Megan Flannery, left, and Casey Bowser rehearse a scene from Butler Little Theatre's upcoming production of “Outside Mullingar.” Submitted Photo

Four actors from the Butler County area are working on their Irish accents for an upcoming play at the Butler Little Theatre.

The show is set in Ireland, so the accents are pertinent to the show’s immersion, according to one of its leads.

“Outside Mullingar” plays at BLT, 1 Howard St., from Jan. 17 through 25, and the cast is deep into rehearsals for what Casey Bowser, who portrays Anthony Riley in the show, describes as a dialogue-heavily show with some dark humor.

“The Irish accents are absolutely important to the show,” Bowser said. “Certainly parts to generate a pop of laughter, but it’s not a pie in the face, not a farce. It’s not a dramedy, but it's not a full-court comedy.”

The play premiered in 2014, and its premiere in Butler has been almost 10 years in the making. The show’s producer, Phillip Ball, said he saw “Outside Mullingar” about 10 years ago and has wanted to bring it to Butler ever since. It was going to be produced at the theater in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to it before it could go on.

Ball said he was drawn to the play because of its “quirky” language that makes the characters feel not only real but also relatable to the audience. The story unfolds over about 90 minutes in dialogue-heavy scenes between different permutations of the four characters.

“A lot of the humor is in the quirky way they say things,” Ball said. “There is absolutely nothing suggestive in it; there's no swearing in it. It's a good, clean adult comedy.”

According to Bowser, the play centers around four characters, neighbors, who each live on family farms that have been in their families for generations. The play starts right after the death of Chris Muldoon, and Anthony’s father, Tony, is looking to hand off the family farm to the next generation. Along the way, Anthony and his neighbor, Rosemary, navigate change and the growing potential of their romantic relationship.

Ball said this production is somewhat unique for BLT, because the show brought in a director, Andrew Miller, who has never worked with the theater before.

Miller, who lives in the Hartwood Acres area in Pittsburgh, said he came to the theater specifically to direct “Outside Mullingar.” The show spoke to him, he said, because it’s about late-bloomers, and the story leapt off the page even though he has not seen it performed.

“The main characters are in their 40s, still trying to find each other romantically,” Miller said. “Much of the play is they live side by side, and it's them getting past their own personal struggles.”

Bowser and Miller agreed that they believe the show will hit home with people because of the humor and relatability of the characters.

Miller said Rosemary gets some of the best lines in the show, which helps the play walk “that edge between darkness and humor.”

Bowser said the underlying themes of the show speak to the bright spots people find in hard times, which could spark conversation among viewers after seeing the show.

“I do think it's a little investigation of how to navigate life by taking some of the blows that come at you and looking for outside signs that keep you moving and keep you going,” Bowser said.

“That's the kind of thing I like to do the most, the things I'm not 100% sure will be for everybody,” Bowser continued. “It promotes a conversation post-show.”

“Outside Mullingar” stars Bowser, Megan Flannery, Jud Stewart and Katy Wayne. The play runs about 90 minutes.