POST FALLS - Lance Child likes to go outside his box while on stage.

And now - with Halloween approaching - is the perfect time to do it.

Child will be among the actors in the "It was a Dark and Stormy Night" mystery comedy spoof presented by Post Falls High Thursday through Saturday at the school.

"It's a comedy mixed with horror and suspense," the senior said. "I like it because my character (Ebenezer Saltmarsh) is creepy. I'm nowhere near creepy, so I'm having fun by being somebody else and going outside my box."

The production by Tim Kelly starts at 7 each night. Tickets are $5 per person and available at the high school and the Post Falls Super 1 Foods.

The production is a winner of the Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence.

In the play, there's dirty work afoot at Ye Olde Wayside Inn, home of the eccentric Saltmarshes - Hepzibah, Arabella, Ebenezer and old Uncle Silas, the oldest living lunatic in Massachusetts.

The inn is also haunted by the ghost of General Saltmarsh, an old solider who deserted George Washington at Valley Forge. So when a storm forces several strangers to take shelter at the Inn, a chilling time begins. Who will survive the dark and stormy night?

"This production is sure to delight all those who love a mystery with a twist and a giggle," said Linda Fry, PFHS theater instructor.

The production was selected by student voting from seven plays.

"It is something different than any production we have done in the past," Fry said. "We thought it would be fun and give our drama students an opportunity to be creative. It was also a challenge to develop some of the special effects needed for the production.

"The timing could not have been better, falling two weeks before Halloween."

Child, as Ebenezer Saltmarsh, has fits during storms because his fiancee left him at the altar.

"He doesn't have a whole lot of lines, but the whole play is centered around him," Child said.

Junior Karen Hunt will play Arabella, an old lady who lives at the inn.

"It's a challenge because I have to waddle and crouch over a lot," Hunt said. "But it's been fun trying to get my old lady walk down."

Check it out:

• Post Falls High will present the mystery comedy spoof "It was a Dark and Stormy Night" Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. at the high school. Tickets are $5 and on sale at the high school and Post Falls Super 1 Foods.