Slamming doors, disrobing men and women, sheiks, burglars, and a reappearing plate of sardines. Sounds exactly like the type of things a Tony-award winning playwright of a high-brow play would come up with, right? Well, yes. Michael Frayn, who won this year's Best Play Tony for his Copenhagen also wrote a little comedy called Noises Off, that will be playing at the Shadowland Theatre July 21-Aug. 13 in upstate New York.

Noises is set on the set of Nothing On, an English farce. Using the play within-the-play formula, this play shows us the wild antics backstage during rehearsal and production, which becomes more funny than the farce itself. Opening on Broadway Dec. 12, 1983 at the Brooks Atkinson, the hit farce enjoyed a 553 performance run.

For this mounting, Shadowland artistic director Bill Lelbach takes on the double directorial duty as well as set design. Lights provided by designer John Wade. The cast includes Lisa Altomare, Barbara Eaker, Meg Brooker, Lori Rohr, Brendan Burke, Sean Marrinan, John Michalski, Ken Rich, and William Spindler.

Noises is the centerpiece of the Shadowland season, following the opener, Visiting Mr. Green and Domestic Tranquility. Closing out the season will be the east-coast premiere of Bluff and The Speed of Darkness.

To purchase tickets, call the Shadowland box office, 157 Canal Street, Ellenville, NY, at (914) 647-5511 for $13 - $18. "Pay What You Can" tickets are available for all Friday performances excluding the opening night on July 21. For more information on the show, the theatre, or tickets visit the website at www.shadowlandtheatre.org. -- by Ernio Hernandez