RIDGEFIELD — Ridgefield Theater Barn once again knocks it out of the park with "An Evening of One Acts," which runs until March 22.

The show has become a longstanding tradition for Ridgefield Theater Barn since 2010, when it introduced its series showcasing original, unpublished works written by different playwrights. This year’s edition features nine plays and stars a rotating cast of 24 talented actors.

No matter the play, an Evening of One Acts is charming and as fast-paced as it is entertaining, with each play given the perfect amount of runtime to endear audiences and leave a lasting impressing. Whether someone wants to see Juliet wake up from her sleeping potion and land in a chaotic mess or watch three pirates try to trick each other and steal a chest full of treasure, there’s a little something for everyone in this show.

Kicking off the production is Stay Golden, written by Jessica Moss and directed by Carin Zakes. Gordon (played by Bruce Apar) is an older gentleman happily married to the love of his life, Cleo (Robin Browne). However, her three loyal and chaotic friends Rosalie (Deborah Carlson), Patricia (Marcy Sansolo), and Diane (Denise Hubbard) want Cleo to live the best years of her life with them, Golden Girls style. The only issue is they may want Gordon out of the picture ... permanently.

This is an incredibly fun romp that comes to life thanks to the amazing chemistry between all of the actors. Cleo’s friends are delightfully playful, if not a little murderous, and it’s lovely seeing them form a connection with Gordon.

Next up to bat is Right Field of Dreams, written by Stephen Kaplan and directed by Danielle Roth. This comedic fantasy features the young Little League player Timmy (Liam Gallary), who would rather be doing anything else. He struggles opening up to his Coach (Matt Donovan) about who he really wants to be, and not just in baseball. In his time of need, Timmy is visited by the ghost of a Famous Female Baseball Player (Laurie Schaefer Fenton).

This act is a truly heartfelt coming-of-age work that handles the story of a gay youth opening up to his coach with grace. Gallary does great as Timmy, who captures the stage with his earnest passion and vulnerability. It’s a delight seeing him work through his feelings with Fenton’s character, and watching him unabashedly embrace who he is with his confident, baseball-loving coach by the end is remarkably touching.

A Flicker is a drama written by Guy Newsham and directed by Brian DeToma in which a flickering streetlight brings two strangers (Michael Bud and Bill Warncke) together. While Bud’s character throws stones at the streetlight because it keeps him up at night, Warncke’s character is desperate to protect it because that means keeping a promise to his late wife. Both actors fantastically balance topics such as mortality and longing in this heart-wrenching, yet uplifting, story

One of the Great Ones, written by Chris Widney and directed by Matt Pagliaro, has Lee (Lucy Manos) try to win her company’s scavenger hunt before the New York Public Library closes for the day. No one is more determined for Lee to win the scavenger hunt than librarian Enid Stump (Elayne Gordon), who pulls in Jamie (Katie Kelly) and Hank (David Michael Tate) to help her.

Gordon is an absolute riot as the strong-willed and hilarious Stump, and it is amazing to see how she bounces off Kelly’s passionate and expressive Jamie and Tate’s stoic yet sentimental Hank. Manos as Lee perfectly pulls off the straight-man role, and balances out the colorful characters trying to help her.

The Objection Seat, written by Scott Mullen and directed by Pia Haas, centers on the naïve Mary (Laurie Schaefer Fenton) and the calculating Kat (Andela Armand), two strangers who try to stop their exes’ wedding for the same reason: to get him to marry them instead. They entertainingly compete for the best “objection seat” as they form a sweet, strange bond despite fighting for the same man.

Improv, written by Kevin Curley and directed by Alexis Vournazos is next, when the work-minded widow Paul O’Malley (Rob Mayette) has a chance meeting with the kind and intelligent Ann McKinley (Carri Ocean) on a Staten Island Ferry. They hit it off, but Paul is determined to shake off his longtime, annoyingly persistent admirer Tina Bradley (Sheri Rak). Mayette and Ocean do a wonderful job making the sweet relationship between their characters feel real, but it is most entertaining to see them hide from and mess with Rak’s Tina.

Next is Sea Change written by Lucas Hasten and directed by Marilyn Olsen, where clownfish and lifelong friends Bobbi (Katie Kelly) and Dan (Craig David Rosen) grapple with how one of them is transitioning and all of the feelings that come with it. It’s a play that has some comedic moments, Dan’s “Oh, fish” line always got a good laugh, but its natural, sharply written dialogue and powerful acting make it a masterful portrayal on the topic of transitioning.

The penultimate play is Hornswoggle, written by James Nelson and directed by David Fritsch. This act focuses on three pirates — the somewhat lazy Cogs (Eric Novak), the shifty and quick-witted Bilges (Michael Ferrara), and the seemingly weak-willed and impressionable Scuzzy (Allison Valentino). Fresh off of stealing a treasure chest loaded with gold, the three pirates entertainingly fight over who should get the treasure.

Every actor here goes all out with the physical comedy, and makes the conflict between the pirates all the more fun and enjoyable. The pirate setting is also brought to life with the colorful costumes and props such as swords, hooks, and eye patches.

The show’s finale is Juliet Wakes Up, written by Laura Neill and directed by Nancy Ponturo. Juliet (Lucy Manos) is distraught after waking up from her sleeping potion, discovering Romeo (Matt Donovan) is dead, and stabbing his body in a panic. She is quickly joined by her cousin Rosaline (Danielle Fitzsimmons) and apothecary assistant Willow (Colleen White), who vent about Romeo and are determined to cover up their involvement with his death. Just one problem: Romeo might not be as dead as Juliet thinks he is.

This incredibly hilarious and witty dark comedy spins a fun story about Juliet contemplating what she really wants in life. The girls are enjoyably catty in how they talk about Romeo and his various misdeeds, and create a strangely endearing bond for attempting to cover up a murder. There is no better way for the show to end than with this.

The collection is a fantastic way for Ridgefield Theater Barn to continue its 60th season.

An Evening of One Acts continues until Saturday, March 22, with curtain Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for seniors, students, and veterans. All sales are final. Ridgefield Theater Barn is at 37 Halpin Lane, Ridgefield. For tickets and additional information, visit ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org, call 203-431-9850, or email info@ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org.

=====

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.