Christopher Dowling left, Ryan Adair and Danielle Eaton rehearse a scene from Community Little Theatre’s production of “Rabbit Hole.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning play opens Friday, June 1.

AUBURN — Five actors explore the twists and turns of coping with a family tragedy when Community Little Theatre presents “Rabbit Hole,” opening Friday, June 1.

“What has inspired me is the remarkable resilience that can be found in people,” said Linda Britt, who directs this production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning play. “It shows us the many different paths people might take as they find their way to hope.”

The play tells the story of a couple who have lost their young son to a tragic accident. It begins eight months after the boy’s death, and the grieving parents are struggling to put the pieces of their shattered lives back together.

“It’s not all gloom and doom and darkness,” Britt said. “It’s surprisingly humorous, because humorous things still happen,” despite life’s unpredictable heartbreak and misfortune. “In the end, I find the play hopeful and inspiring.”

She emphasized that “Rabbit Hole” is not necessarily about a child’s death. She said it deals with coping and with life situations that are universal.

Victoria Machado and Ryan Adair play the young parents, Becca and Howie Corbett. Both are veterans of area theater productions. Machado was seen recently in CLT’s “Almost, Maine” and in Out of the Box Theater’s productions of “Hamlet” and “Chosen: Adoption Stories.” Adair also appeared in “Hamlet” and “Chosen,” as well as CLT productions of “Deathtrap” and “Inspecting Carol.”

Danielle Eaton plays Izzy, sister of the young mother. Carmela Castro has the role of the maternal grandmother and Christopher Dowling is the young driver of the car involved in the accident.

Eaton’s stage debut at CLT was last year in the role of Mayella Ewell in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Britt also directed that production.

Both Castro and Dowling are making first-time appearances at CLT. Castro has been seen in plays in the Freeport area and Dowling has performed in shows in the Oxford Hills area.

“With a small cast like this, we have had time to explore,” Britt said. “That’s when it’s interesting, and that’s important to me.”

Britt said she likes the challenge of directing plays filled with different layers of complexity. The title imagery of “Rabbit Hole” examines the different paths that grief travels and the infinite possibilities that might occur, she pointed out.

Lindsay-Abaire also wrote “Fuddy Meers,” which has been seen in area productions. The New York production of “Rabbit Hole” in 2006 starred Cynthia Nixon, Tyne Daly and John Slattery. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and Nixon won a Tony for Best Actress.

Set designer Bill Hamilton has come up with “a huge set,” Britt said. The play takes place in a modern upscale home.

Others on the production team are Mark Hazard, assistant director; Glynnis Nadel, producer; Richard Martin, light designer; Susan Brown, costumer; Patricia Phillips, props and light board operator; Jackie McDonald, stage manager; Nathaniel Beckman, sound operator; Melody Driscoll, prompter; and Rachel Morin, publicist.

Go and do

WHAT: “Rabbit Hole”

WHO: Community Little Theatre

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 1-2 and 8-9; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 3 and 10

WHERE: Great Falls Art Center, 30 Academy St., Auburn

TICKETS & MORE INFO: Call 783-0958 or visit www.laclt.com