Broadway in Chicago Presents THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG Review

It’s Act One, and the set is falling apart. The large portrait is sliding off the wall on stage right. Hooks are falling off the walls by the door, and the mantle simply cannot stay up on its own. Thomas Colleymoore and Cecil Haversham are physically holding up as much as they can, supporting the set with various limbs and body parts. Just when you think something else cannot possibly go wrong, the phone rings. It’s for Thomas. With every possible limb supporting a hook or door, we see Cecil answer the phone and stretch as far as possible – just enough that Thomas might be able to yell into the receiver from his compromising position. This Opening Night audience could not stop laughing, but regardless, mission was accomplished.

Directed by Matt DiCarlo and written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, The Play that Goes Wrong takes place on the opening night of Cornley University’s production of The Murder at Haversham Manor. This play within a play features every possible disaster that could occur during a production. From an unconscious leading lady and actors that trip over their lines to a set that continues to fall apart at key moments, the piece represents a living nightmare to any practicing theater artist or technician. The ensemble plays the part of the sub-par Cornley University Drama Society, filling the Opening Night house with an uproar of laughter from start to finish and an impulse to cheer at every twist and turn.

Broadway in Chicago's Over the Top Shenanigans

The Murder at Haversham Manor begins unsurprisingly, with a murder. Lights come up on Charles Haversham (Joseph Anthony Byrd) dead on the couch. Thomas Colleymore (Jonah D. Winston) and Perkins (Michael Kurowski) find him and immediately start to unravel the mystery of who may have committed the act. As Thomas and Perkins pace back and forth, they continue to cause further harm to the body – whether that is sitting on Charles, dropping objects on him, or even stepping on his hands that lie next to the couch. At a certain point, we see Byrd open his eyes, and actively avoid the harm. Layered on top of the already existing humor of mistreating a dead body, we see an actor in this Cornley University production actively breaking character just to protect his well-being. His movements begin small – a simple move of the hand, or a turn of the head. However, as the bodily harm intensifies, Charles’ attempts to defend himself become even larger, which only added to the uproar of laughter that flooded the theater.

Hilarious writing, a top-notch ensemble, and spot-on comedic timing make this fast-paced production a night to remember, in this writer’s opinion. If you are someone who enjoys highly comedic, farcical experiences, then this is the play for you. In collaboration with the strong ensemble of performers, you might just find that DiCarlo’s production gracefully walks the line so that the comedy does not feel like too much, but still hits an extreme.

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CAST:

Colton Adams
Joseph Anthony Byrd
Ernaisja Curry
Matt Mueller
Kelly O'Sullivan
Jarred Webb
Jonah D. Winston
Caroline Chu
Drew Johnson
Russell Mernagh
Brenann Stacker

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director: Matt DiCarlo
Original Broadway Director: Mark Bell
Writers: Henry Lewis, Jonathon Sayer, and Henry Shields
Set Designer: Nigel Hook
Lighting Designer: Jeremy Cunningham
Original Broadway Lighting Designer: Ric Mountjoy
Sound Designer: Beth Lake
Original Broadway Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson
Costume Designer: Roberto Surace
Original Music: Rob Falconer
Stage Management: Whitney M. Keeter, T.J. Kearney, and Erin Maureen Koster

Producers:

Kevin McCollum, J.J. Abrams, Kenny Wax, Stage Presence Ltd., Catherine Schreiber, Ken Davenport, Federman-Batchelder/deRoy-Brunish, Damian Arnold /TC Beech, Greenleaf Productions / Bard-Roth, Martian Entertainment / Jack Lane / John Yonover, and Lucas McMahon