By Gemma Wilson
12 Mar 2010

Garrison, one in a company of actors that Tenor playwright Ludwig described as "innately hilarious," didn't feel so hilarious at the start of the process.

"You have to let go of the idea that you're going to be funny, at first," Garrison explained. "You have to set it — get the skeleton of it in place, get the bare bones, the structure. We're starting to run things and in context they get funny, but they're just not funny at first."

Despite the emphasis on timing and repetition, the process isn't all about rote learning. Rehearsing a farce can also be a time ripe for experimentation. Jay Klaitz, who plays the show's opera-buff bellhop, said, "Stanley's done such a nice job of making an open vibe in the rehearsal room, so people are often trying really crazy stuff. Everybody's encouraged to give it a shot and see if it works."

He shared a personal secret to succeeding at the form. "I'm not afraid to be a shameless jerk is what it comes down to," he admitted with a laugh. "This is my kind of stuff."

As an actor, how do you know how far to push the envelope? In the end, it's up to the director to maintain a method in the rehearsal madness. Tony Shalhoub, who stars as Saunders, said of director Tucci, "He's kind of a great audience, a good barometer of whether we're going too far or not far enough. Whenever I see him throw his head back or hear him laugh, I feel like I've accomplished something for the day."

"We're just slamming some doors and having some fun and trying to make Stanley laugh, pretty much," Maxwell said in agreement.

Once the funniest bits are selected, the marks are hit and the timing is flawless, the actors are faced with their greatest challenge yet: how do you make an audience care about a madcap comedy? For farce novices or well-seasoned screwball veterans, the acting requires the same level of honesty as any other genre.

"One thing Stanley keeps reminding us is that we have to keep everything logical," said Garrison. "If we have a scene that doesn't seem quite right, we always go back to what's happening emotionally, and if you just connect with the other actor, something real will come out of it. That's saved us a few times already, so that's something we'll all be remembering."

"For farce, I think you have to believe it," said Maxwell. "You have to totally be committed to the storyline, no matter what the storyline is. No matter how light or thin…you have to believe everything you're doing."

"What's so funny about this play is that it's so deadly serious for the people on stage," said Garrison. "It is life and death for us up there, and I think that's what's going to make it funny."