Mary Ethel Schmidt and Page Clements are familiar to Scranton audiences for a reason; even though their careers are based in New York, they spend much of their artistic lives here; acting, directing, writing, and teaching for The Northeast Theatre. Now they bring a bit of New York with them in their dazzlingly funny production of Boston Marriage, which plays October 18 through 29 at The Northeast Theatre’s Performance Space at the Jermyn, 326 Spruce Street, second floor, in wonderful Downtown Scranton. Boston Marriage is a tour de force of language, comedy and acting; Mamet’s homage to Oscar Wilde.

Schmidt and Clements are well suited for their roles, for although their characters in no way resemble them personally (or their friendship), they have amazing comic skills which bring Mamet’s script to a brilliant level, enabling it to elicit genuine and almost constant laughter from audiences. “Unbeknownst to David Mamet, it was written for us,” comments Schmidt, “and when I’m in this role on stage, it is only place in the world I really want to be.”

The two veteran actresses created Highwire Productions, Inc. in 2003 to tour shows to colleges, and to teach workshops in acting while in residence. Their first production was Boston Marriage, and its first performance was at The Northeast Theatre when it was in residence at Keystone College. Since then, they have performed the show in states up and down the eastern seaboard. According the Clements, two performances really stand out. “Students at Lycoming in Williamsport had already read the play and hated it, so turning that around in performance was especially exciting. In Georgia, we got a standing ovation. Okay, nice, but for a couple of gay female characters to get a standing ovation in the deep south — that should get us a Tony.” Page knows, she’s from Georgia.

The two are able to win audiences not only because they are themselves charming and superb actresses, but also because their characters are irresistible, funny, and believably outrageous. When asked where her ability for comedy comes from, Ms. Schmidt answers: “From watching Mary Tyler Moore, Lucille Ball, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Moose, Rip Van Winkel, from having had a fifties and sixties childhood, long car rides, depressive natures that have been passed down in the DNA for centuries, the challenges of the French language begun in 7th grade, performing Juliet’s death speech at the age of 13, and being sick a lot.” The upshot is that audiences walk away having laughed a great deal, having had a wonderful time getting to know these two oddly appealing characters, and hoping against all odds that Anna and Claire find a way to patch it all up and get on with their lives.

Boston Marriage opens October 18 and plays Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m., through October 29. Both Wednesdays are “Pay What You Can” without set ticket prices, and both Thursdays are “Cheaper than a Movie” when all tickets are $5. Other performances are at regular ticket prices: $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 and over, and $5 for students 25 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the box office Wednesday through Saturday 3:00 p.m. until curtain, by phone at 570-558-1515, or online at www.thenortheasttheatre.us