BRUNSWICK — The Theater Project Professional Ensemble, in its 45th season, will present “Cocktails and Travails,” Feb 2-12. It is directed by Christopher Price.

This outrageous madcap farce was written by Maine playwright and actor Brent Askari, and was the winner of the 2015 New Play Contest at The Neil Simon Festival, receiving a staged reading at the 2015 Neil Simon Festival in Cedar City, Utah.

As the play opens, Greg has arranged a nice, quiet, intimate cocktail party with his wife, Emily, and his stuffy colleague, professor Stilton. A perfect evening could mean Greg achieves tenure at the college. But when Stilton arrives, Emily and the hors d’oeuvres are missing, Greg’s mother-in-law insists on crashing the party, and Greg’s deadbeat brother is convinced he can somehow help. And what on earth is in the punch? Things couldn’t get any worse. Or could they?

Brent Askari is a company member of Mad Horse Theatre in Portland, working as an actor, writer and director. His plays have been produced in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Connecticut, Maine and Washington, D.C.

The production features performances by Keith Anctil, Heather Perry Weafer, Lisa Muller-Jones, Kate O’Neill and Mark Rubin. Technical direction and lighting design by JP Gagnon; scenic design and construction by Christopher Price; costumes and props by Wendy Poole; and sound design by Colin Whitely.

Performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 pm. All tickets (except Feb. 4) are pay-what-you-want, with a suggested price of $20. On Saturday, Feb. 4, all tickets will be $40, as the Theater Project hosts a “Cocktail Party” evening.

For tickets or more information, call the box office at 207-729-8584 or visit www.theaterproject.com. The Theater Project is at 14 School St. in Brunswick.