LEWISTON — The University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre will present an encore staged reading performance of Holly Hughes’ farcical radio play, “The Well of Horniness,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, in room 285, The Androscoggin Room, at the USM Lewiston-Auburn campus.

“We are delighted and honored to present an encore performance of this hilarious show,” said Meghan Brodie, director of the production and USM assistant professor of theatre. “Performing in a new setting provides our student actors with the experience of a touring show. It’s an ideal production to take on the road, because it’s a staged reading, and it relies more on the actors and sound effects than a big set with lots of costume changes.”

“The Well of Horniness” is a 1980s spoof of 1940s radio detective dramas, replete with lusty lesbians, a sorority of sin and a captivating — and campy — murder mystery. USM’s staged reading treats audiences to a would-be live radio broadcast. Actors use radio microphones, have subtle costume changes, and produce many of their own sound effects.

Hughes’ play borrows from the title of Radclyffe Hall’s controversial 1928 novel, “The Well of Loneliness.” Hughes’ take on the modern lesbian, however, could not be more different from Hall’s. This is the naughty side of noir.

“Part 1940s detective story, part soap opera, and part camp comedy, ‘The Well of Horniness’ is a lesbian romp through several genres,” said Brodie. “While the play is often silly and spares no puns, it remains a relevant — and, at times, uncomfortable — social critique of homophobia, sexism, and racism, over three decades after it was written.”

“The Well of Horniness” includes mature subject matter and the USM Department of Theatre does not advise children under the age of 16 to attend.

The performance is free for USM students and the general public. USM Lewiston-Auburn campus is at 51 Westminster Street. For more information, visit usm.maine.edu/theatre or call 207-780-5151.