The very British “See How They Run,” Theatre 21’s spring production, is a fast-paced, gag-a-minute comedy of errors about four men dressed as English vicars. However, only two of them are who they say they are. The audience doesn’t even get to catch its breath from all the laughter as the cast untangles the mess. Director Kate Brandon, assistant professor of theatre, chose the play to follow up the theatre’s production of “Little Women” last fall, feeling that it was time for a comedy.

Brandon’s biggest challenge while preparing for the show was having little money to work with.

“We had a very low budget for everything — costumes, props, sets,” Brandon said. “God always has to fill in where we cannot.”

Working with a good cast of people made the experience all the better, she said.

Researching accents and reliving an emotional past

Junior communications major Keegan Lund prepared for his role as Rev. Lionel Toop by understanding how a British vicar would live and carry himself.

“It was lots of research and practice,” Lund said. “I studied online and listened to accent tapes.”

Junior theatre major Kelli Mireles had to practice the mannerisms of her character, Miss Skillon, who spends a majority of the performance drunk. Though some of it included physical aspects such as losing balance and not focusing, Mireles said that preparation was also in reliving personal past experiences.

Sacrificing time and feeling the humor

As a 30-year-old mother of two toddlers, the most challenging aspect of preparation was the amount of time Mireles needed. However, she noted that it had a rewarding payoff.

“It’s been a great cast experience to be part of a larger family to bring the fun in,” Mireles said. “No one person could pull this off themselves.”

Lund’s biggest challenge was acting well and seriously while being able to feel the humor. For him, the culmination of his work came in the audience’s laughter in regard to the timing of jokes.

An enjoyable performance

Many in the audience enjoyed the performance. Daniel Mitchell, who doesn’t attend Biola but whose sister, Hanna Mitchell, was in the play, considered the acting well done with believable characters. In the same vein, Dana Bak, a freshman business major, echoed Brandon’s statement that it was time for a comedy.

“I thought it was really good,” Bak said. “It was nice to see a comedy.”

“See How They Run” will continue to hold performances in Theatre 21 from April 25-28 and May 2-4. Tickets are $10.