'Play That Goes Wrong' is right comedy for Coshocton Footlight Players

COSHOCTON − A trendy comedy that combines the physical slapstick of the Three Stooges and the wit of the Marx Brothers is opening for the Coshocton Footlight Players.

"The Play That Goes Wrong" was first performed in 2012 in England by the Mischief Theatre Company and came to Broadway in 2017. It has since spawned several sequel productions such as "Peter Pan That Goes Wrong" opening on Broadway this spring and "The Goes Wrong Show" that ran for two seasons of 12 episodes on the BBC.

The Cornley Drama Society is staging "The Murder at Haversham Manor," a serious murder mystery set during an engagement party at a palatial estate in the winter of 1922. Throughout the course of the performance, about everything that could go wrong with a stage play does. This includes the props breaking, actors blowing lines, a fire on stage and a second floor collapsing. As the script notes, these "are not bad actors, but the victims of unfortunate circumstance."

Dave Osso plays Chris, the leader of the drama society making his directorial debut who is also Inspector Carter in the murder mystery.

"You're trying to figure out both angles, 'Haversham Manor,' but then the real play, 'The Play that Goes Wrong,'" Osso said of the play within the play aspect. "When you do theater and you do comedies, it's an absolute blast. Because, you're supposed to be laughing and having fun. And that just doubles the pleasure of being involved in community theater."

He knows of a director in Tuscarawas County who said she would love to do "The Play That Goes Wrong," but is intimidated by the elaborate set. It's a set Osso calls the ninth character on stage. There is also a large backstage crew and two back stage managers, which is rare for a community theater play.

"If you want to put a sports analogy on it. The actors are the offense, but that backstage crew is the defense and you can't win a game without a good defense," Osso said.

David Wickham is Dennis, who portrays Perkins the butler in the "Murder at Haversham Manor." Wickham describes Perkins as someone who loves the theater, but isn't that best at memorizing or pronouncing lines.

"We know to cheese it up. We know how to play it up. We know how to ramp it up," Wickham said of the veteran cast doing comedy. "Every night it's fun. Every night it's a little bit different. There are some nights where we hit it on all points and if we could bottle that up for every night, we would just knock it out of the park."

While most of the performers are experienced actors, Ryan Addom is in his first play ever. The senior at the Coshocton County Career Center plays Jonathan, who is Charles Haversham, the murder victim in "Haversham Manor."

"Jonathan I would say is the serious one out of everyone. He's the one trying to get everything done correct while everything is happening behind him or to him. He just keeps messing up every single time because something happens and it kind of catches him off guard," Addom said of his character.

Shelly Lillibridge has been in several productions for the Footlight Players and directed many children's shows. She saw a touring company of "The Play That Goes Wrong" in Columbus without knowing anything about it and loved it. She plays Treva, who runs lights and sounds for the drama society from a box just off to the side of the stage.

"It was so entertaining. When I found out that Shane (Pyle, the director) was doing it, I knew I had to be part of it somehow," Lillibridge said.

Of the overall production in Footlight Players history, Lillibridge said, "this is the highest magnitude of difficultly that's ever been done."

"The Play That Goes Wrong" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. March 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and April 1 and 2:30 p.m. March 26 at the Triple Locks Theater, 685 N. Whitewoman St. Tickets are available online at footlightplayers.com and by calling the box office, 740-622-2959. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for those under the age of 18. Memberships are also available.

The cast features Ryan Addom, Annie Bosson, Leonard Hayhurst, Dave Osso, Tristan Pulley, Shelly Lillibridge, Quinn Wherley and David Wickham, with appearances by Sophia Dotson and Jozie Adams. It's directed by Shane Pyle with Kathy Huffman as assistant director and Patty Wherley as producer.

Leonard Hayhurst, part of the cast, is an employee of the Coshocton Tribune. Information and photos submitted by the Coshocton Footlight Players.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: 'Play That Goes Wrong' is right comedy for Coshocton Footlight Players