WHAT: “The Actor’s Nightmare” and “The Real Inspector Hound”

LOCATION: Tarble Arts Center

TIME: 7:30 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6-8

Presented by:

The Charleston Alley Theatre

The production of “The Actor’s Nightmare” is like inventing a soup, except the only ingredients available are water and rocks.

But someone comes along shortly after the water and rocks are at a boil, and they throw in carrots. Another person walks by and happens to have a few potatoes on hand. A third person suggests celery.

Before long, the entrée is finished, and rehearsal for this show is over.

According to Tim Mason, “The Actor’s Nightmare” is like stone soup.

“There are so many different things to it and so many different layers,” he said. “It is quite an olio, just a big mix of things.”

Before the actors and actresses can pack their bags, they have another show to prepare for; a second production, “The Real Inspector Hound.”

Mason describes this show as a “turducken.”

A “turducken” is a meal made out of a partially boneless turkey that has a partially boneless duck stuffed inside it that has a partially boneless chicken that’s stuffed inside it. And in the middle of the chicken there’s cheese-something completely different than poultry.

“(‘The Real Inspector Hound’ is like a ‘turducken’ because) there’s a surprise when you get down to the end,” Mason said. “And then you get those different flavors that are going through it.”

The two plays will be presented by the Charleston Community Theatre at 7:30 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Tarble Arts Center; and at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 7, and 8.

“The Real Inspector Hound” is about two theater critics who are watching a murder mystery performance. But to their surprise, they get involved in the play themselves causing unexpected events to occur.

“The Actor’s Nightmare” is also about theater. The main character, George, has a dream that he is an understudy for four different plays, and has no idea what the lines are, so he is forced to improvise.

Mason, who plays George, is an Eastern economics professor and has been an active member of the Charleston Community Theatre since 2002. He also plays one of the theater critics in “The Real Inspector Hound.”

Mason said he likes performing “The Actor’s Nightmare” best. He said that Charleston High School also performed the play before the Charleston Community Theatre decided to take it on.

“I just hope to be as good as Taylor Adams,” Mason said.

Although acting is a hobby to Mason, he has to balance it with his home life and work.

“That takes a toll,” Mason said. “I try to limit myself to one play a year.”

As soon as he’s done with class and leaves his office, which is filled with leaves hanging down from the ceiling and scattered papers, he heads straight to practice, which starts at 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. He doesn’t get home until between 9 and 10 p.m.

When he gets home, it’s time to grade papers.

Senior Spanish major Heather Carnahan said this is her first time working with the Charleston Community Theatre and her second experience with acting. She is in both plays.

“I play the part of Dame Ellen in ‘Actor’s Nightmare,’ as first, the catty wife, and then an older woman who gets to sit in a garbage can,” Carnahan said.

In “Inspector Hound,” she plays Felicity, a flirt who takes advantage of a player, Simon, who is the lead character.

Tim Broeker, a senior English major with teacher certification plays Simon in “The Real Inspector Hound.”

“He is really just a player with the women and it has just been a lot of fun playing around with him as a character,” Broeker said.

Carnahan said that students can relate to both of these plays and that they are unique.

“They plays are unique because of what we, the actors, bring to them,” Carnahan said. “Each version of the shows produced will be different depending on what the director and the actors think should happen.”

Despite the plays’ differences, Carnahan has a good time practicing them.

“Practices are a riot. It seemed like we all cliqued rather quickly as a cast and have enjoyed every bit of it,” she said.

Broeker agreed.

“We’ve been really working hard trying to get everything finalized and ready to go. The whole process has gone by so quickly,” Broeker said. “It is crazy to think that we open so soon.

“I came into this showing knowing a few of the cast, but have definitely grown closer with them through rehearsals. We have had some great laughs, and it will be hard when the show is over to not see them all every night. They have really become my family for the past few months and I really love them all dearly. We have just gotten along so well and really grown very cohesive to one another on stage.”

The actors and actresses have inside jokes.

“We, like most people, do have our inside jokes. None of them would make sense until you’ve seen the show. But I will say there are some fun little quirks we have thrown into both shows so you just really have to pay close attention to everything going on, on the stage.”

Broeker said “The Real Inspector Hound” is a mystery and there’s always a puzzle to solve.

“(It’s) an opportunity to escape reality and just have some fun and get some laughs,” he said.