‘The Play That Goes Wrong: High School Edition’ hits the Maine West stage
The theater department at Maine West High School will present the uproarious stage comedy “The Play That Goes Wrong: High School Edition” at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16, 17 and 18 in the Maine West High School Auditorium, 1755 S Wolf Road, Des Plaines. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students and can be purchased online at bit.ly/MWFABoxOffice. A high-energy, fast-paced farce, the show delivers a night full of laughs as everything that can go wrong on stage does, spectacularly.
A student adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, this play-within-a-play follows a fictional theater troupe attempting to perform a 1920s murder mystery. As the actors struggle through forgotten lines, collapsing sets and unconscious cast members, the production descends into comedic chaos.
“This show is a huge challenge, both technically and comedically,” said David Harmon, Maine West fine arts teacher and director of the production. “But our students have embraced every part of it; the timing, the slapstick and the spirit of perseverance that makes this show so much fun. We have a very seasoned group of students this year and this is the perfect challenge for them. Whether it’s swordplay or wordplay, these students are being pushed to their full potential!”
A unique part of this show is that several actors serve as stagehands who participate in several mishaps during the production.
“Although the original show only calls for three to four crew members, we had such a great turnout at auditions that we ended up expanding the number to 13,” explained Harmon. “Rather than playing a generic ‘background’ character, we were deliberate about creating specific roles with different profiles, personalities and relationships.”
Eleventh grader Sterling Weinand serves as the uptight Props Manager and appreciates the creative freedom to develop a character completely from scratch.
“It’s been exciting to figure out how to get into the character who doesn’t really have a description,” Weinand said.
Twelfth grader Penny Wurster, who plays ambitious actress Sandra, agrees that this year’s fall play asks something extra of the cast and crew.
“Sandra is a more physical role than other characters I’ve played in the past; she quite literally gets tossed around the stage,” Wurster said. “Learning how to fully let myself play into her dramatic nature has been extraordinarily fun!”
Lighting Designer 11th grader Milo Foy has found this production to be one of their favorite experiences in their tenure at Maine West High School.
“I’ve found that the most enjoyable part is seeing it come together over time and getting closer and closer to a finished play every day,” Foy said.
The company includes approximately 40 students between the cast and backstage crew who manage complex technical effects and physical comedy. The entire production is designed to “fail” on purpose, requiring precise timing and plenty of rehearsed mishaps.