Company will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth St. The Stephen Sondheim musical follows the story of Robert, a bachelor on the night of his 35th birthday. His friends throw a party to celebrate him, but more importantly, find out why he’s not married yet.

Chris Okiishi, one of the producers of the show, has been involved with rehearsals since the beginning.

“The entire idea behind doing this show was to be able to get a group of people together who don’t get a chance to work together very often and let people do what they do best,” Okiishi said.

Instead of setting up the theater for a standard production, this version of Companymallows the nontraditional aspect of audience members being a part of the show.

“The audience is part of the party that the friends of Robert are throwing,” Okiishi said. “People will be sitting at tables, there will be food and drinks like they were actually at a birthday party, then the play occurs in the middle of the party.”

Okiishi believes the audience members being up close will let them walk away with ideas they didn’t have before the show.

“The musical itself talks about the importance of making a connection with somebody else,” Okiishi said. “Especially done in an intimate setting like this where the scenes are happening 3 to 5 feet away from you, and you feel like you’re in the living room with the couple … you think about how that parallels with relationships in your own life.”

— by Devyn Young