And they’re off! The cast of Coach House Theatre’s “Three Men on a Horse” gallops delightfully through the fast-pace, quick-witted comedy set in 1930s New Jersey.

The play, written by John Cecil Holm and veteran Broadway play director George Abbott, takes up the tale of a mild-mannered writer of greeting card verses, Erwin Trowbridge (played with comic abandon by Geoff Knox), who, for fun, goes through racing sheets and picks the winners (or “dopes out” the winners) of local horse races 1-2-3 over and over again. After having a squabble with his wife Audrey (played with prim, amusing fussiness by Amanda Vigneault), and his meddlesome brother-in-law Clarence (Scott Shriner), Erwin decides not to go to work and ends up drinking way too much in a hotel bar, where he meets up with the three men of the title who find out his gift for prediction.

That sets all the zaniness into comic action. Erwin makes the down-and-outers, Charlie (Derrick Winger), Frankie (Jeremy Jenkins) and Patsy (Joe Pine) wealthy beyond their wildest imaginings. And they mean to keep it that way. Fearful that Erwin will get away, they ply him with still more liquor until he passes out. Along with Patsy’s girlfriend, Mabel (played with wise-cracking charm by Tess Burgler), they keep him as a prisoner in their hotel room. Erwin’s wife and employer, Mr. Carver (Daren Kelly), go looking for him to no avail, until he shows up again at home.

Tess Burgler and Geoff Knox in “Three Men on a Horse,” Coach House Theatre. Photo by Scott Custer

Everyone starts wanting in on Erwin’s action it seems. So more plot complications abound. It all works out in the end, with everyone happy, including Erwin, who goes back to work but with a sizable raise in wages.

The plot isn’t heavy, nor are any of the themes running through the play. It’s all meant for fun, for amusing entertainment – and it delivers. The cast is uniformly strong. What a terrific ensemble director Nancy Cates put together! The actors play off each other extremely well. Though light in characterization, each of the players found ways to instill identifiable personality into his or her character. Even second act characters, like Debbie Jenkins as first a newspaper reporter and then chambermaid, come on strong and take the stage with distinctive personalities. It was a pleasure to watch them act in this slickly written work.

If for no other reason (but there are many), go see this production for the sets. Set designer Terry Burgler has outdone himself with this one. With two scene changes per act (and with three different locations — Erwin’s house, the hotel bar and the hotel room – Burgler has shown how to pack in a great sense of space in a small area. The actors change the sets in front of the audience, but make a snappy and funny scene of it. Walls get turned around, beds drop out of nowhere, a bar appears. On opening night, the first set change drew great and deserved applause. It got a laugh, too. How often does that happen?

Left to right: Joe Pine, Geoff Knox, Jeremy Jenkins and Derrick Winger in “Three Men on a Horse” at Coach House Theater. Photo by Scott Custer

Michael James’ costumes have a cool 1930s aura about them, especially in the patterned and flashy dresses for Tess Burgler and Amanda Vigneault. The men got their turn for flash as well, with broad lapels and stand-out ties and hats. Nicely done.

Coach House Theatre’s production of “Three Men on a Horse” is simply great in acting and technical theater.

“Three Men on a Horse” will be performed at 8 p.m. on Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays, from December 4-21 at Coach House Theatre, 732 W. Exchange St., Akron; 330-434-7741; www.coachhousetheatre.com. Tickets are $20 ($12 for students).