For a play that is supposed to go wrong, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) pulled it off flawlessly.
Onstage now through May 11, the IRT’s production of “The Play That Goes Wrong,” presented by Oxford Financial, is a refreshing dramatic comedy directed by Benjamin Hanna, IRT’s Margot Lacy Eccles Artistic Director.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” is a play within a play, and much like the title, audiences can expect just about everything to go wrong and then only get worse. The show follows the members of the Cornley Drama Society, which includes Jonathan Harris (Rob Johansen), Max Bennett (Dominique Lawson), Robert Grove (Brett Mutter), Sandra Wilkinson (Sarah Coakley Price), Chris Bean (Eric Sharp) and Dennis Tyde (Claire Wilcher).
Each amateur actor is bent on putting on the performance of a lifetime for the opening night of “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” However, the Cornley Drama Society’s production of the murder mystery is … disastrous.
Though the show must go on, and on they go — inevitably roping in stage manager Annie Twilloil (China Brickey) and lighting and sound guy Trevor Watson (Ryan Hallahan) to fix sets, replace props and go on for the role of Florence Colleymoore (also Sarah Coakley Price) when Sandra is accidentally knocked unconscious.
I sat in the theatre for two hours on opening night, trying — and failing — to follow along with the actual murder mystery as the set literally would not stop falling apart, lines were forgotten, the dead guy wouldn’t stay dead, lighting and sound cues were missed, costumes switched bodies and actors accidentally took shots of paint thinner instead of Charles Haversham’s (also Rob Johansen) favorite liquor.
It was a mess, and it was beautiful.
Choreographed chaos is always entertaining, and “The Play That Goes Wrong” features that in startling amounts. The production is a blend of stupid jokes, old-fashioned stage humor, intense physical comedy, expertly timed mistakes, slapstick and farce.
Everyone on stage did a fantastic job, but I’d be lying if I didn’t highlight the way Dominique Lawson immediately captured the audience’s attention in a fun and hilarious way. Lawson’s insane fourth wall breaks encourage not only laughter, but applause (and a single standing ovation) at the most random moments.
And while we’re talking about all the things that make a performance great, Brett Mutter (Robert Grove as Thomas Colleymoore) and Claire Wilcher (Dennis Tyde as Perkins) really stood out. I’ve never seen anyone truly “lock in” to a character so much that you can see them actively sweating onstage. The two of them had me in tears from laughing so hard more than once.
The set design is fantastic and brilliant in so many ways.
The set of “The Play That Goes Wrong” is meant to fall apart (that part isn’t a secret), and it does so wonderfully. I imagine it takes a lot of skill and precision to execute all these little mishaps safely and accurately while remaining realistic enough to be entertaining each night. Kudos to the IRT for tackling this one.
The costumes were fun and colorful, fitting the 1922 aesthetic of the play within the play. I honestly expected more mishaps there, but other than Florence’s dress getting passed around and some wig and facial hair issues, they remained primarily intact.
There is so much more I could say about how enjoyable this show is, especially as a season closer, but alas, I encourage our readers to experience it for themselves.
The playbill lovingly encouraged audiences to “tell the world” what they thought of the show and even provided a few choice words to use, so I will (because I will always commit to the bit):
I thought “The Play That Goes Wrong” was awesome. Considering I didn’t know much about the show before I saw it, it was exciting to see what could happen in a show where anything and everything was possible. I thought the cast gave an exceptionally rare and professional performance. Spending a few hours with the IRT on a Friday night was worthwhile.
The show features profanity, gunshots, fog, haze and strobe lights, comical violence and dramatic, over-the-top, unserious murder(s).
“The Play That Goes Wrong” is showing on the OneAmerica Financial Stage at the Indiana Repertory Theatre now through May 11. It’s approximately two hours with a 15-minute intermission. Tickets start at $25 and are available at irtlive.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
