Order Chaos Theater Company will launch its fifth season with Larry Shue’s comedy “The Nerd,” running Sept. 19 through Oct. 4 at The Kax Stage inside the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., in downtown Phoenix.
Directed by Mark-Alan C. Clemente, the production leans into the physical comedy, sharp timing and escalating absurdity that have made Shue’s play an audience favorite.
Set in 1980s Terre Haute, Indiana, “The Nerd” follows mild-mannered architect Willum Cubbert, whose life is upended when Rick Steadman — the man who once saved his life — unexpectedly arrives. A grateful reunion quickly becomes a comic nightmare as Rick’s social cluelessness, intrusive behavior and increasingly bizarre antics test Willum’s patience, friendships and sanity.