Murder, time travel and a trip to the rainforest -- that about sums up this weekend's No Refund Theatre show.

Dirk, a student-written adaptation of the book Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by British novelist Douglas Adams, will be performed tonight, Friday and Saturday in 111 Forum Building.

The plot centers on the hapless computer programmer Richard MacDuff and his adventures involving time-travel, aliens and ghosts. Richard wakes up one day and discovers that his life is not only becoming absurd but also falling apart, director Adam Bouc (junior-film) said.

When Richard's boss is murdered and he learns that he is the prime suspect, Richard must turn for help to Dirk, a private investigator, relying on his questionable investigative methods.

"The plot is something else," said Desmond Nathanson, who plays Richard.

Though the plot has elements of a murder mystery, Nathanson (graduate-computer science and engineering) said the play is really a comedy.

For example, at one point in the first act, Richard is about to consult Dirk in his office but is continuously interrupted by clients calling Dirk on his multiple phones. Suddenly, the two freeze mid-conversation, Dirk with a slice of pizza dangling over his mouth, as a narrator walks on stage.

Bouc said Douglas Adams, who is known for novels including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is his favorite author. So when it was time for him to choose something to direct, he could think of nothing better than an Adams novel.

"It's been a rather interesting and ambitious project, because it is my own adaptation of the novel," Bouc said.

Bouc, who has written screenplays for classes in the past said this is his first experience directing a live play. Because the script is original, the actors can adjust it to fit their needs, Nathanson said. It features a range of settings, from Dirk's cluttered holistic detective office to a simulated tropical rainforest.

Another challenging aspect of the play's production presented itself to Morgan Pfeiffer (junior-wildlife and fisheries science), who had to learn the clarinet to play the part of Richard's girlfriend, Susan Way. In the novel, Susan is a professional cellist. Pfeiffer had no experience with the cello but had other musical talents, she said.

"It's very critical to the plot," Pfeiffer said. "I played clarinet in middle school, so we changed it to that."

Pfeiffer added that her character doesn't get to experience the strange happenings in the play. Much of the strange behavior can also be attributed to Dirk, said Mike Dilullo (junior-supply chain management), who plays the show's namesake character.

"Dirk is kind of like this crazy, eccentric detective character who thinks he's smarter than everyone," Dilullo said. "But somehow he always turns out right in the end."