Revenge may be a goal for some nerds, but for the nerds in “Forever Plaid,” the goal is fame.

Their obstacles to achieving fame are many, and for the characters in this show being a nerd is a big one — not to mention they are dead.

In the play, the main characters are hit by a school bus and die on the way to their first big show. Before going to heaven, they are given the chance to perform the show of their dreams in a stardust lounge — which is a little like purgatory, says Rob McKercher, director of the show.

“Every single one of the guys has sort of a fatal flaw that would keep him from being the next Elvis Presley,” McKercher says.

The list of flaws for the characters are many.

One character has a speech impediment, one gets nosebleeds when he’s frustrated, another has acid reflux and the last one is asthmatic, says McKercher.

Joe Torello, who plays Smudge, says his character has similar attributes.

“He is very much the nerdiest of the four,” Torello says. “He’s the one with thick glasses, and he’s a little slow.”

McKercher says that because the show has a strong story line, it makes it more memorable than other musical reviews. McKercher describes a musical review as a theatrical production that has an anthology of songs which follow a theme.

“Most musical reviews are fairly thin on stage … they’re just an excuse to have a cotton candy evening in the theater,” McKercher says.

“By the time you wake up the next morning you’ve completely forgotten about the show, and ‘Plaid’ is not like that.”

McKercher says during the show the audience learns about each character and how the group bonded in high school through its passion for music.

Like the characters, the actors also face obstacles portraying their roles. Torello says having the stamina to sing 20 songs while blending with everyone is the biggest challenge to the cast.

“We’re always on stage and we don’t really get any breaks,” Torello says. “We’re always singing.”

McKercher agrees, and says that because the music has such tight harmony, it’s hard to get it just right.

“They just have to sound like custard,” McKercher says.

James Bullard, who plays Jinx, says people would expect a lot of testosterone and competition, but the actors all have great professional respect for each other, and have all actually become good friends since joining up in late January.

What: “Forever Plaid

Where: The Temple for Performing Arts, 1011 Locust St., Des Moines

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Cost: $37.50