The opening show of Theatre Works' 27th season is C.B. Gilford's "Bull in a China Shop." When six sweet but balmy old ladies discover that a handsome bachelor lives across the street — and that he is none other than Detective Dennis O'Finn of Homicide — they devise the simplest solution imaginable: a nice, genteel homicide with a cup of tea as the murder weapon. When a brash young reporter begins to suspect the truth, she becomes the next target. The show is reminiscent of "Arsenic and Old Lace" except these ladies use tea and buttermilk instead of elderberry wine. Director Paul Adam blocks the show beautifully, utilizing every part of the playing area and giving the cast clever shtick — including the old ladies staring at O'Finn's back at a choice moment. The gorgeous character acting of these women is extraordinary; their old-lady voices and mannerisms are pitch-perfect throughout. The lovely period set is by Mark Anderson, with beautiful furniture supplied by Fred and Alice Reinhardt. Costumes are by Sharon Charette — the ladies' colorful outfits and hats are especially impressive. Stage manager Connie Anderson keeps things running smoothly all night.

Ed Benjamin III plays Detective O'Finn — tall, dark, and handsome, making it easy for the ladies to swoon. His facial expressions and double-takes at their antics are priceless, and his narration of the flashback structure anchors the show. Kudos to Ed, who learned this enormous role in just eight days. The scene-stealing old ladies are Mary Concannon as the motherly Miss Amantha, Lynn Nadrowski as the wig-wearing Miss Birdie who owns the binoculars, Lydia Mattera as Miss Lucy who hasn't been thrilled by a man since Herbert forty years ago, Kathy Irons as the bossy cheapskate Miss Hildegarde, Chip Winslow as the ditsy Miss Nettie, and Connie Plotkin as Miss Elizabeth who refuses to share the binoculars. Rounding out the cast are Timothy Delisle as Detective Kramer, Brandi Davis as the nosy reporter Jane Rogers, Mark Anderson as the fingerprinting cop Johnson, and Andrew Mattera and Bill Beatini as the stretcher bearers. So for an exciting evening of comic mystery with many twists and turns, be sure to catch "Bull in a China Shop."

Theatre Works' third show of their 27th season is Kenny Finkle's "Indoor/Outdoor" — an unabashedly sentimental comedy in which a cat named Samantha has just started living with a shy web designer named Shuman, whom she believes is her true love. Things grow complicated when Oscar, a sexy alley cat, appears at the screen door, and a self-proclaimed cat therapist named Matilda inserts herself into the mix. An allegory about the difficulties and joys of relationships, the show invites us to look at Samantha as an unfulfilled soul tempted by a romantic stranger, who eventually discovers what unconditional love means. Director Mark Anderson builds a crazy cartoon-like unit set — an outside porch with swinging screen door, a living room, and a bedroom, all seen through a cat's eyes — and pulls amazing performances from his cast. The comical costumes are by Sharon Charette. Stage manager Connie Anderson keeps things moving smoothly and runs the sound effects throughout.

Ashley Dougan is Samantha, and she gives a tour-de-force performance — never leaving the stage, carrying the show from innocent kitten through frustration, temptation, and emotional climax. She plays the cat's sweetness, frustration, and rage with equal conviction. One of her funniest scenes is Samantha's first kill; one of her most affecting is a poignant second-act moment that draws tears from the audience. Michael Harrison shines as Shuman, the shy web designer who cries at the drop of a hat — bringing genuine warmth to the role and landing every funny chase and tug-of-war scene. Nicole Gemma is a hoot as the self-proclaimed cat therapist Matilda, trying every pop psychology technique in the book, moonlighting at Hooters, and honking like Felix Ungar when she can't breathe. Lydia Mattera plays Samantha's mother and several other roles, including a very funny Italian-speaking maid, with topnotch character work throughout. Her real-life son Andrew Mattera plays Oscar the tomcat, exuding charm and temptation, as well as a Mexican mouse and a small boy named Abbot. So for a captivating, funny, and surprisingly moving show, be sure to catch "Indoor/Outdoor" before it leaves town.

The fourth show of Theatre Works' 27th season is London D'Arrigo's new comedy "Spreading It Around." Angela Drayton is a wealthy widow in a Florida retirement community who grows tired of footing the bills for her unappreciative children. She and her neighbors found the S.I.N. (Spending It Now) Foundation — an organization that gives to those truly in need. Fearing they will lose their inheritance, her greedy son and his shopaholic wife arrive to have her committed for incompetence. Turning the tables, Angela shows them just how competent she is, then shows them the door. The show has a surprise twist at the end that will leave you in gales of laughter. Director Connie Anderson infuses the production with high energy throughout. Mark Anderson designed the gorgeous set, including a golf-course backdrop painted by Rick Cardoza. Sharon Charette made the funny costumes — the wild and crazy outfits for the barracuda daughter-in-law are especially comical. Stage manager Lydia Mattera keeps the scene changes moving quickly.

Mary Concannon is a whirlwind as Angela — making her an endearing character the audience genuinely comes to care about, and driving the comic and heartwarming moments alike. Shelley Whittle has many funny lines as Martin, the neighbor who complains about the retirement community women putting the moves on him. A stand-up comic in real life, Shelley makes his one-liners constantly hit their mark. Tim Delisle plays the greedy son Larry, with comic moments including getting choked and slapped around by his own wife. Ashley Dougan steals many a scene as the crazed, constantly complaining Traci — showing off her versatility in a much different role from her previous TWI appearances. Bert Cayer plays Roger, the psychiatrist who turns the tables on the young couple, in what Tony notes is Bert's last show in Rhode Island before retirement. The show's surprise ending will leave you in stitches.

The last show of Theatre Works' 27th season is "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" by The Reduced Shakespeare Company — a parody of all 37 of the Bard's plays performed in 90 minutes by just three actors. The actors speak directly to the audience throughout, improvisation plays an important role, and some scenes involve audience participation. They open with a parody of Romeo and Juliet, combine the comedies into one convoluted reading, tackle the histories via a football game, and devote the entire second act to a very hilarious performance of Hamlet — delivered multiple times with increasing speed before finally being performed completely backwards. Director Laura Benjamin brings a lot of shtick and slapstick to keep the audience entertained all evening. Stage manager Lydia Mattera keeps things running smoothly. Mark Anderson built the beautiful set designed to look like a medieval castle; Sharon Charette made the gorgeous multitude of Shakespearean costumes.

Josh Smith, Edward Benjamin III, and Paul Adam are brilliant in this show, playing multiple roles apiece. Highlights include the Scottish play reduced to one duel with funny Scottish accents, the histories as a football game, Othello condensed into a rap song, and the moment near the end of Act One when Paul is chased out by Ed — leaving Josh alone on stage to call for intermission. Before the second act, Josh hands out index cards to cover the Sonnets, freeing the whole act for Hamlet. Paul is a hoot as Juliet, Ophelia, and various other female roles — running into the audience pretending to vomit on them, and drowning Ophelia by pouring a glass of water on his own face. Ed is hilarious as Hamlet, especially in the puppet segment. Josh shines as Romeo, Polonius, Laertes, and Juliet's nurse — complete with fake boobs on the outside of the costume. A woman in the audience plays Ophelia for the Nunnery scene; the rest of the audience is divided into three sections representing her ego, superego, and id. You will not stop laughing all night long.