SOUTH DEERFIELD — With a fast-paced dark comedy and a twisting narrative, Frontier Regional School’s theater program will conclude its school year with performances of “Reckless” this weekend.

Beginning in Connecticut and then traveling to Springfields — beginning with ours in Massachusetts — throughout the United States, the audience is invited to join Rachel, as she escapes a hitman hired by her husband, only to be whisked on a cross-country journey full of bizarre characters and unexpected twists in this play by playwright Craig Lucas.

The show will begin on Friday, May 17, at 7 p.m., continues on Saturday at 7 p.m. and then concludes Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. With darker themes present in the show, it is not recommended for an elementary school audience. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students.

Patrice Moriarty, a senior and longtime Frontier theater star, is taking on the role of Rachel, the main character who leads the audience on a wide-ranging journey. Moriarty said the audience is in for a wild ride.

“As the show goes on, you realize all of these characters are kind of hiding their true identities and Rachel’s life just keeps on getting more and more insane,” Moriarty said. “The audience should expect to be taken on a huge journey. … They should also be comfortable with not knowing at a single point where the show is going.”

Director Gian DiDonna described the show as a “dark comedy in which the protagonist’s life goes off the rails,” but one that could still be classified as a hero’s journey. With a cast of strange characters and a wild plot, he said the students have done a great job developing their acting skills.

“The actors who have succeeded in delivering this play are the ones who have made bold choices and not identified their characters so strongly with their own personalities,” DiDonna said. “The audience should expect a fast-paced show with many scene changes that may not run as smoothly as a traditional show because of our limited resources.”

Kate DeMaio, a senior who is taking on the roles of doctors one through six, said taking on numerous characters is a new experience for her, but the show is a great exploration of Rachel’s personality and how the main character’s actions and thoughts change the dynamics of the play.

“They’re all very different, so it’s an interesting dynamic because I’m only in scenes with Patrice. It’s really interesting to interact with her character at different stages,” DeMaio explained. “[Rachel] goes through such drastic changes and she’s in different areas throughout the country as well, so it’s interacting with the physical location she’s in, as well as the [mental] state she’s in.”

DiDonna added that this is the final show for many seniors in the cast and crew. He singled out Moriarty, who is attending Williams College in the fall in pursuit of a theater degree, for the work she has done for the program since first joining in seventh grade.

“She has been the most committed and inspiring student actor I have worked with in my teaching career,” DiDonna said. “I see nothing but great promise for her and wish her all the luck and joy in the world.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.