Kiski Area drama students to stage 'The Play That Goes Wrong'
A play promising plenty of laughs and mishaps is on tap at Kiski Area High School.
The school’s drama students will present “The Play That Goes Wrong” Thursday through Saturday in the high school auditorium.
The cast has nine thespians and 32 crew members.
Junior Garrett Seymour described his role as Inspector Carter as a ridiculous parody.
“I’ve always loved playing eccentric detectives like Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, so it was a lot of fun to channel that into a character,” Seymour said.
The performance is suitable for all ages.
“I encourage any parents to bring their children because the physical comedy in this show is incomparable to most,” said Kiski Area director Kaylee Hansberry.
The play within a play plot takes place during the 1920s.
“The show is very much an ensemble cast, so there aren’t really any ‘leads,’ per se,” Hansberry said. “Any theatergoer who has seen or experienced a mishap onstage will find relevance and connection to this show.”
The show includes prop and set malfunctions, overacting and underacting, sound and lighting errors and line mix-ups.
“It’s a play that goes absurdly wrong,” Hansberry said.
Kiski Area junior Peyton Martin plays Taylor.
“At the end, she finds her inner voice,” Martin said of her character. “What I love about performing is embodying someone else and seeing through their perspective, even if it’s just for a bit.”
Hansberry said she chose this play because of its over-the-top nature.
“It was recently on Broadway with a stellar run,” she said.
Professional costumer and wardrobe coordinator Deanna Whaley outfitted the cast in British-inspired clothing.
Most of the students play two roles because the script is a show-within-a-show format.
Senior Jackson Newell described performing onstage as “joy.”
“Performing is a feeling of relief, hard work and just joy,” he said. “Performing is that moment when you get to show hundreds of people how hard you’ve worked the past few months. There’s nothing better than stepping out onstage saying your first line.”
Cast members in stage appearance order include Sydney Cerminara as Annie; Peyton Martin as Taylor; Garrett Seymour as Chris/Inspector Carter; Brandon Ray as Jonathan/Charles Haversham; Ava Hutchinson as Rachel/Mary Colleymoore; Ryan Schmidt as Dennis/Butler Perkins; Avery Toy as Sandra/Florance Colleymoore; Jackson Newell as Max/Cecil Haversham/Arthur the Gardener; and Merlin Libent as Cornley Drama Society Stage Crew/ Understudy.
Cerminara, a sophomore, said her characterdevelops confidence throughout the production.
“Performing for me is a way to escape from the stress of everyday life and put on a persona to distract me,” Cerminara said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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