As anyone who's watched a few romantic comedies knows, a character who deploys a decoy significant other — usually to dodge family disapproval of their actual love life — inevitably ends up playing the biggest trick on themselves. Such is the case for Sarah Goldman, the character at the center of James Sherman's comedy "Beau Jest," which is presented in a staged reading by the Jewish Repertory Theatre that has been filmed and will be offered on demand via Palo Alto's Oshman Family Jewish Community Center March 11-31.

Sarah, worried that her Jewish parents won't accept her gentile boyfriend, Chris, not only invents a Jewish boyfriend but also hires an escort to portray him in a meeting with the parents for Sabbath dinner. The good news for Sarah is that the escort, Bob, is an aspiring actor, but the bad news is that he's not Jewish, as she had requested of the agency. Despite some blunders at dinner, and a cascade of fibs to cover them up, Sarah's parents really take a liking to Bob — and increasingly, so does Sarah.

"Beau Jest" is available through the Oshman Family JCC March 11-31. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit paloaltojcc.org.