If you had to sleep with one of the Three Stooges, which would it be? And what would your answer reveal about you? Sacramento's own Lambda Players graciously provide the answer in their production of Douglas Carter Beane's As Bees in Honey Drown.

Alexa Vere de Vere (played here by Kristen Wagner), a glamorous and mysterious woman with a seemingly inexhaustible Rolodex, poses the aforementioned Larry-Curly-Moe conundrum early in the play to Evan Wyler (Matthew Abergel), a writer newly “discovered” by New York's literary elite. Vere de Vere contracts Wyler to write a screenplay based on her terribly exciting and exotic life, and drama ensues.

Wagner's Vere de Vere is an affected, just-barely-over-the-top amalgam of Holly Golightly, Sally Bowles, and nearly every other leading lady of Hollywood's Golden Age. She tosses “darling” and “lamb” about as if she had just stepped out of a prohibition-era speakeasy — and it works perfectly here. Even her haircut evokes a certain “Liza with a Z” feel that will cause some patrons to go home and dig up copies of Cabaret and New York, New York.

Aside from Vere de Vere, much of the play has references, both subtle and obvious, to campy movies, plays, and other cultural touchstones. However, audience members do not need knowledge of this background to enjoy the play, so feel free to bring the straightest man you know — Bees doesn't restrict itself to a tiny niche audience.

The space in which Bees is performed is rather small, but manages to avoid feeling cramped. The sets are spare and minimal, keeping attention focused on the actors and forgoing gaudy detail. Director Bob Cooner choreographs his actors proficiently, and the end result is a performance space which feels bigger than it is.

Community theatre is often the subject of jokes and scorn, but the Lambda players have definitely put together a solid production. An evening spent at the Studio Theatre watching As Bees in Honey Drown is not a wasted one

As Bees in Honey Drown is playing at the Studio Theatre, 1028 R Street, from March 13 to April 18. For tickets and reservations, visit lambdaplayers.com. In recognition of the recession, the Lambda Players are reducing the price of all tickets to $13.