CONWAY — Baptist Hill Road resident Michael Haley’s comedic play, “Betty Baker’s Buttermilk Biscuit Barn,” inspired by daily life at Baker’s Country Store and in honor of the town’s 250th Anniversary Celebration, is a hilarious microcosm of a small town community.
It’s part of “Six By Six By Six,” a series of short plays to be performed at the Conway Sportsman’s Club on Friday and Saturday — the weekend before the celebration’s main festivities kick off in the town center.
Admission to the six-play theater event, presented by Haley and the Silverthorne Theater Company, is free.
The play, which takes place in a local diner and centers around a group of fictional regulars, is “the perfect melding of Michael, his view of the community, and where he comes from,” said Joan Haley, Michael Haley’s wife, and “Betsy” in the play. It’s the first play written by Haley, a retired Hollywood assistant director who played the umpire in “A League of Their Own.”
At first, every word in the script starts with the letter B — a humorous frame that creatively captures the friendly exclusivity of Conway’s small-town culture.
“Baker’s is the hub of the community. That’s where all the gossip happens, where people talk. If someone else comes in, they get these looks,” said Conway resident Mike Currie, who plays a farmer, “Bobby.”
“They do this every morning at Baker’s: they rib each other, make fun of each other, but they care about each other,” Joan Haley said.
Life goes on at Betty Baker’s store as normal until a big city film producer arrives and disrupts the townsfolk’s daily routine. Then, comedic chaos ensues and “the dialogue gets out of the ‘B’s,” Haley explained, noting the play’s word-play inspiration, which took an hour to write, came from a bad batch of pickled pigs feet.
After eating one, “I went ‘blah, bleh, bluh, blah?’ And then I wrote a skit based on the letter ‘B,’” Haley said.
More than comedy, though, it’s a comedic nod to the town’s 200th anniversary celebration — when distinguished Conway resident and three-times Pulitzer-winning playwright, the late Archibald MacLeish, used theater to commemorate the event.
There’s also deep meaning hidden within the play. Beneath the humor lies a deep reflection on the importance and beauty of Conway’s strong community. With that, the characters have intriguing and realistic back stories that create robust interactions.
Michael Haley said a few of the characters harbor dark secrets — like a washed-up rodeo rider and a townsman who recently lost a good friend to suicide. They find solace in predictable routine among friends who know and accept them.
“This is the kind of part I love,” said Ann Steinhauser, an Amherst stage actress who plays “Betty Baker.”
“There are a lot of facets to her. She’s stern and robotic — in that I’m gonna give you the same menu every day and I’m gonna swat a fly while talking to you — and she’s discovering her inner stardom, with a little alcohol,” Steinhauser said.
“Everyone knows everyone, and everyone loves everyone despite their idiosyncrasies and screw-ups. It makes for a lot of fun, and also a lot of love,” she said.
“Betty Baker’s Buttermilk Biscuit Barn” will be performed Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., at the the Conway Sportsman’s Club, 193 Elmer Road in Conway.
The other five plays scheduled to open with Haley’s play are “Mrs. Sorken” by Christopher Durang; “Best in Class” by Ann Marie Shea; “Best Daddy” by Shel Silverstein; “I’m Herbert” by Robert Anderson; and “Lunch Break at L.L. Bean” by Donnetta Lavinia Grays.
Before the shows kick off, hot dogs, coffee, soft drinks, cookies and snacks will be sold. The venue is handicapped accessible, and seating is limited.
Those interested in attending are asked to email jzinnie@comcast.net with the number of tickets requested for a specific show date and time, and a name. For more information, call 413-369-4301.