In a south Philadelphia neighborhood in the 1970‘s, an eccentric group of people live in chaotic harmony. One moment their flamboyant personalities are exploding, and the next minute they are able to sit down and have a meal together.

Francis, played by first-year Eli Bezner, is a Harvard college student home for the summer. He lives with his father Fran, played by sophomore Gabe Monroe.

For his twenty-first birthday he is surprised by a visit from his college friend Judith, played by senior Alina Saez, and her brother Randy, played by sophomore Richard Rodgers.

This seemingly innocent visit sets off the chain of events that comprises Albert Innaurato’s play “Gemini,” put on by this year’s senior company. Gemini is the second comedy Guilford College’s theater department has put on this year

The lives of Francis and Fran become more complicated as their neighbors come into the picture. Bunny, played by senior Hannah Richards, is their promiscuous neighbor. She lives next door with her socially awkward yet highly intelligent son Hershel, played by junior Jonathan Shine.

Fran’s love interest Irene, played by senior Nora Younes, lives down the street and emphasizes the importance of manners and values femininity.

The characters in the play are all outrageous. The actors bring the unique aspects of each character to life.

“This play brings to life different coping mechanisms that make characters seem very different,” said senior Hannah Richards, who plays Bunny in the production. “But in the end, people are all searching for happiness in life with their own ways of going about finding it.”

“The characters are wholeheartedly committed to outrageous goals and situations,” said Part Time Lecturer in Theatre Studies Marc Williams, who directed the production. “Making that idea work on stage requires great focus and energy. Above all, the actors have to be able to have fun on stage in order for the comedic elements to work. The energy has indeed been great from the cast, and the technical staff has been equally enthusiastic.”

Putting on a play takes a lot of dedication and requires a great deal of planning. Many people involved in the production have been working on it for months.

“I started working on the play back in October when I really started studying the play and researching,” said Williams. “The designers started working with me in December, and the actors and other technicians started work in February. Overall, there are more than 30 people working on the production and only seven of them are actors.”

A production like this one requires not only long hours and extensive planning, but a lot of teamwork on the part of cast and crew.

“One of the most important aspects of any production process that many people do not usually notice is that every single person’s work directly impacts other people’s work in the play,” said senior and Technical Director Laura Pates. “Because of this, it is vital that everyone follows their schedules and keeps in good communication with the rest of the team.”

In the end, all the hard work was apparent, adding depth as well as humor. Audience members responded positively to the performance.

“The absurdness of the play combined with its trash, TV-type characters really brings this play to life in a uniquely Guilford setting,” said audience member and sophomore Karen Turner after seeing the production on opening night. “The talent of each individual is what really gave the play all of its depth with their supreme acting.”