Stacy John McConahay, left, and Greg Crawford, who is off a run as Algernon in "The Importance of Being Earnest," appears in the Butler Little Theatre production of "Kitchen Witches." The comedy about TV cooking show rivals continues through Oct. 9.

The Butler Little Theatre cooked up a tasty comedy to open its 70th season.

"Kitchen Witches," by Caroline Smith, had all the ingredients for success: great writing, talented actors and an enthusiastic audience. The opening had the audience on their feet wanting seconds.

Nedra Casey's performance as Dolly was amazing. She offered up a spicy performance of a woman wronged. Casey's command of her character was well done.

Her chemistry with her co-star Jana Semler as Isobell (Izzy) Lomax couldn't be beat. Izzy got busy early and stirred things up as the show continued.

The two bitter rivals are a recipe for a kitchen disaster. Their blend of cutting humor set the stage for a cooking show like no other. The well-seasoned ladies tossed insults, and mixed it both on camera and off.

If applause was any gage, the show was a smash hit.

The job of trying to keep the peace fell to Gregory Crawford, who portrayed Dolly's son. His compassion and desperation were clearly evident in his portrayal of the son caught in the middle.In this production, the audience has a role to play as the studio audience, which was a fun aspect. An applause light directs the audience about when to clap.Because the show is about a cable TV show, the audience becomes the studio TV audience and is expected to participate.One or two of the set changes got a bit long but not enough to detract from the momentum.Directed by Shirley Ann Minehart, "Kitchen Witches" serves up a heaping helping of hilarity and is sure to entertain.The remainder of the Little Theatre's 70th season will include "Greetings" by Tom Dudzick, "All My Sons" by Arthur Miller, "Moonlight and Magnolias" by Ron Hutchinson, and "Fools" by Neil Simon.