Ah, there's nothing like a little backstage drama. And there was plenty of it when playwright Tom Dudzick worked with actor Darren McGavin on "Greetings" off-Broadway in 1993.

It was Dudzick's first play, and McGavin was a famous figure, thanks to such roles as the dad in "A Christmas Story" and as a reporter in "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." McGavin has plenty of ideas about, well, revising the play and even called Dudzick at night with scenes the actor had rewritten.

What's a playwright to do? Well, in this case, he wrote a fictional version of the experience in the comedy "Don't Talk to the Actors."

The story: a young dramatist travels from Buffalo to Broadway to see his play staged. One of the actors believes himself to be supremely talented, so he tries to get the writer to rework his play in a way that will showcase the actor more.

Chelsea Players is staging "Don't Talk to the Actors" starting Friday at United Congregational Church Hall in Norwich.

Ken Lamothe plays the role loosely based on McGavin. Funnily enough, when Chelsea Players did "Greetings!" in 2000, Lamothe played the same role that McGavin did — grumpy Phil Gorski.

Also starring in the Chelsea Players show are Helen Cronin, Seth Roberts, August Wolf, Nicole Wilcox and Jaime Kelly. Directing are Don and Kathy Dykes.

"Don't Talk to the Actors," 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. and Dec. 11 and 12, United Congregational Church Hall, 87 Broadway, Norwich; tickets $10 in advance, $12 at the door; senior tickets $10; (860) 887-7289 or email klamothe37@gmail.com.