The Nittany Theatre at the Barn loves putting on Norm Foster shows, and there’s a very good reason for that. Foster’s plays are funny and intricately clever. Office Hours perfectly fits that bill, and the Nittany Theatre production, directed by Andrew Saxe, did a fantastic job bringing that humor to life.

The play unfolds through six scenes with different sets of characters. Initially these sets all seem distinct, but as the play goes on, the bizarre interconnections become increasingly apparent. From the leather bound week-at-a-glance planner, to the new Margaux Kenyon erotic novel, to a jumper on a window ledge, these different conflicts in different offices have just the tiniest threads linking them together, but as the play goes on, the threads become more and more interconnected, starting to form a full tapestry. However, each scene maintains its own distinct set of concerns and is fully capably of standing on its own if need be. The balance of the play is magnificent.

The Nittany Theatre cast does an excellent job with comedies. They have great experience with the timing, the energy, and the overwrought, ironic emotions this play really requires. For instance, Dave Saxe (Warren Kimble, Mark Young, and Lloyd Penny) has a fantastic talent for making sounds work to his comic advantage, whether it’s growls, exasperated sighs, or other noises, he has a great sense of what sound will strike the audience to convey his confusion, frustration, or whatever emotion it is. This talent is kind of reminiscent of Lou Costello, who could also bypass the need for language to convey emotional reactions.

Another standout performance was Priscilla McFerren as Rhonda Penny (she also played Francine Majors). McFerren brought an amazing energy to the domineering mother of two sons, Richard and Neil (played by James Ruth), particularly in her indignation at the very idea that she could be seen as domineering. She effectively cowed her husband Lloyd (Dave Saxe) and son Richard through a combination of overdramatizing, changing the subject, forcing food on them, hovering, and shouting.