It's my opinion that theater companies in the South Sound, as in most American markets, are not in competition with each other; rather, they're competing with television. TV has become really good these last few years, as fans of Breaking Bad or Modern Family can attest. There's an entire channel dedicated to comedy, and if that ain't enough, a new round of sitcoms are hitting syndication as we speak. (Welcome back, Dan Harmon's Community!) Of course this raises the bar for live theatrical comedy. We attend community theater partly out of civic pride, but it needs to offer something at least as affecting as what is on the DVR.

Neil Simon got his start in TV, where he wrote alongside Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. His material has the familiar exposition, setup, punch line construction of TV comedy. As I watched Olympia Little Theatre's presentation of Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers, I was reminded of how effortless Simon makes it all look. It's set in December 1969, the same month the play opened on Broadway, and it follows the adventures of Barney, a middle-aged husband, as he attempts to cheat on his wife with three different women. (In that sense, the play's a charming counterpoint to Same Time, Next Year, which OLT staged last spring.) What keeps this nebbish from being despicable is his amorous ineptitude - no spoilers, but his fourth time's the charm - and the fact that he really just wants to learn what's so fantastic about the Sexual Revolution.

All four actors in this show are doing a fine job, despite being clearly miscast. I can't hold that against director Toni Murray, because I wasn't at her auditions so I don't know what she had to work with, but it leads to awkward moments. Notable among these is an exchange in which Barney's potential paramour tells him she doesn't mind the fact that he's overweight. That exchange makes sense if the lead is James Coco or Dom DeLuise as on Broadway, but not if he's the tall but not-overweight Paul Gisi. It also complicates the story when one of Barney's attempted conquests is played by the vivacious Susana Bailen-Acevedo, who is visibly pregnant.

The actors rush through Simon's dialogue at such a clip that at least half his laugh lines are left on the table. We were obliged to change seats after Act I, as the lights in my eyes had me watching the show through a constellation of glare. The extreme sides are yet again disfavored by the placement of furniture; yet despite these objections, I had a good time. Simon knows what he's doing, and the tickets are cheap. Are they as cheap as TV? No, but at least you'll have terrific shows waiting for you at home on the DVR.

LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, 7:55 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 1:55 p.m. Sunday, through Sept. 29, Olympia Little Theatre, 1925 Miller Ave. NE, Olympia, $10-$14, 360.786.9484