Berkshire on Stage

Hilarious! Hysterical!! Stylish and Cheesy! The uproarious farce, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, is a laugh-a-minute hit you really, really do not want to miss! The intimate Majestic Theater in West Springfield, Massachusetts, closes out their 26^th season with a fabulous production of this award-winning, smash comedy, aptly described as “part Monty Python, part Marx Brothers, part Sherlock Holmes, and all mayhem.” The theatre wizards at the Majestic have met the challenge of this sidesplitting, technically challenging, and wildly stylized comedy.

The comedy takes place on the opening night of the Cornley Drama Society’s latest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor. A few minutes prior to the opening curtain, we see the Stage Manager, Annie, checking the props onstage, assisted by the board operator, Trevor. The attractive setting perfectly realizes the ambiance of Agatha Christie, although it does not bode well for the production as props are set (and then relocated) and décor begins to drop off the wall. But the valiant troupe exhibits both patience and resolve to deal with the ever-increasing crises of theatrical elements. Soon the nattily dressed director, Chris, comes onstage to warmly welcome the audience and explain how every excited the Cornley Drama Society is to share this production with their audience. 

The Murder of Haversham Manor begins with a live corpse onstage – Charles Haversham is discovered quite dead on the handsome red velvet chaise (well, almost—the actor “Jonathan” has tripped in the dark and the lights come up before he can get into place.) In short order we are introduced to the characters and plot of the murder mystery: Charles Haversham was engaged to be married to Florence Colleymoore, but Florence is having an affair with Charles’ brother, Cecil Haversham and thus has a motive to murder Charles. But Florence’s brother, Thomas, also has a motive for murder—in fact, in the tradition of Agatha Christie, everyone does pretty much. Other suspects include Perkins, the stereotypical English butler. And what about Arthur, the gardener who is missing along with Winston, the Havershams’ rottweiler??????

Fortunately, Inspector Carter is called into solve the mystery and sort it all out. But in THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG things quickly begin to spiral out of control.  An exasperated detective, a corpse who can’t play dead, an unconscious leading lady and other embattled and eccentric characters must overcome technical issues, forgotten lines and unreliable scenery in order to make it to the final curtain call. It is touch and go every second. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much in the theatre—only stifling my giggles just to keep up with the dialogue and plot. This is zany, farcical metatheatre at its very best!

The director of this madcap entertainment is Stephen Petit. He has assembled a brilliant, nimble cast who are—individually and as a creative ensemble—masters of comic technique. Petit stages the mayhem perfectly so we can enjoy disaster upon disaster. The pace and building of the chaos are right on the money.

The members of the Majestic’s acting ensemble are well-matched and equally dexterous in their comic skills. They completely capture the 1920’s murder mystery elegance and snobbish absurdity. The dialogue is fast and furious, but also clear and precise, so each moment is played just right. They are all playing dual roles – the hapless actors in a melting down production, and one or sometimes two roles in the play-within-a-play. Jack Grigoli is marvelously dapper and appealing as the hopeful Director, Chris Bean, and suitably authoritarian and forceful as Inspector Carter. Josh Karan portrays Perkins—the Butler of the mystery. Karan is confident and adept as the butler, as well as delightfully dopey as the actor Dennis who surreptitiously glances at his hand to retrieve the difficult lines he can’t remember (or pronounce).

Elizabeth Pietrangelo gives a bravura performance as Sandra, cast as the leading lady in the mystery, Florence Colleymoore. Pietrangelo is equally adept at the dewy-eyed innocence of Florence, as the fiercely passionate vamp, and the hell-on-wheels Sandra who, after being knocked unconscious is replaced by the Stage Manager who has taken her costume and who won’t allow Sandra back on the stage. 

The brother of Florence is Thomas Colleymoore, played with brio and courage by Shaun O’Keefe. I say courage because O’Keefe has some of the most challenging moments in the play, dealing with a set deconstructing itself under his feet. The excellent characterization and the physical comedy of this talented fellow is something to be seen.

Scott Renzoni admirably meets the challenge of playing Max, who doubles in the murder mystery in the roles of Cecil Haversham and Arthur, the gardener. As Cecil, Renzoni takes the cake when, as the Lord of the Manor, Cecil, wildly gesticulates—finding the audience’s approval he repeats the bit several times. In the second act, Renzoni plays the gardener who is supposed to arrive with Winston, the rottweiler. However, the theatre dog has apparently gone missing, so Rezoni is forced to manipulate a long leash and fill in for the missing canine, providing more hilarity. Weston Pytel plays Jonathan, who portrays Charles Haversham, our corpse in the manor in the opening scene. At first, it seems a thankless role but adds to the surprises later in the plot. Pytel is a master of the slow, deadpan take and layers on the fun in scene after scene.

As the catastrophes mount up, the long-suffering cast of “The Murder at Haversham Manor” never consider giving up – they valiantly plow though debacle after debacle with the assistance of Trevor, the Board Op (played by a delightful and disarming Liv Cunha) and the Stage Manager, Annie, (played by Mariko Iwasa). 

As noted, the Majestic’s talented cast works together like a well-oiled machine—and in this play of constant catastrophic events, that is absolutely essential. All of the cast members have their moments but if anyone stands out, it is Mariko Iwasa who perfectly portrays the dour demeanor of a stage manager at work—happy to work in the background getting the job done. When Annie is suddenly forced on stage to play Florence after Sandra is knocked unconscious, Annie is at first almost no help at all. But she quickly rises to the occasion, fully embracing the role of Florence and fighting tooth and nail to keep it. Iwasa is, in her real life, a highly skilled clown, and she is brilliant and devastating in the role of Annie. Her expressive face, her amazing physical prowess – filling in for the mantlepiece which has fallen off the wall, frantically trying to reassemble the script strewn on the floor – it is nonstop hilarity. She has a sweetness and delight in discovering each moment that is unparalleled and it is hard to take your eyes off of her.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is a dazzling evening of comedy that will keep you laughing from beginning to end. The directing and acting are fully supported by the amazing team of designers. Don McKay costumes are just the thing, right down to Cecil’s black-and-white patent leather wing tips and to Florence’s sleek black flapper hairstyle. Effective use is made of recorded sound, that is when “Trevor” can get the queues right. Lighting by Daniel D. Rist enhances the old mystery style—most suitably the special effects when a murder happens. 

But the one character we have not included is the set itself. Designer Peter Colao has managed to create and engineer one of the most challenging sets imaginable for a small theatre. It starts with things falling off the wall – décor or a painting – and progresses to larger and larger elements of the set. Note that the program credits the scenery construction to Wooden Kiwi Productions. I still cannot fathom how it works, but it is a marvel of ingenuity and also a credit to Director Petit’s staging because they all work together without any real-life mishap.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG has been an astounding success around the world. You may have seen it on YouTube. But I really encourage our readers to go see this production at the Majestic. The stakes are so much higher when the chaos is happening in real time just a few feet away! This is a truly bravura, ingenious, and ridiculously funny evening of theatre. Don’t miss it!

Credits

Playwrights: Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer

Director & Production Stage Manager: Stephen Petit

Set Design: Peter Colao (Scenery constructed by Wooden Kiwi Productions, Waltham, MA)

Lighting Design: Daniel D. Rist

Costume Design: Dawn McKay

Cast:

Liv Cunha: Trevor, the Lighting and Board Op

Mariko Iwasa: Annie, the Stage Manager

Jack Grigoli: Chris who plays the Director and Inspector Carter in the play-within-a-play

Weston Pytel: Jonathan who plays Charles Haversham in the play-within-a-play

Josh Karam: Dennis who plays Perkins the Butler in the play-within-a-play

Elizabeth Pietrangelo: Sandra who plays Florence Colleymoore in the play-within-a-play

Scott Renzoni: Max who plays Cecil Haversham and Arthur, the Gardener in the play-within-a-play

Shaun O’Keefe: Robert who plays Thomas Colleymoore in the play-within-a-play

Information

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG runs Wednesdays through Sundays, April 18 through June 2. Tickets range from $31 – $37 and are available either in-person at the box office or by calling (413) 747-7797.  Box office hours are Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm, and Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Covid policies: The wearing of face masks in the theater is optional.

Running time: 2 ¼ hours with one intermission

Theatre: Majestic Theater

Address: 131 Elm Street, West Springfield, MA

Closing date: June 2, 2024

Website: www.majestictheater.com