Paul Metcalf knows the real show often happens behind the curtain in community theater.

The chaos, the trouble with props.

He's even seen a cast member leave a dressing room for the stage, forgetting to put on his pants.

"And the rest of us didn't even catch it," he said.

It's what happens behind the curtain that can truly be fodder for a good production. But the mishaps and funny stories backstage have been only for the cast to experience.

But Chase Wright is about to change all that. And you don't even have to get up out of your seat to see the real show.

Wright is directing "Noises Off" for the Standing Room Only Players in Montello. It's a farce about what really goes on backstage during community theater.

The play was written by Michael Frayn after he was standing in the wings watching a performance of "Chinamen," a farce written for Lynn Redgrave. He thought the show was funnier behind the curtain and was inspired to write "Noises Off," which first hit the stage in 1982.

The story starts with an acting troupe at rehearsal for a dreadful British comedy called "Nothing On." The cast stumbles through lines and doors before the stage is rotated for the second act.

At this point in the play, the audience gets to see what was taking place behind the curtain during the first act.

"We are backstage during Act 2, so all the drama that's going on - being mad at each other, an alcoholic sneaking off to have a few drinks - all has to be pantomime," Metcalf said.

Building a stage that rotates was quite a feat for a small community theater group, but hard work that Wright thinks will pay off for the audience.

"When you plan a two-story platform that actually rolls on the stage, you don't know what will go wrong until you roll it," he said.

The play is one Wright has wanted to do for years, and said it's the first three-act show the Montello group has done.

"This is the toughest one I've ever done in 15 years," he said. "It's a blast."

The cast plays two parts in the show, having to do British accents for their "Nothing On" parts, then slipping into their American roles backstage, giving audiences a taste of the actors' real personalities.

"It's the best farce I've ever seen. There's eight doors, there's constant action," Wright said.

The term "noises off" in theater refers to the sounds that are meant to originate offstage, but in this play there is no dialogue backstage, just comedic timing and physical comedy to what's happening on the other side of the curtain.

"They are running around like chickens with their heads cut off," Wright said, adding that during the second act backstage, the audience can still see part of the first act again through a window.

Metcalf, who plays Frederick, an actor who often questions the meaning of his lines, said "Noises Off" has been one of the more stressful plays he's worked on.

"It's a little strange, but it's fun," he said.

In the final act of the play, we see the production near the end of its run at the fictional Municipal Theatre with actors trying to cover up mishaps that only compound the problems.

The play became a movie in 1992, with Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, John Ritter and Nicolette Sheridan in leading roles. However, the film version didn't take off like the play has over the years.

 If you go

-- What: The play "Noises Off," presented by the Standing Room Only Players. The play is PG-13.

-- Where: Montello High School Community Room.

-- When: Jan. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 with doors opening at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. and show at 7 p.m. (Catered by Montello's Cafe Underwood.) There are two dessert shows: Jan 15 and 22, with dessert at 6:30 and show at 7 p.m.

-- Cost: $25 for dinner show, $12 for dessert show.

-- Call for reservations: Tickets and reservations can be made through B&B's Country Store in Montello. Call 297-7511 or 1-877-335-0180.