Twelve years ago, Blake Petit put on his Hawaiian shirt, tan shorts and sandals for the first time and became Walter Hollander, the American tourist visiting Eastern Europe with his family during the Cold War.It was the second time Petit had ever been on stage.

More than a decade and two dozen productions later, Petit is taking on the same role, dressed in similar touristic attire, as the Thibodaux Playhouse debuts Woody Allen’s comedy “Don’t Drink the Water,” the same play the Nicholls Players performed in 1997. Three Nicholls students have roles in the production.

“I’m more confident now than I was back then,” Petit said. “Your instincts sharpen, and you get a better idea of when things aren’t right and how to fix them.”

Petit plays the father of a vacationing family who stops to take pictures in a restricted area behind the Iron Curtain, a boundary that divided Europe after World War II, Heather Keller, the production’s director, said.

“While they are taking pictures, the communist police think they are spies and try to arrest them,” Keller said. “The family runs into the American embassy, where the police corner them.”

The plot thickens as the family tries to escape. However, it is not only this atypical situation that makes the play humorous, Petit said.

“More of it comes through the word play and the character interaction,” Petit said. “The jokes would go over the heads with children, but teenagers, adults and college students would be able to get it and enjoy it.”

The cast prepared for the production for three months. Many of the actors have worked together before on Thibodaux Playhouse productions or on shows for other theater groups, Keller said.

“The cast works really great together,” Keller said. “Everybody has been meshing really well and helping each other out.”

“Don’t Drink the Water,” the playhouse’s second production of the 2008-2009 season, will run Jan. 29 – Feb.1. Adult tickets and student tickets are available for $10 and $8, respectively.