Dressing in a '50s-style wardrobe and talking on modern day cell phones, the cast of "Never Kiss on a Park Bench" exists in a time period that you can't quite put your finger on. The play's decade is somewhat irrelevant, however -- dealing with themes of comedy and romance, its story spans generations.

"These are situations that could happen now just as easily as they could have happened 40 or 50 years ago," said Dustin Parmley, who has a lead role in the show. "A lot of the humor can translate to any generation."

The first play written by Don Crosby, who previously worked as a film editor in Hollywood, "Never Kiss on a Park Bench" is fairly simple.

A lone park bench makes for a simple set, and six actors make for a simple cast ¬ -- yet the unadorned set-up of the play is what allows the characters to portray more complex emotions, Parmley said.

"My character gets to play on so many different levels, from anger, to frustration, to giddiness, to dancing around the park in the moonlight," he said.

Parmley plays Tom, a young man waiting at the park to meet his girlfriend. He has a marriage proposal planned, but while he waits for the lady of the hour to arrive, things start to go wrong. Tom loses the engagement ring, then gets tangled up with a runaway mental patient, a police officer on the hunt and a girl who lives across the street.

No only that, but the show is a musical, with songs to lighten the mood.

"[Adding music] brings it just barely outside of reality, so that we're willing to accept some of the emotional changes and ... situations that are similar to real life, but on an exaggerated level," Parmley said. "It enhances the mood of the entire show."

The lively production is also suitable for family viewing, director Jody Renstrom said. "Nowadays you can rarely go to dinner and a movie and come home feeling great, so it's a nice alternative plan for an evening out."

Renstrom also said that, though it may be small, the cast of "Never Kiss on a Park Bench" packs a punch.

"We needed really strong performers for a play like this because they all have quite a few lines," Renstrom said. "They are very experienced, so I'm just so happy and thrilled with my cast."

Among the six are Parmley, a former ballroom dance team member and graduate of Brigham Young University, as Tom; and Aubrey Asay, another BYU graduate and former member of BYU's Young Ambassadors singing group, as Tom's girlfriend.

The show also includes the musical arrangements of full-time composer Brian Jensen.

Renstrom, who owns the playhouse along with her husband, Keith, said she hopes this play gives audiences a night of clean entertainment.

"People usually go out with a smile on their face and say they've had an uplifting experience ... and that's what we hope for," Renstrom said.