Without wasting any time, the group is already performing the first play of its first season, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, one of several works written by contemporary playwright Christopher Durang. Performances take place Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 8 at the West Valley College Studio Theatre, located at 14000 Fruitvale Ave. in Saratoga.

"Both of us wanted to take a step back from the musical theater we'd been doing for so many years," says 22-year-old Arias, who got to know Ellington through their performances with the West Valley Light Opera Association and the Saratoga Drama Group, among other organizations.

"Jason and I had been talking for a really long time about doing smaller musicals, and also straight plays with no music," says Ellington, a 30-year-old who has taught drama at Bret Harte Middle School in San Jose for the past six years.

Arias says he checked around and discovered that the majority of South Bay theater groups specialized in either musicals, experimental theater, "happy fluffy stuff" or interactive murder mysteries. "Jenn and I both wanted to do shows that had a strong message and a strong theme. We want to present plays with something profound, even if people don't realize it until much later, when something reminds them of the show they saw," he explains.

And so the two thespians realized that if they wanted something done right, they'd have to do it themselves. But first, they had to name their new endeavor. "We went through a ton of names and decided it should be something that represents both of us," Arias says, adding that they also wanted something memorable.

"Jason and I are both Cancers, and a crab is always walking sideways, so that's how we got the name," Ellington says, chuckling.

They then proceeded to read through a profusion of plays before arriving at The Marriage of Betty and Boo. It combines levity, seriousness and social foibles in a way the two friends hope will make people think.

"It's largely an autobiography of Christopher Durang's life. It does have some adult humor and themes," explains Ellington. "It takes place over a 30-year period, with the couple's son telling the story. There's serious matter, but it's still a comedy. The families are funny in a neurotic sort of way."

Thanks to the many friends and acquaintances they've made in local theatrical circles, Arias and Ellington had a pool of talent from which they could fill the five female and five male roles the play called for. They also held auditions, but since Walking Sideways is so new, there weren't as many contenders as the duo hope to see in the future.

While they're still not sure how many or what type of plays will comprise a "season," Arias and Ellington—who funded the company from their own wallets and with donations from friends and family—are confident the organization created from their mutual dream has nowhere to go but up.

"We didn't go into this to make money. We just wanted to fill a niche that nobody had filled, and to share our creativity," Arias says.

Tickets to 'The Marriage of Bette and Boo' are $10 and are only available at the door. For more information, call 408.489.8350.