Children and adolescents comprise more than half the cast of “Cheaper by the Dozen,” a stage drama based on the eponymous 1948 book about two parents and their king-size brood of kidlets.

PHOTO: Max Alschlager of St. Paul (right) plays a father and efficiency expert who believes families can run like factories, alongside Robyn Skantz of Apple Valley, center, and Nick Mangen of Lakeville in “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Photo by Andrew Miller

The show has its lighter moments, but unlike the laugh-out-loud 2003 film adaptation starring Steve Martin, the Applause production – which runs March 19-28 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center – is strictly a drama focusing on family relationships, said director Jason Abbott.

“My hope is that audiences are going to be touched by the relationships of the kids with their dad,” Abbott said.

Applause will present “Cheaper by the Dozen” at 7:30 p.m. March 19-20 and 25-27, and 2 p.m. March 21 and 28. Tickets are $13 for adults and $11 for students and seniors; tickets are available at the arts center, 20965 Holyoke Ave., and online at www.applausecommunitytheatre.com.

PHOTO: Anna Hermanson (right), 14, of Lakeville, and Andrew Jackson, 14, of Farmington, are among the nine youth actors featured in “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Photo by Andrew Miller