Sparks fly in Lakeside Players' production of The Owl and the Pussycat, a comedy about a relationship that develops between two oddly-matched characters, the prostitute Doris (played by Alexis Hyndman) and the repressed writer Felix (Hyndman's husband, Bruce).

For actors Bruce and Alexis Hyndman, their new project together represents a walk down memory lane.

The real-life couple are the stars in the two-actor comedy The Owl and the Pussycat, Lakeside Players' final production of the summer season, which opens Friday at the Port Mansion Theatre.

The play, about a sexually-repressed writer whose world is turned upside down when a prostitute enters his life, represents a return to the stage for the couple, who both took time off to pursue masters of education.

However, as it turns out, their return is taking place in the very place they met. In 2001, Bruce and Alexis both performed in the Long Weekend on the same intimate stage.

"We saw this as an opportunity to get back into it," Alexis said. "We just decided to give it a shot in the hopes we could do a two-hander," Bruce said.

Their project together ended up being a challenging one. Director Brian DiMartile said The Owl and the Pussycat, which was first staged on Broadway in 1964, is a comedy with complex characters who don't fully understand themselves, making it a challenge for the actors.

He said a considerable amount of rehearsal time was spent discussing the characters with the actors.

"They seem to contradict themselves constantly," he said, "because they don't know their true identity. It's a roller coaster of pathos and hilarity and anger and love."The Owl and the Pussycat runs July 25 to Aug. 31, with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $26.50-$32 and are available by calling the Port Mansion box office at 905-934-0575 ext. 226 or by visiting www.portmansion.com.