One stage. Eight actors. Standing in the spotlight, they will impose a fit of laughter on the audience during their performance of “Moon Over Buffalo.” Among these eight actors is freshman Cooper Smith, who debuted as the leading male role, grouchy former Broadway actor George Hay. The show opened Oct. 3 and will continue with two more performances Oct. 4 and 5 in the Black Box at 6:30 pm. 

“Moon Over Buffalo,” a comedic play, stars middle-aged couple George and Charlotte Hay and chronicles their hilarious hijinks with their theatre company, while they try to “make it big” again. Everything goes wrong: an affair, miscommunication and relationship tension. Smith makes the perfect actor to capture George’s heavy role in the drama. After the first week of rehearsals, he knew how to make his character come to life. 

“George is an older man who wants to relive the glory days,” Smith said. “He’s grumpy and gets drunk and wants to go back to when he was younger. That’s how I’ll portray him.” 

When director of MOB, Brennan Jones, saw Smith audition, he was confident in Smith’s ability to play George the way that he envisioned.

“(Smith) had the vibrato that George had,” Jones said. “He demands your attention. He fits (the role of George Hay) really well. Cooper himself isn’t everything that George is, but he’s able to capture that when necessary. It comes from his voice and how he carries himself.”

Smith’s co-lead, Charlie Yohannan, plays Charlotte Hay. The relationship between the couple in MOB is strained, and the actors have to depict that. 

“Charlotte wants her opinion heard, but so does George,” Yohannan said. “I’ve got to make myself heard, and it’s like butting heads.”

While Smith may be young, he is nowhere near inexperienced. Smith has been acting since he was younger and joined the theatre program at Reynolds Middle School three years ago. He is not new to the role of leading man, as he’s played Professor Callahan in “Legally Blonde” and his all-time favorite roll of Donkey in “Shrek,” to name a few. 

Smith made it into Varsity Acting Productions this year and hopes to pursue acting as a career. Though he’s been to many auditions over many years, Smith admits that he still gets nervous before an audition. 

“I’ve always been a little nervous when I walk into an audition,” Smith said. “I just breathe, and I start doing it. It becomes much easier.”

Smith’s anxiety evidently didn’t show, for he is perfecting his lines for MOB. Come witness the comedic gold that is “Moon Over Buffalo.” You can purchase tickets through prospertheatre.com. 

You’re guaranteed to be rolling in the aisles. 

“Cooper is young and still has a lot to learn,” Jones said. “But, he is an amazing actor.”