Boys Weakened: “Girls' Weekend,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through May 11

Farce is a popular theatrical form 'round these parts, as elsewhere. But such productions are delicately balanced structures of script and performance that can easily topple due to weaknesses in either aspect – or both. To my joy, Girls' Weekend, now making its area debut at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre, is delightful. I laughed more than I have in a year of theatre. Its script, published in 2014, is tight and funny – the first by playwright/actor and Des Moines native Karen Schaeffer. The actors are a solid, energetic ensemble, director Jacque Cohoon has assembled and guided a wonderful bunch of creatives, and everything feels fresh and lively.

Our setting is a North Woods cabin in which Dot (Pam Cantrell), two friends, and a daughter meet for a purported "book club" discussion, one better described as an overnight wine buffet, well-stocked with bottles and boxes thereof. Both my theatregoing companion and I – an oenophile and teetotaler, respectively – noticed that characters referring to a Chardonnay were actually drinking a rosé. But maybe that was deliberate. A definitely deliberate inclusion is that the wine-glass markers are multicolored, bachelorette-party-style depictions of penises. And lo – though a girls' weekend, there are gentlemen, as well. In a refreshing change here; the men are considered sex objects, whether for recreation or procreation. However, desire is depicted as normal, not something to giggle about at its very mention. Nothing hotter than PG-13-level passion is shown, and the only naughty bits are on the rims of the wine glasses. The devil's weed is also present – which wasn't legal in Minnesota when the play was written, but is now – though the behavior I found hardest to watch was characters spiking Dot's wine with Ambien. (Do not try this at home.) Cantrell gamely falls face-first into her character's dinner, and is subsequently dragged around and shoved behind doors. That's real dedication to the craft.

Another plot detail is a 10-year age difference between two consenting adults – which would be barely noticeable if the woman was younger than the man, but in Girls' Weekend, it's the other way around. (Gasp!) That gap didn't bother me a bit, but it bothers Meg, Carol's best friend, portrayed by first-time Playcrafter Isabella Holmes. She needs to be cast again immediately, in something, because she's hilarious. Bradley Franks plays Sheriff Tom Lane, who stops by with a snowstorm advisory. This is Franks' first stage appearance anywhere, and his self-effacing demeanor paired against Holmes' broad physical comedy (and red hair) reminded me of Tim Conway and Carol Burnett.

Storm Marie Baca plays Meg's vivacious 20-something daughter Ellie, who's been figuratively dragged to the cabin. She plays her amiable youthful rebellion well, and thankfully, her microaggressions toward her mom are amusing, not irritating. Baca really sparkles in her scenes with Bubba (Esteban Lopez), an acquaintance she ran into in town. Lopez, too, is engaging, as well as very polished; I predict he'll be assaying meatier roles on bigger stages soon. Jaren Schoustra plays Stephen, who thinks he's a playa and is deeply interested in horizontal refreshment immediately, if not sooner. The character's obnoxious strutting, ogling, and grabbing make it extra-gratifying when Stephen, to evade discovery, has to hide under things. Schoustra and Holmes, incidentally, are also a wonderful comedic pairing. And Tabitha Oles plays the timid Carol, the third "book club" member, who's trying to conceive but sends her eager husband Rick (Tim Burrow) away, it being a "girls' weekend" and all. She changes her mind and wants him back – but that snowstorm delays his return.

As in many farces, there are lies, multiple doors, and plenty of hiding … but only one case of mistaken identity, and no overheard misconstrued conversations. Nevertheless, Schaeffer's dialogue is challenging, as it includes many partial sentences, interruptions, and lines requiring multiple actors to speak in unison. On Friday, pacing and timing weren't always optimal. But it was opening night, after all, and the cast members are excellent comedians. Sometimes they cracked me up with a perfect line delivery – even the delivery of a single word. The execution of simple stage bits also brought laughs, as when one character handed another a wee bleach pen to eradicate an enormous stain. (Very funny. Trust me.)

Due to the artistry of set designer Jaina Gliva and builder Craig Cohoon, the set, meanwhile, is stunning. The challenges presented by the script's requirements of particular furnishings and architecture are beautifully handled in Playcrafters' space, and the cabin is attractive and inviting, as well. (It's also dressed with art by several professional artists.) McKenna Coskie organized the oodles of props, with the actors' handling of them on Friday deft and admirable, while intimacy director (and stage manager) Grey White had a lot of couples to wrangle. I commend them all. This involved a heckuva lotta work.

But everyone clearly worked hard on Girls' Weekend, and the effort paid off. Schaeffer has also written Girls' Weekend 2: The Bachelorette Party. I'm officially looking forward to it.

Girls' Weekend runs at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre (4950 35th Avenue, Moline IL) through May 11, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-0330 and visiting Playcrafters.com.