Greensburg Civic Theatre's 'Play That Goes Wrong' promises big laughs

If calamity befalls Greensburg Civic Theatre’s upcoming production, they’ll know they did it right. Organized chaos is the goal when you’re presenting something called “The Play That Goes Wrong.”

The award-winning comedy will be staged at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road.

In the 2012 play by members of the British Mischief Theatre Company, the fictitious Cornley University Drama Society is putting on a performance of “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” a 1920s murder-mystery similar to Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.”

During the performance, disaster befalls both the cast and the set, in the form of missed cues, forgotten lines, sticking doors, falling props and more mayhem.

The play won Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards in London.

Director Ron Ferrara of Vandergrift likens it to another play-within-a-play, Michael Frayn’s popular Broadway farce, “Noises Off.”

“I think ‘Noises Off’ is the greatest farce ever written, and that’s the kind of play this is,” he said. “It’s not as intellectual, but it’s just as much fun and even more challenging.”

Courtesy of Teresa Baughman

Cast members (standing from left) Josh Kinneer, Rachel Nicely and Joe Schneider with Erik Smith (on settee) rehearse for Greensburg Civic Theatre’s Oct. 7-9 production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."

It’s a lot for director, cast and audience to keep straight. Each cast member portrays a member of the drama society who is also playing a character in the murder-mystery — and thus has to develop a separate persona for each character.

“It’s also very physical,” Ferrara said. “They fall on the ground, they crawl on the ground. Every actor is on the floor at least once.”

In the course of the action, there’s a sword fight, two women fight over a man and someone is pulled through a window.

It’s Ferrara’s first time directing a GCT production, although he’s a veteran of more than 150 productions as both an actor and director with area companies including The Theatre Factory, Saint Vincent Summer Theatre and the former Apple Hill Players and New Kensington Civic Theatre.

Cast members include Craig Soich of Greensburg, Stu Ford of Grapeville, Erik Smith of Scottdale, Joe Schneider of New Kensington, Justin Williams of Greensburg, Josh Kinneer of Donegal, Rachel Nicely of Latrobe and Shannon Riley of Irwin.

Vince D’Angelo of Oakmont is stage manager.

“There’s not one star in the show, it’s an ensemble,” Ferrara said. “In this play, one person can’t stand alone — they all need each other. If one person is not in the right spot, it changes the whole scene.”

After five weeks of rehearsal, the lines are still fresh for Ferrara and company.

“I’m still laughing, and the cast is still laughing,” he said. “It’s not your typical show — you’ll laugh like crazy.”

Tickets for “The Play That Goes Wrong” are $16 in advance and $18 at the door. Senior rates are $14 and $16. Student rates are $11 and $13.

For information and reservations, call 724-836-8000 or visit thepalacetheatre.org.