Reefer Madness, a comedy about people going crazy after smoking pot, will debut at the Sandbox Theater in Mamaroneck on Jan. 21 (its premier opening date).  It will continue its run on Jan. 22, 28, and 29.

Reefer Madness was a 1936 propaganda film put together by a church group to illustrate the dangers of smoking pot. In the 1970s, the film was rediscovered and ended up as a midnight movie; a cult classic destined to be shown on TV, traditionally after midnight.  

Eventually, it was colorized, which allowed people to view the movie in a new light. In 1998, Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, authors and composers of the accompanying music, turned it into a play.

It debuted in Los Angeles at the Hudson Backstage Theater for two and a half years and then came to New York and closed shortly after it opened on Sep. 15, 2001. 

23-year-old Michael Mirra of Pelham, one of the youngest directors in the Westchester theatre industry, directs the current version of Reefer Madness. He told Patch why he wanted to bring his production of Reefer Madness to the Sandbox Theater.

"I saw two productions of Seussical and Urinetown, but I've never directed a production there. I was so taken by the atmosphere and, as a director, I am taken by shows that really compel audiences as far as technical aspects go. It really had what I wanted and it's a cozy little space,” he said.

He added, "It takes us back to where Reefer Madness began at the Hudson Backstage Theater; it has that intimacy there."

His theater troupe, “Little Radical Theatrics” is putting on the production and renting the theater space.

According to Mirra, the first production of “Little Radical Theatrics”—established in 2009—was Urinetown at the Schoolhouse Theater in Croton Falls.

“I did regional theater [Westchester Broadway Theater] for awhile,” says Mirra continuing, “and I was so swept up because there was no real outlet for the 20-something crowd.  You either get cast to something you’re much too young to be playing or something you're not really meant for.”

Mirra goes on to say that he’d rather shed light on composers that people aren't that acquainted with.

“I'm trying to be that voice," he says.

Reefer Madness is a lot of fun for audiences as well, because it's a “hodge-podge” of highbrow and lowbrow humor, a “middle-drawer humor”, according to Mirra.

“It's not so much 'toilet humor',” he clarifies, “but it's a good time."

Reefer Madness is Mirra’s third show as a director; he was an actor previously. His directorial hero is Alex Timbers of The Pee-Wee Herman Show, which closed on Broadway last year.

"He's that young enigmatic visionary who I'm trying to model myself after as far as keeping the 20-30-something at bay and giving them something to cling to,” he said.

“With Reefer Madness it's universally funny; it's a show within a show—we're trying to make it as mainstream as possible,” he said.

Audiences will just have to judge for themselves how mainstream the show is, when it opens on Jan. 21 at the Westchester Sandbox Theater.

Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office by calling (914) 630-0804. Performances will be on Jan. 21, 22, 28, and 29 at 8:00 p.m at the Westchester Sandbox Theater on 931 c East Boston Post Rd., Mamaroneck, NY.