**“Bakersfield Mist” follows a 50-something unemployed bartender living in a trailer park who has bought a potentially valuable painting from a thrift store.**

By Oregon Coast TODAY

Theatre West of Lincoln City will tackle deep topics with a lighthearted touch when it presents “Bakersfield Mist,” opening for a five-week run Thursday.

Written by Stephen Sachs and directed by Bonnie Ross, the hilarious and thought-provoking comedy asks vital questions about what makes art and people truly authentic.

“From Michelangelo to Frank Zappa, the question of ‘What is art to you’ and ‘What is it to the world’ is a topic I love,” Ross said. “This funny little play tackles that question in a charming way.”

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through June 15, with a 2 p.m. matinée Sunday, June 2. Theatre West is located at 3536 S.E. Highway 101, Lincoln City.

Inspired by true events, the play stars Alice Luchau and Patrick Kiernan.

“As I read it, I just saw these two in the roles,” Ross said. “We originally had just planned it for a stage reading because with just two characters they have a load of lines. But when ‘Dial M’ was cancelled we thought this would fill in nicely.”

The story follows Maude, a 50-something unemployed bartender living in a trailer park in Bakersfield, Calif., who has bought a painting for a few bucks from a thrift store. Despite almost trashing it, she’s now convinced it’s a lost masterpiece by Jackson Pollock worth millions.

But when world-class art expert Lionel Percy flies from New York and arrives at her trailer home to authenticate the painting, he has no idea what he is about to discover.

“On my first read I laughed out loud,” said Ross, who has directed more than 10 plays at the theater including, most recently, “Panache” and “Popcorn Falls.”

“My next will be ‘Angel Street,’ a period drama. I relate more to drama then comedy but the comedies have been fun.”

Originally planned for a one-act performance, Ross said the play has been “split it up so that it’s a nice little play in two acts instead of one long one.”

Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 60 and older and $13 for students under 12. For more information and tickets, go to www.theatrewest.com or call 541-994-5663.