Assistant professor of theater Stephen Schrum directs two plays a year at the University of Pittsburgh's Greensburg campus. He said he chooses works to entertain and to prompt audiences to think.

"We opened the season with 'House of Blue Leaves,' " he said, referring to Tony Award-winning playwright John Guare's dramatic farce. "Someone said to me, 'I know you always choose a comedy and a drama, so which is which?' And I said: 'Exactly.' "

"The Miser," a 17th century farce by Moliere, will open next Thursday. It deals with the title character's attempts to find his lost treasure and to control his two children.

Mr. Schrum calls it a "hilarious farce," and said audiences can expect a lot of physical comedy and misunderstandings.

Junior Roy Gloeckl plays the title character, Harpagon. He agreed that despite its age, the play offers plenty of laughs.

"I was shocked when I read it," he said, explaining that he had expected something "old and dry."

"It's much funnier than I imagined, and a lot of the dialogue could be modern."

But the comic situations of "Miser" mask a darker heart, Dr. Schrum pointed out. That is where the questions begin.

"Comedies are supposed to end in romance, and change," he said. "And in this play, the lead character is indeed reunited with his love, which is his money. But it's only happy on the surface. The character is incapable of changing."

Mr. Gloeckl, who is from Moon, said his role in "Miser" extends beyond acting. When Dr. Schrum had to take a two-week leave from rehearsals, Mr. Gloeckl and assistant director Elaine Galinskie had to step in.

"I ended up directing a couple of nights," he said, adding that he also has helped build the set as part of the stage crew. He hopes to transfer to Pitt's main campus next year in order to concentrate on acting.

Katie Kifer, who lives in the Norwin School District, is debuting at Pitt-Greensburg in the role of Marianne, whom Harpagon fancies and his son Cleante loves.

She said Dr. Schrum's absence caused the cast and crew to pull together. "It was difficult, but we collaborated and worked things out for ourselves."

Though she believes understanding the time in which "Miser" is set would help audience members understand the play, she said it wasn't required. "You can go see it just for the comedy."

"The Miser" also features Joel Vodila as Cleante; Ashley Peer as Harpagon's daughter Elise; Zack Kocian as Elise's love, Valere; Brittany Stahl as matchmaker Frosine; and Lauren Fisher as La Fleche. Dan Waajid plays Master Simon.