Forum 111. The humblest of classrooms. But when you look back far enough, you see the atoms of creation. Especially if you take a peek at the wall on the left.

Yes, No Refund Theatre has returned with the second show of the semester, the aptly-titled “Birthday Candles.” The play, written by Noah Haidle, takes place in an average kitchen in the home of an average family, in the moments preceding the birthday party of our heroine, Ernestine Ashwort. We see her life unfold, loves gained and lost, lives created and vanished, as she endlessly prepares her birthday cake.

History repeats itself often, but breaks from tradition just when you expect it to keep moving on. “A rebel against the universe,” she says.

The play progresses in a 90-minute unbroken scene, with Ernestine, played beautifully by Elainna Kunkler-Peck, almost never leaving the confines of her kitchen. An assortment of family members, Ernestine’s mother all the way down to her great-grandchildren, come and go as she remains, preparing her cake.

The family, portrayed by four actors (but representing ten characters), repeat themselves and relive their ancestors’ feelings and thoughts. It may sound repetitive or on the nose, but each repetition reveals new layers and new insights into each character.

The team spent countless hours working on the script before they even began to rehearse, simply trying to understand the characters. With multiple actors playing multiple roles, each of these needed to be distinct and yet reflect the changes over time.

“It’s hard, because we’re twenty, we don’t understand what it’s like to be sixty or eighty, but we tried to have the mindset that you get older and these experiences happen, and we can see that through our parents and grandparents,” said director Alexandria Linke.

The most impressive thespian of the group, at least in my mind, is of course the goldfish, Atman. Never in my life, even in No Refund Theatre, have I seen an actor play 72 roles. Marvelous.

No Refund Theatre’s new show is a story about the unbelievably long (107 years young!) life of one woman, and the revolving door of people close to her. “Birthday Candles,” written by Haidle and directed by Linke, opens on Thursday, September 18, and runs until Saturday, September 20. It begins at 9 p.m. on Thursday and at 8 p.m. the following nights.

Forum 111, and no refunds.