operas, with unpredictable and dangerous results. This play is recommended for fans of Buster Keaton, humor, and pie.

Although rarely produced, “Comic Potential” (1999) boasts an impressive pedigree: its playwright, Alan Ayckbourn, has authored 81 plays and received one Tony, two Oliviers, and seven Evening Standard Awards, and its original leading lady, Janie Dee, earned Obie, Olivier, Evening Standard, and Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for her performance as Jacie Tripplethree. The Student Theatre Guild is proud to add this year's production to its repertoire of excellent theatrical endeavors: past productions include “Baby with the Bathwater,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “The Laramie Project,” “The Great Tragedian,” and “The House of Blue Leaves.” This production, like all Student Theatre Guild productions, is entirely directed, produced, and acted by students.

Catch “Comic Potential” at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 30, 7 p.m. Friday, March 31, or 7 p.m. Saturday, April 1. The show is recommended for middle school audiences and above; it contains brief adult language and mild thematic elements. Admission is free, and donations are welcome and will profit The Theater Bug, a local nonprofit dedicated to offering theatrical education to Nashville children and teenagers.