"It only seems simple," says director Robert "Bob" Coe of "Indian Blood," the newest production of the Strollers, the resident theatre company of the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts  The play, by A. R. Gurney, premiered in Manhattan in 2006. When Coe saw the production, he decided it would suit the Strollers.

"It has bare flats," explained Coe. "There are no sets, no props. But it's not easy, as actors have to pantomime it all." He notes that even "taking a drink of water is a learned process" when there's no glass and water to sip. "It's an extra job for the actor," Coe explains.

"Indian Blood" is set in Gurney's native Buffalo, NY. Coe noted that Gurney, who is a living novelist and playwright, is a graduate of St. Paul's School who attended Williams College and the Yale School of Drama, after which he began teaching Humanities at MIT. "He writes very American plays," said Coe. "He writes about what we calls WASPS, white Anglo-Saxon Protestants." "Indian Blood," in particular, centers on a young boy, who is both main character and narrator. The boy is greatly influenced by his grandmother. She uses the power of what Coe describes as a "bad heart" to control both the boy and his father. The boy's cousin, Lambert, threatens the family stability, giving rise to the action of the play.

Coe has dedicated this final week before the curtain rises to fine-tuning and "ironing out technical problems of sound and light." He's well-versed in such theater language; Coe joined the Strollers in 1957, and has been involved ever since.

"I moved to Maplewood from Rhode Island, where I had done some acting," Coe recalled. "I worked at C. S. Hammond, and a colleague asked me what my hobbies were." When the colleague heard that Coe acted, he called over the boss. "The next day I was a Stroller," laughed Coe. 

One of the most memorable of the many roles he has played is Sakini in "The Teahouse of the August Moon," by John Patrick. Sakini is the character who serves as interpreter for American forces in Okinawa in the years after World War II. Despite its subject matter, the play is a comedy, and Coe remembers it fondly: "That was a fun part."

But ultimately Coe "switched his affections to directing," and has enjoyed the process. Plays such as "Indian Blood" provide a fresh challenge, given the absence of traditional props and sets. "And the main character, a kid, has to go home at 9:00 p.m.," he laughs. 

Coe compares the work to "Our Town" in that much is left to the imagination. "Come and see for yourself," he says. "Come and see."

Performance dates for "Indian Blood," are:

March 12 & 13, 19 & 20 at 8:00 p.m., and March 14 at 2:00 p.m.  Tickets are available at the Burgdorff Center and at the website.