Now the action begins in what looks like a parochial school classroom. Nine pre-teen youngsters in tidy uniforms are listening politely to their lessons. In respect of child labor laws, Cortland Repertory rotates two casts, named Pyramid and Sphinx, in these roles.

The three Parisian men describe themselves often as “best friends” and have been getting together for 15 years for a boys’ night out. As recounted by Marc (Josh Mele) in an opening monologue, the evening’s light entertainment began slowly because Yvan (Bill Molesky) was late again.

The thing won eight Tony Awards out of 13 nominations and ran for more than 2,500 performances, more than six years, ending Jan. 4, 2009. Thus Auburn’s Merry- Go-Round Playhouse knew the first regional professional production of the Scott Wittman- Marc Shaiman musical Hairspray.

Sex, sin and song are key ingredients for Cortland Repertory's racy treatment of the Roaring 20's musical spoof Chicago

it’s because he’s such a young director. In two successive outings Dan Rowlands has taken on two of the most shopworn vehicles in American stage comedy and made us feel that we might not have seen them before. It’s as good as bringing the dead back to life.

the only Neil Simon set that calls for six doors, all slamming. In 1988 the gagmeister had been America’s favorite comic playwright for nearly three decades and was coming off the late-in-life success of the three heartfelt, more ambitious “BB” autobiographical dramas, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues.

World War I alters a couple’s romantic plans in Kitchen Theatre’s area premiere of Mary’s Wedding.

Any revival, however, has to find a new angle to keep the thing fresh. Over at Auburn’s Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, director Ed Sayles, always a careful man in casting, makes all the difference with three casting choices, two proven favorites from recent summers and the return of a local boy made good.

First came Theater of the Absurd. Then came Ridiculous Theater. The second one is American and often mistaken for farce, but don’t let that fool you. Both traditions present ordinary bourgeois life as crass nonsense.

Moe Harrington plays a memorable seductress in Covey Theatre’s take on The Graduate