BY RUTH RICE
A local acting troupe is laughing so hard at its script, the performers can hardly get through rehearsals.
Nail Soup Theatre Company will present “The Really Hip Adventures of Go-Go Girl, Episode 9: Space Vixens with Sassy Attitudes” at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and July 17-19 at the Roxbury Bandshell along Franklin Street in the Roxbury section of Johnstown.
Despite its lengthy title, there are no episodes 1-8, said David Slavich, artistic director.
“When I read the title, I thought, ‘Anyone with enough nerve to have a title that long has to back it up with something,’ ” Slavich said. “I don’t look at authors, I look at stories.”
Playwright Mark Landon Smith also wrote “Faith County,” which was performed last summer by Nail Soup.
“The Really Hip Adventures of Go-Go Girl” is a cosmic parody of the low-budget science-fiction and teen beach movies of the ’50s and ’60s.
“We haven’t gotten through a rehearsal without stopping and laughing hysterically,” Slavich said.
The play begins with four Miss Magic Oval Lift Panty Pageant finalists on an airplane bound for southern Florida.
The beauty queens are caught in a comet’s tail and transported to the planet Sniggle O’Cheese, where they fulfill a prophecy.
“The planet is in dire straits because they are running out of Mystery Formula X from Earth,” Slavich said. “Two of them are sent back to Earth to find some.”
Once back on Earth, the two former beauty queens are considered aliens because they wear the mod clothing of the ’60s.
Enter superhero Go-Go Girl, who will thwart their evil plans.
Maggie Williams of Windber will star as Go-Go Girl.
“There’s a lot of bad costuming, cardboard sets, ray guns and aliens in miniskirts,” Slavich said.
The show has been designed to be an audience participation production, with audience members creating sound effects and ending up on stage with walk-on roles.
The rest of the cast features Nick Barber of Nanty Glo, Jamie Torres of East Conemaugh, Jenny Murphy of Mount Hope, Josh Moss of South Fork, Melissa Kalwanaski of Summerhill, Shela Brown of Salix, Patty Zungali of Nanty Glo, Tessa Gilles of Salix, Keli Williams of Windber and Amanda Dierling of Richland.
Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.
Information: 266-7534 or on the Web at www.nailsouptheatre.com.
