Before joining the cast of Loud Fridge Theatre Group’s production of “Airness!” neither Shelby Garza nor Jacob Lopez knew much about air guitar.

“I had never imagined it to be anything more than playing around in your room,” admitted Garza, who’s playing air-guitar newbie Nina in the production of Chelsey Marcantel’s comedy play.

As for Lopez, who’s portraying reigning air-guitar champ D Vicious, “I thought it was something you do with your friends at a bar, once. But not this grand-scale-competition kind of thing.”

But it is. The 30th Air Guitar World Championship will be held in August in Finland. Closer to home, the 23rd U.S. Air Guitar Championship is taking place that same month in San Francisco. (A qualifying round three years ago for the 2023 U.S. competition was held in San Diego.)

The play “Airness!” is about the community of air guitarists, their proudly nerdy scene and their competitive spirit. It premiered in 2017 at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville. The Loud Fridge production at Moxie Theatre directed by Kian Kline-Chilton is its San Diego debut.

Nina is the central character, a young woman embarking upon her first air guitar competition.

“She comes into this world as someone saying ‘I play the real guitar,’” Garza explained. “Nina has seen this as stupid and has made fun of it. It’s not until she steps into the world herself to compete that she understands that this is so serious to these people and she understands why.”

Fellow actor Lopez does play the guitar in real life, but says he’s learned that air guitar requires another kind of skill.

“The way I approached this initially was, ‘I play guitar. I know how to hold a guitar and I can mimic it,’” he said. “For the most part, the fingers are something that people look at, but it’s about how you can carry yourself when you’re holding this imaginary guitar. Since it’s fake you can make it as big or small as you want, but it should still look like you’re holding a real guitar in your hands. The fretwork should match the song somewhat. This is not a joke.”

There may be no official air guitar history, but it’s generally accepted that British rocker Joe Cocker’s air guitar sequence onstage at Woodstock brought the craft to the attention of the general public. Though “Airness!” was written many years later, the community of air guitarists around the world had already established itself.

“They love embracing silliness and absurdity,” Garza said of that community. “There’s a line from a character in the show that goes ‘Life is so short. Why not spend every minute being as silly and absurd as you can?’ Nina’s journey throughout the play is the same journey we hope the audience will take.”

Silliness is recommended. Passion is required.

“What makes a great air guitarist is heart,” Lopez said. “Heart, commitment and willingness to be vulnerable in front of an audience that may not be as accepting as you want them to.

“Doing a show like this in comparison to other shows I’ve done before, I’m really putting myself out there in a new way. A way that allows me to be vulnerable but to open up a new perception and understanding of how people see you.”

All it takes is the Ramones’ “I Don’t Want to Grow Up,” an imaginary guitar and, as Garza said, “joy. Even if people think you’re silly.”

‘Airness’

When: Preview at 7 p.m. Friday. Opens Saturday and runs through April 19. 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Loud Fridge Theatre Group at Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Ste. N, Rolando

Tickets: Free; pay as you wish

Phone: 619-387-8186

Online: loudfridge.com