Steve Martin has probably always done his own thing.In the early days, it was his astonishingly accomplished banjo playing, “King Tut,” “The Jerk” and that Mark Twain white suit.Over time, though, Martin has peppered his keen sense of comedy with more serious stuff, including building a A-list art collection, recording a bluegrass album (“Rare Bird Alert”) as well as writing a full-length play (“Picasso at the Lapin Agile”), pieces for the New Yorker, novellas (“Shopgirl”) and in 2002, an adaptation of Carl Sternheim’s“The Underpants.”The Springs Ensemble Theatre presents Martin’s take on this German farce, which was written in 1910. The production runs through June 17.Here Director Sarah S. Shaver talks about Martin’s delicate hand at adaptation, the art of farce and the power of lingerie.The Gazette: With Steve Martin adapting the play, I’d expect this work to be pretty wacky. But he also wrote “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” which was relatively serious. What should we expect?Sarah S. Shaver: Steve Martin is brilliant at adaptations — honoring the story and the tradition behind the original work but making it fresh and relevant to our time. His adaptation of “Cyrano de Bergerac” to (the 1987 film) “Roxanne” is a great example of this. In this one, he takes a little known German farce and makes it into a spectacular romp in English, while staying true to the themes of bourgeois conformity and class prejudice (as well as) commenting on gender roles. It’s a smart farce, relying both on clever word play and physical slapstick. A key element in farce is getting caught with one’s pants down. When it’s the beginning premise for a show, you know you have to expect a good time.Gazette: Tell me a little bit about the play.Shaver: The scene opens on the afternoon after the king’s parade, (during which) Louise Maske’s (played by Erin King) underpants inexplicably fell around her ankles. Her gruff husband, Theo (SET member Steve Emily), is in a panic because he fears the scandal might cause him to lose his job as a government clerk.  Soon after, two would-be suitors — poet-in-his-own-mind Franklin Versati (Oscar Robinson) and hypochondriac barber Benjamin Cohen (Emory Collinson) — vie for the couple’s room-for-rent and a chance at wooing Louise. … Nosy upstairs neighbor Gertrude Deuter (SET member Jillmarie Peterson) fans the flames of Louise’s passion with a few machinations of her own. “Never underestimate the power of a glimpse of lingerie,” Theo says.Gazette: Do we see actual underpants during the show?  Shaver: Several pairs, actually. You’ll probably be surprised: They’re not what you might expect in a sex farce. Titillating nonetheless.

Gazette: Although farce appears to be so effortless, a fine balance is required to make it work. How did you approach that?Shaver:  It takes a careful hand to break down what exact series of gestures or expressions will get the most mileage out of a joke and then put it all together with the fast pace required to make the chemistry click. Making sure there was good stage chemistry between the actors was the prime directive with casting. Quick banter, generous giving and receiving of energy on stage, an awareness of one’s physicality and a seriousness about the business of being silly — all so important! It’s easy when you work with a great group of actors like this. The laughter is contagious and they have a true discipline behind their craft. I like to have “fun throughs” of scenes — a kind of free-for-all where the actors get to goof around and pull all the pranks and faces they’ve been thinking in their heads but usually self-censor. Some terrific moments have been found in the fun-throughs that we can then work into the scenes. It keeps the comedy and energy fresh.Gazette: What should the audience take away from “The Underpants?”Shaver: At its heart is the story of a woman coming into her own, recognizing that she is the protagonist in her own life. How she makes this discovery is all the delicious fluff and frippery of farce. My hope is that the audience will root for Louise and take home aching sides from laughing so hard!