When The Riverfront Playhouse opens “Looped” later this month, the show’s co-directors are not only excited to be performing in front of a live audience inside the theater for the first time since the pandemic hit, but also to show off the changes that have been made to the playhouse.

“This will actually be the second show in the theater since the pandemic, since we did stage a streaming-only performance before we were allowed to have patrons inside,” said Tim Curtis, who is codirecting “Looped” with Lynn Knauf. “This will, however, be the first show with our major changes to the space, with a freshened-up look to the theater, and new lighting and sound systems.”

Although the theater was closed due to the pandemic, it also suffered some damage due to a flood and a roof leak.

“It gives me enormous satisfaction to be involved in this production given the ups and downs of the past 18 months at the theater,” Knauf said. “Reopening the theater represents the culmination of a lot of hard work. We’ve used the time that we were closed to make numerous improvements. We’ve been hard at work cleaning, painting, restoring and rebuilding.”

Knauf believes that “Looped” is a good play to reopen the theater.

“For our first show back indoors with a live audience we wanted a comedy,” said Knauf of the three-person play. “I think everyone deserves a good comedy after what we’ve all experienced the past 18 months. We considered several options, but this show stood out to me as one that isn’t necessarily well-known and would be perfect for our stage.”

“Looped” by Matthew Lombardo will be presented at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays from Sept. 17-Oct. 23 at The Riverfront Playhouse in Aurora.

“Looped” is based on a real event that took place in the summer of 1965 in a Los Angeles recording studio when an inebriated Tallulah Bankhead (played by Kristin Duerdoth) needed to rerecord — or loop — one line of dialogue for her last movie, “Die! Die! My Darling!” A film editor named Danny Miller (played by Ric Holloman) was selected to work that particular sound editing session. Also in the cast is Brian Lefevre as Steve, a sound engineer.

“It took a full eight hours for her to rerecord the line.” Knauf said. “The playwright, Matthew Lombardo, based the play on actual recordings made during that long day. Of course, much of the dialogue of the play is fictionalized, but the script incorporates many of Ms. Bankhead’s more famous quotes. The funniest lines in the play come straight from real life.”

“While ‘Looped’ is definitely a comedy, it also touches on some very serious subjects,” Knauf continued. “For example, we learn that both of the main characters have been touched by personal tragedy and are now living with the choices that they’ve made. In Tallulah’s case, she chose to be unapologetic and unrepentant for her choices.”

Bankhead was an American stage and screen actress who performed in nearly 300 film, stage, television and radio roles, including Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Lifeboat,” which was released in 1944. In her personal life, Bankhead struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction and often talked openly about her vices.

“I love bringing the script to life and learning about the life of Tallulah Bankhead, who I find fascinating,” Knauf said. “Tallulah died more than 50 years ago, so most people won’t be familiar with her or her work. But she was a walking-talking scandal, burdened with addiction, who was also amazingly talented.”

The co-directors insist that Duerdoth’s interpretation of Bankhead is not an impersonation.

“It is not an imitation, but a characterization of Tallulah,” Curtis said.

Knauf agrees.

“Kristin describes her goal as ‘channeling’ Tallulah rather than imitating her,” Knauf said. “She is embracing her overall style of speech and movement. We wanted to make sure that the role of Tallulah didn’t become a caricature of the real person. We’re not really laughing at Tallulah, we’re laughing at the outrageous things she says and her ability to approach situations on her terms.”

Curtis finds that directing a three-person play is a bit challenging.

“The more people you have the easier it is to keep a show interesting by shifting focus,” he said. “With only two people actually on stage at a time, as in this show, the entire focus is on the two characters, so you have to be careful to keep people from losing their focus on what you want them to see.”

But the end result will be satisfying.

“This will be the show that opens us back up and the first time people will get to see the many changes we have made over this extended closure,” Curtis said. “Plus, I think people will enjoy being back. I have been working with other venues in the area that are already open, and people are just happy to have some sort of normalcy back in their life. If they can come, see the show, laugh some and leave, then I think we have done our job.”

Buy tickets on the Riverfront website or by calling the box office.

Randall G. Mielke is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.