Production's theme: Simplicity

It's not uncommon that when driving to an important event through rural areas, everything will be fine until the car breaks down and the only solution is a small garage in Nowhere, Mo.\nUnder time constraints and deadlines and left in the hands of the all-powerful mechanic is where Frannie and Lee find themselves in Joan Ackermann's "Stanton's Garage," which opens at 7 p.m. today in the T300 Studio Theatre.\nCommissioned in 1993 for the 17th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, "Stanton's Garage" is a play for actors. The play does not have a revelation of a story, nor does it attempt to uncover some revelation on life.\n"(Anton) Chekhov wrote this way, but the U.S. hasn't had plays like this since George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart," wrote Jon Jory, former artistic director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, in a brochure for the play. \nWhile Ackermann's characters don't all seem to be in a place where their lives depend on the events of the play, as is true of Chekhov, her characters are all, "humorous, but they are always well-rounded, too," Jory said.\nThe T300 production of the play will attempt to celebrate the play's Americana or the imperfect characters in the garage, said Dennis Black, director and visiting lecturer in theater and drama.\n"The characters are very down-to-earth people dealing with the problems of life," Black said. "They are not the pretty people; they have flaws and you can see all their warts, moles and blemishes and hopefully love them for their flaws."\nOn Route 36 in northern Missouri, on the way to St. Joseph, Frannie and Lee -- en route to a wedding from their home in Chicago -- must have their Volvo serviced. Denny, the genius mechanic, is nowhere to be found, and Silvio, the older, concise and not-so-genius mechanic, has to fix it. Meanwhile, Harlon, the garage's token 17-year-old apprentice of sorts, cannot take his eyes off Frannie. \nAnother city slicker named Ron appears in and out of the play to complicate matters, as do Mary and Audrey -- two locals who work at the garage.\n"The characters are all very simple and the audience should be able to easily relate to their problems," said graduate student Jose Garcia, who portrays Silvio. "As an actor, it's just nice to be able to tell a simple story of sharing, taking and causing some mischief along the way wherever we can."\nThe play is about simplicity and taking a look at the world in an uncomplicated and humorous way. The simplicity is emphasized in the play itself, such as when Denny says, "When you're analyzing a problem, always go for the simple things first."\nBlack said the play reflects life because the characters act like real people when it comes to solving problems.\n"As in life, we always assume that all our problems are very complicated and we must find the most complicated solutions -- when it is really the simple solution that we need," he said.