Dan Castellaneta, who voices the iconic cartoon character and many others in The Simpsons, will be in the city next month for the world premiere of Frankenstein’s Daughter, a comedy he co-wrote with his wife and Simpsons writer, Deb Lacusta.

“It’s really glib and fun, very smart writing,” said Deborah Smith, the main producer with Stratford’s Process Theatre, which is presenting the play Oct. 16-26 at Here for Now Theatre. “We’re really excited about this. It’s like The Odd Couple on steroids.”

The two-act comedy stars Canadian actors Jim Annan and Alastair Forbes, and is set in a cabin in the woods. Annan plays a control freak, while Forbes is a nerd. Smith, meanwhile, is dressed as a bear.

“It’s very fast paced, very fast comedy,” she said. “It’s quick witted and intelligent.”

Both Annan and Forbes are alumni of the The Second City, a famed Chicago comedy troupe that has launched several notable careers. It’s also where Smith’s husband, Michael J. Gellman, taught Castellaneta and Lacusta almost 40 years ago before Castellaneta landed the role of a lifetime on The Simpsons, which is entering its 37th season.

“We have worked together for years, and this unpredictable, screwball comedy will keep everyone on their toes and laughing,” Gellman said in a release. “We can’t wait to share it with Stratford first.”

Gellman is directing Frankenstein’s Daughter, which held its first public reading at a Toronto theatre in 2019.

“When I saw the audience laughing, I knew the play had to be done,” Smith said. “The stars kind of aligned. I’ve been wanting to do this play. It’s so, so funny.”

The COVID-19 pandemic put Frankenstein’s Daughter on hiatus, but Smith and Gellman — whose home base is Stratford — decided the Festival City would be a perfect spot for the world premiere.

All that was missing was a venue, and Smith fell in love with Here for Now, which specializes in stripped-down, independent theatre with a focus on quality acting and writing. The historic St. Andrew Street building and former Perth County land registry office had a black box stage that resembled a “storefront theatre” in Chicago, Smith said.

“It’s intimate . . . and we can make things work,” she said. “I fell in love with it, and I knew Deb and Dan would like that as well.”

Castellaneta will be in Stratford Oct. 16 to Oct. 19, and he’ll join Lacusta, Annan, Forbes, Gellman and Smith on stage for talkback sessions with the audience after the Oct. 18-19 matinees.

“They’re so nice and gracious and will talk about a lot of stuff,” Smith said. “It’ll be another live show on top of the show.”

The 90-minute play, including intermission, is recommended for audiences 14-plus years of age. Showtimes and tickets can be found at processtheatre.com.

“We really hope Stratford appreciates and loves it as much as we do,” Smith said.

By Cory Smith for www.stratfordbeaconherald.com.