‘Splash’ from PB&J Theatre Factory opens at UCF

Ah, summer vacation. Time to pack up and hit the road.

That’s what comic acting troupe PB&J Theatre Factory is doing this summer with its new show, Splash, a summer beach-party romp.

The show at University of Central Florida’s small black-box theater will play there through Sunday. Then, the production moves to the Lowndes Shakespeare Center at Loch Haven Park for a two-week run before heading back to the main stage at UCF.

The road-tripping is a convergence of the troupe’s need to stage the show enough times to be cost-effective, UCF’s desire to bolster its summer theater offerings, and the UCF-Shakespeare Theater partnership at work.

UCF cut back its in-house summer productions to two this season in order to better focus its resources, says Christopher Niess, chairman and artistic director of UCF’s theater department.

“We were looking at a way to restructure the program,” Niess says. “We actually have more faculty participating than ever before.”

UCF’s faculty works with student actors and technical crew on the college’s shows. But putting staff resources on only two productions left a slimmer summer theater schedule than usual.

Enter the PB&J Theatre Factory, which has established a following with its clever brand of nonspeaking comedy based on sound effects, visual gags and movement.“It’s a very innovative young company,” Niess says. “They fit the bill.”

Also, the PB&J crew has its own connections to UCF.

Actor Mark Koenig is a recent UCF grad. Sound-effects guru Mike Gill, who has peformed in previous PB&J shows, also is an alumnus. And stage manager Megan Engström is studying in UCF’s theater for young audiences program.

Those connections proved show-saving, said Brandon Roberts, PB&J Theatre Factory co-founder and producer. Although the Shakespeare Theater wanted to book Splash, Roberts and company weren’t sure it made economic sense to mount a new production this year.

“It was looking very unlikely we would be able to afford to do it,” Roberts says.

Then, the deal was struck to round out the UCF summer program: “Suddenly, there was a budget!” Roberts says.

Not that there haven’t been other challenges, especially when creating a show for three different venues.

For starters, each theater is a different size. Roberts reviewed the plans for each to come up with a strategy.

“As we were writing the show, we concentrated, as we always do, on keeping the set simple,” he says. Splash will feature one set that stays onstage the whole show.

Positioning the actors is a different story. “For each space, we’ll have adjustments for blocking,” Roberts says. “It requires a bit of brain work. But we’re pretty flexible.”

The mini-tour has worked out to be a win-win for everyone.

“We’re thrilled people keep wanting us to keep doing what we do,” Roberts says. “We’re going to keep on doing it until people tell us to stop.”

‘Splash’

What: The summer-themed comedy from PB&J Theatre Factory will be presented at three venues over the next two months.

•Production 1: University of Central Florida Black Box Theatre, 4000 Central Blvd., Orlando. 8 p.m. today and Saturday, 2 p.m. June 27. $17 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students. Info: 407-823-1500

•Production 2: Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins St., Orlando. July 15-Aug. 1. 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $15 adults; $12 seniors, students and groups. Info: 407-447-1700 or orlandoshakes.org

•Production 3: University of Central Florida mainstage theater, 4000 Central Blvd., Orlando. 8 p.m. Aug. 27-28 and 2 p.m. Aug. 29. $17 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students. Info: 407-823-1500

Also at UCF this summer: ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?‘

•What:‘ Edward Albee’s Tony Award-winning drama about the emotions surrounding a shattered marriage.

•Where: UCF’s main stage, 4000 Central Blvd., Orlando

•When: 8 p.m. July 1-3 and July 8-10, 2 p.m. July 11

•How much: $17 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students. Info: 407-823-1500

•Info: 407-823-1500