Production time was nearing. In the small living room of Cheryl Flaharty's Kailua home, a bevy of seamstresses busily stitched large black plastic panels together while an administrative assistant hovered nearby.

All for the return of "Paint by Number," IONA Contemporary Dance Theatre's colorful, playful, interactive production of three years ago, which takes up residence for two weekends beginning tonight at The Cupola at the Honolulu Design Center. It features 10 dancers and 10 gallons of paint.

In the quiet office at the rear of her home, IONA artistic director Flaharty chatted about this latest venture.

"Paint" originally was conceived as part of IONA's Salon Series. "As part of that series, I was only able to rehearse with the dancers four times," Flaharty confessed. "It was really a loosely structured improvisation. But I did learn a lot about working with the paints."

By contrast, this year's version is this season's major offering. An extended rehearsal period, made possible through a grant from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and private donations, gave Flaharty the opportunity to expand her original ideas. She also added a new character. "To me, he's like the new God who brings guns of golden light."

While the piece again will start in a colorless void and gradually build through the squirting of paint from mustard shooters, it will be more closely structured than before. Once again it will feature upbeat music by The Quadraphonix.

Originally the work was performed at a raw, undecorated space atop the Niketown building. This year's venue, The Cupola, is more refined. In addition to protecting the walls, the floor will be, as before, covered with white paper; white paper columns also will be draped at intervals down the back wall.

Audience members seated in the Interactive Splash Zone front rows will both shoot and be shot at. Not to worry: Plastic covers will protect them.

IONA gave a mini-preview of the work at last week's First Friday gallery walk/open house Downtown with five dancers stationed at various corners, inviting people to "shoot" them with colors. Not surprisingly, kids loved it. Flaharty acknowledged, "I really developed my audience by bringing my dancers to the people. It has worked very well."

Indeed, IONA's performances are well attended and attract a generally young audience. To reach the older generation, however, the company is offering free tickets to the first 50 moms who accompany their child to the Mother's Day performance on Sunday. It also has invited foster children to attend dress rehearsal.

As for the future, IONA's long-range plans include increased touring. Last year it traveled to Alaska and California. Flaharty also visited Edinburg, Scotland, to see what venues are available at the Fringe Festival, and there are dreams of performing on the Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia.

Even more exciting, there is interest in having the company brought to Thailand and China. With minimal freight costs, and adaptability to alternative spaces, "Paint by Number" could soon be coloring the world.

Carol Egan, a former professional dancer, choreographer and teacher, began writing about dance in 1975.