Not even a case of laryngitis could clam up the incomparable Katie Wayne who easily let her facial expressions and her body language do the talking during the Butler Little Theatre's season opener, "Murder at the Howard Johnson's" by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick.

A preview audience took in the show on Thursday night, and if its laughter was any gauge, you might want to book this one. This adult comedy will grip you at the onset, and the roller-coaster plot is an enjoyable ride.

The chemistry between all the actors was incredible. The combination of past love, future love and of course the occasional anger and hatred thrown in were all conveyed quite believably.

Wayne portrayed the selfish Arlene Miller, who, in her quest to find herself, finds herself in some silly situations.

Jeff Carey played her husband, the deadpan Paul Miller, expertly. His physical comedy also was right on target in this fast-paced production. He navigated the tight walk between sympathetic and pathetic reactions from the audience as his character was easily frazzled.

The married couple is thrown into a state of angst by their dentist, who is interested in much more than Arlene's teeth. Mitchell Lovell played by Jim Kasparek wooed and cooed his way into Arlene's life and easily becomes the center of her world, second of course, only to herself.

For an actor known for musical theater, Kasparek can easily add slapstick comedy to his routine, or should I say lipstick?

Under the direction of Shirley Ann Minehart with producing done by Becky Plymale, the duo capably steered the trio of actors into giving some seriously hilarious performances.

Minehart said, "When I laughed out loud while reading the script for the first time, I knew that I wanted to direct this show."

Well, the laughter was contagious during this initial showing.