BATH — The next Chocolate Church Arts Center theatrical production will be “Telemachus Clay” by Lewis John Carlino which focuses on the lush language of story telling and downplays typical theater aspects such as complicated sets or lavish costumes.

Set in a “post-beatnik, pre-hippie” America, “Telemachus Clay” follows the title character from his small hometown in the East as he pursues his dreams of success in Hollywood. Eleven actors bring to life nearly 90 characters including giving voice to several animals and a variety of inanimate objects.

The play was chosen for its avant-garde approach and rich story. “Telemachus Clay” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30, 31 and Feb. 6 and 7, and at 2 p.m. Feb. 1 and 8, in the intimate setting of the Chocolate Church Art Center’s Curtis Room, at 804 Washington Street.

“Telemachus Clay” was an off-Broadway success in 1963-64, running for six months and winning a 1964 Drama Desk Award for playwright Carlino.

Director Howard Waxman, who worked on a second New York production of “Telemachus Clay” about a year after its off-Broadway run, said, “It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.” He added, “I’ve kept a copy with me for 50 years, hoping for the chance to share it with a new generation of theatergoers.”

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. For more information, call 207-442-8455 or order tickets at www.chocolatehchurcharts.org.