A Note from the Director
Welcome to our production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (High School Edition)! Nowhere will you find stronger support for the old adage “the show must go on”…And, indeed, it does!
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG was written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre. It opened on the West End (UK) in 2014, Broadway (NY) in 2017 and moved Off-Broadway to New World Stages in 2019, where audiences continue to enjoy it.
The show dramatizes what happens when amateur theatre group, the Cornley Drama Society, tries to overcome their own significant shortcomings in putting on a murder mystery. As a love letter to theatrical, situational comedy, the show utilizes just about every comedic bit ever played onstage - forgotten lines, misplaced props, actor feuds, wild chases, slamming doors, etc.
The show is rooted in both Farce* and Slapstick**, where the goal is to entertain. Throughout our rehearsal process, we embraced a variety of acting techniques and theatre styles - studying everything from Improv and Stage Combat to Meisner technique, Laban Movement, Commedia dell’arte and more - in order to best prepare for the very important task of entertaining you, our audience.
As a Performer, Director and Teaching Artist, it has always been important to me to not only entertain and carry joy in my work, but also to provide unwavering support for performing arts and arts education. The arts are incredibly important! And whether we are aware of it or not, theatrical experiences challenge and motivate us to make meaningful connections with people, as we indulge in our shared stories.
In our production we hope you experience the delight of watching human beings braving impossible situations, yet doing their best to make the most of it. These characters do whatever it takes to keep moving forward, even if it sometimes feels like they are moving backward. Their need to tell the story is essential!
This story, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, is ultimately one of perseverance, pushing through hard times. I hope we will inspire you to do the same: To push forward. To laugh! To celebrate the wins, big or small. To be persistent in collaborating and creating through community.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the Ridgefield community, RHS faculty and families. And of course to my own family (Chris, James and Everly) for supporting me and our show! To our Theatre Boosters and our incredible cast and crew of talented students - Congratulations! This would be impossible without every one of you. I feel so very lucky to be here with you! Thank you for making this such an exciting, welcoming and supportive experience. I cannot wait for everyone to enjoy this show!
…And on with the show!
Jacquie Militano
RHS Theatre Director
www.JacquiewithaQU.com
*A farce is a “comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and ludicrously improbable situations”
**Slapstick is “comedy based on deliberately clumsy actions and humorously embarrassing events, carefully choreographed chaos, merry mishaps and timeless comedy.” (quoted from Oxford Languages)
