Coming off a series of eccentric winter One Acts, Park theater group looks to ramp up the “weird” factor with its selection of “Shipwrecked! An entertainment—The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)” for the spring performance.

The comedy, written by Donald Margulies, follows the prolific English explorer de Rougemont in his adventures in the Coral Sea off the shores of Australia in the nineteenth century. Returning to his home country as a celebrity, his newfound glory is called into question when accusations about the fabrication of his stories arise. This reveals the tale of two de Rougemonts: an intrepid explorer, and fisherman with extraordinary imagination. These development leave the audience to choose for itself which to believe.

The cast, about half the size of the One Acts productions, features sophomore Harry Steffenhagen as the star. Steffenhagen, a recent addition to the Thespians group, said the show presents challenges in its unconventional nature.

“If you’re telling a story in such a different way, it’ll be tougher to utilize our skills in those ways,” Steffenhagen said.

With rehearsals already underway, advisor Jodi Hatzenbeller said she liked the way her actors have begun to adapt to the offbeat production.

“It’s stretching us in different ways,” Hatzenbeller said. “We’re thinking outside the box to make things happen.”

Such creativity, Hatzenbeller said, comes partially from the play itself: actors not only create the dialogue and action, but the music, sound effects, props and the set itself. This, Steffenhagen said, puts extra pressure on his role as the protagonist.

“It’s a lot of pressure with such an involved role,” he said. “It’s a huge responsibility to the production telling most of the story.”

Hatzenbeller said she felt confident in Steffenhagen’s ability, but underscored the role as a challenge to any actor.

“He’s creating the (actual) stories while he’s telling us about his rise to fame and his adventures,” Hatzenbeller said. “All at the same time.”