FARMINGTON — The Emery Community Arts Center will present its first fully staged production over two weekends in January.

The Sandy River Players, Farmington’s community theater, wlll stage a double bill of “The Man in the Bowler Hat,” a farce by A.A. Milne, and “The Little Sweep,” an opera by Benjamin Britten.

Jane Parker is music director for the opera; Dale Hill is stage director for both works.

Taking place in the same English country house parlor, though more than a century apart, the play and the opera are lighthearted works with happy endings — or in the case of the play, a rather puzzling one.

Though only one act, “The Little Sweep” shows all the melodic richness and harmonic brilliance of Britten’s major operas.

“The Man in the Bowler Hat, subtitled “A Terribly Exciting Affair,” is a madcap farce. Milne was famous as a playwright for grown-ups long before he wrote “Winnie-the-Pooh.”

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21; and 2 p.m. Jan. 22. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. Advance tickets available at Devaney, Doak and Garrett Booksellers on Broadway and by calling 779-7084. Tickets will be sold at the door.

The Emery Community Arts Center is adjacent to Merrill Hall and the Alumni Theatre on the University of Maine at Farmington campus.