It's opening night of Temple Theater’s production of Sweet Charity, and the Tomlinson Theater backstage area is awash in nervous energy. The stage manager is busy checking final details, and the dressing rooms are crowded with actors and actresses putting the finishing touches on make-up and costumes. Dressed in all black, assistant professor Peter Reynolds makes his way around the theater, taking one last check before curtain.

“They’re all very excited,” Reynolds says as he walks past a room full of ensemble cast members, whose voices stream into the hallways as they warm up to a Britney Spears hit.

On this night, the group of students Reynolds has been directing for months will show off their singing, acting and dancing abilities to a full house in the first show of the season. Some are anxious, while others are simply eager to get on stage.

Focused but not frenzied, Reynolds is a portrait of composure amid a dizzying swirl of activity. Perhaps it's his experience: a theater veteran, he’s seen more than his share of opening nights and curtain calls. He's also accustomed to the complexity of ensemble productions, having directed a range at Temple that includes Damn Yankees, Into the Woods, Ragtime, Company, Pericles, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery and Beautiful Thing in the process of building the university's two-year old musical theater concentration.

When not at Temple, Reynolds serves as artistic director of Mauckingbird Theatre, an independent company that explores issues relevant to the gay, lesbian and trans-gendered community. Reynolds’ most recent Mauckingbird directing project, Never the Sinner – the Leopold and Loeb Story, was hailed as “a riveting retelling” of the 1924 courtroom drama.

“There is something about being able to tell stories that are not often heard is so important,” Reynolds said. “Theatre aids the LGBT community by presenting our stories. It is more difficult to hate someone when you know their story, when you understand that they are a human being just like you, when fear is dispelled.”

Since opening its doors, Mauckingbird, which Reynolds co-founded with actress Lindsay Mauck, has produced several pieces that explore classic literature, such as their 2008 gay-themed retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet titled R&J.

In addition to his work with Mauckingbird, Reynolds has worked with several local companies, including Act II Playhouse, Walnut Street Theatre and the Philadelphia Theatre Company, in collaborations with Philadelphia Young Playwrights.

For the current Temple production, Reynolds interprets Neil Simon’s feisty tale of dance hall hostess Charity Hope and her attempts to find love among the denizens in 1960s Times Square. The show took Broadway by storm in 1966, winning nine Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. Temple’s production is choreographed by Philadelphia native and Broadway actor Tim Craskey, who starred alongside Christina Applegate in the 2005 Tony-nominated revival of the show. Lighting design is by Barrymore Award winner John Hoey.

Sweet Charity runs through Oct. 11 in Tomlinson Theater. Tickets are $10 for Temple students with OwlCard, $20 for faculty/staff, and $25 general admission. Order by phone at 1-800-838-3006 or at the Tomlinson Theater box office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit www.temple.edu/theater.