A provocative yet stimulating thriller will be presented by CATCO, Central Ohio’s professional equity theater.

“Evie’s Waltz,” a play about a family who finds itself in an unfortunate misunderstanding, will run from Feb. 17 to March 7 at the Verne Riffe Center at 77 S. High Street, presented by CATCO, Central Ohio’s professional equity theater.

“Evie’s Waltz” begins with Clay and Gloria, a married couple with a high school-aged son, Danny. One evening, as Clay and Gloria are preparing for dinner, Danny’s girlfriend, Evie, arrives at their home with a gun and blood on her neck. As they realize their son is missing, the story unfolds from there.

The story, written by Carter W. Lewis, also addresses school violence in an indirect way, said Caitlin Morris, who plays Evie.

“Under the pretense of having a barbecue, Evie, Clay and Gloria assess social, political and generational issues as more information becomes revealed,” Morris said in an e-mail.

Amanda Fox, an assistant professor of theatre at Ohio State, plays Gloria. Fox has been singing in church since she was young, and she eventually began acting. She attended Otterbein College for her undergraduate degree and then went on to the Yale School of Drama.

Fox’s biggest acting accomplishment so far has been being a part of the original Broadway company of “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” which won a Tony for Best New Play.

Along with teaching at OSU, she is also the vocal coach for every production the OSU Department of Theatre presents.

Fox’s personal characteristics have helped her in her theater career. She sees herself as a very direct person, which has especially helped her in the role she plays in “Evie’s Waltz.”

She finds herself to be somewhat similar to her character in the show, Gloria.

“I relate to her in that she is straightforward and also that she is realizing her life is not as simple as she thought it would be when she was younger, or that the stereotypical image of family may not apply,” Fox said in an e-mail.

The personality of the cast as a whole reflects the entire atmosphere of the set. Because of the mutual respect each of the four actors has for each other, as well as the director, writers and crew, the team has been able to create a positive workspace.

“The other actors are incredibly talented and a lot of fun to work with. It’s important to work with people you can have fun with, especially in a serious play,” Fox said.

Morris’ experience is limited to her Otterbein University acting experiences as a recent graduate with a BFA in acting.

“I have learned far more about myself and the people around me from acting training than from any one thing in my life. It is an incredibly collaborative art that examines life in all its forms,” Morris said.

Her curriculum exposed her to a variety of methods and practices that helped her as she performed in many university plays. She said the variety of techniques taught at school allowed students to take what they enjoy about theater and personally apply it in their own work.

“The rush of performing is an incredible and incomparable thing. However, the creative process leading up to opening night must not be discredited. Rehearsing with a fun cast and intuitive director can be an amazing learning experience as well,” Morris said.

The director of “Evie’s Waltz,” Ed Vaughan, is a familiar face at CATCO and was able to be an extremely helpful tool to the cast.

“I appreciate the challenges and intricacies that he offers,” Morris said about Vaughan.

Vaughan has worked in theater for more than 30 years and has appeared in “The Loman Family Picnic,” “How I Learned to Drive,” “The Shorts Festival 2000” and many more productions at CATCO. Vaughan does not only direct, but has also acted, been a stage manager, theater manager, artistic director, producer and acting teacher.

As a part of CATCO’s 26th season, “Evie’s Waltz” will open Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. with two preview showings on Feb. 17. Tickets are $40 each.

“‘Evie’s Waltz’ will make you laugh and leave you spellbound. It is a real thriller that will make your heart pound,” Fox said.