Director Ben Gavit is piloting “Here on the Flight Path” for the third time.

He first directed the Norm Foster comedy in 2006 at Trumbull New Theatre in Niles and then directed it several years ago at Theatre 8:15 in Green, a production that won several Ohio Community Theatre Association awards.

He’ll land this production at Youngstown Playhouse’s Moyer Room, where it opens Friday for a two-weekend run.

“This is one of my favorite shows,” Gavitt said. “Sonja and I saw it on our honeymoon at the Porthouse Theater in Toronto in 2002, and Norm Foster was actually in that one.”

Foster has written nearly 70 plays since 1983 and has been the most-produced playwright in his native Canada for the last 20 years, according to his website. He’s less well known in the states, but Foster’s work is getting more common in the Mahoning Valley.

Selah Dessert Theatre opened its 2023-24 season with Foster’s “Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun,” and Gavitt has directed a couple of Foster’s other plays at TNT.

“Flight Path” remains one of Gavitt’s favorites.

“It’s just really funny, and I love the chemistry the guy, John Cummings, has with the three ladies,” he said.

He also thought it would be a good production for the Playhouse’s Moyer Room performance space.

“I think it’s a perfect fit — small cast, hardly any set, the costumes are just normal stuff they wear,” Gavitt said. “I thought this would be the perfect smaller show to put in the Moyer Room.”

However, the layout of the Moyer Room, with seating on three sides of the stage, required Gavitt to rethink his blocking for the production.

“With this one I have to worry and concentrate more on the angles, and make sure you can see everyone and their facial expressions,” he said. “You might have moments where you can’t see someone’s face, but we’re trying to make it quick and easy and enjoyable for everybody no matter where you’re sitting.”

The play revolves around John Cummings, a newspaper columnist and frustrated would-be novelist who lives in a nondescript apartment building located on the flight path of a major airport. It focuses on his interactions with the different women who move into the adjacent apartment over the span of a few years.

His first neighbor, Fay, is a high-end call girl whose profession forces her to move frequently. She is followed by Angel, an aspiring actress whose career aspirations are being financed by her father. The third is Gwen, a driving instructor who recently left her husband.

For the Playhouse production, Boyle plays John, Terri Norling is Fay, Jenna Cintavey is Angel and Jaclyn-Sarah Senich is Gwen.

“Brendan Boyle is my third John,” Gavitt said. “He’s putting his own little comedy spin on it, and a lot of it feels fresh and new again.”

Tom Burd played the role at both TNT and Theatre 8:15, but he was unavailable when the show went to OCTA Awards, so Playhouse board President John Cox played the role there.

“The ladies are doing tremendous,” Gavitt said. “Teri Norling as Fay the hooker is doing a great job. I think this is her first show. Jenny Cintavey is an absolute bombshell. She’s a beast, man. She just tackles every comedic moment and does such an awesome job. And Jaclyn-Sarah Senich is doing a great job as the third lady, the one who left her husband.

“Even though it’s like reliving the whole thing again, they’re bringing a whole new spin to it.”

If you go …

WHAT: “Here on the Flight Path.”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday through May 19.

WHERE: Moyer Room, Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown.

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $17 and are available online at experience

yourarts.org and by calling 330-788-8739.

Have an interesting story? Contact Andy Gray by email at agray@tribtoday.com. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @TribToday.