Mel Brooks. Eddie Murphy. Peter Sellers. Three funnymen known for portraying multiple roles in their films... that trope has now come to Clare Rose Playhouse with their production of “Stones in His Pockets.”

Long Island actors Joseph Cavagnet and James Carey have assumed the challenge of presenting a two-hander tragicomedy, where 16 roles are showcased by the pair who only leave the stage for intermission. Not only is this extremely fun to watch, it is also quite rewarding. The script, by Marie Jones, shows a much deeper subtext, and the audience has forgotten they’ve been watching just two actors.

Set in rural Ireland, the story focuses on a small town overrun by a Hollywood film crew. Two unexceptional locals, Charlie Conlon (Cavagnet) and Jake Quinn (Carey), have been employed as extras on the project. Charlie has optimistic hopes that somebody (anybody!) will read a script he’s penned and catapult him into stardom.

Jake is a bit more jaded and spends most of the story’s second half blaming himself for the event which closes Act I and gives the play its title.

Cavagnet and Carey are clearly having fun in their sandbox playing all of the other roles, including an oddball AD, a flighty assistant, the clueless director, the film’s star struggling to find the correct accent, and a local extra who has been at it for decades. The actors change characters simply by turning around, adjusting posture, changing voices, or putting on eyeglasses. You get the idea.

At times, the changes occur so rapidly, you might miss one if you blink—but you’ll catch up quickly given the unique characteristics of each.

For example, the aging Mickey (known around town as the “last surviving extra” from a John Wayne film) leans on a pantomimed cane and prattles on in a rasp that puts Al Pacino to shame. The crew’s assistant director, Simon, floats across stage and speaks with an affect that just might be trying to tell somebody something.

For all its fun, “Stones in His Pockets” speaks to empowerment in a surprising way. The two blokes at the center of the action are just ordinary men “going no place” sprung from the turf they dig. When Charlie and Jake finally realize their direction in a celebration of cows (yes, cows!), their exuberance is palpable. As much as the painted wooden bovines represent a connection to the land, they also convey permission to be yourself.

Performances at Clare Rose Playhouse, on the grounds of St. Joseph’s University, continue on May 3, 4, 10, 11 at 8 p.m. and May 5 and 12 at 3 p.m. For tickets and information call the box office at 631-654-0199.