What makes a comedy funny?

Playwrights have been asking themselves that question for millennium. There is no recipe for the secret sauce, but playwright Christopher Durang has combined all the ingredients for his play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” a comedy presented by the Community Players of Salisbury April 12-13 an 19-20 at Wor-Wic Community College.

“I choose plays that feature believable characters, with witty dialogue, who find themselves in humorous circumstances,” said Sharon Benchoff, the director. “Family dynamics is always fodder for comedies.”

In this play, the middle-aged, set-in-their-ways siblings Vanya and Sonia are hit with hurricane Masha, their film actor sister who swoops in with her newest “beloved,” Spike, a young man who is long on charm, but short in intellect.

Add a sprinkle of crazy named Cassandra, the psychic housekeeper and a pinch of sweetener Nina, a lovely aspiring actor, and the sauce is complete to bring two hours of laughs to the audience.

Go to sbyplayers.org or call 410-546-0099 for tickets.