Let’s set the stage for ASPI’s upcoming production, The Play That Goes Wrong!
After benefitting from a large and sudden inheritance, the inept and accident-prone Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society embark on producing an ambitious 1920s murder mystery, ‘Murder at Haversham Manor’. The production begins before the curtain has even been raised. With the audience present while the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society prepares to stage their new production, props start to disappear, actors go missing, and the set begins to collapse around, and often on, the cast. Mayhem ensues!
To bring this comedic chaos to the stage, a great deal of time, engineering, and experimentation was necessary for ASPI’s tech team! The humor of the show is that the cast bravely present the story almost oblivious to the technical failures, while the audience is wondering what will go wrong next and how will the cast improvise amidst those challenges.
There are many set “failures” that are written into the script to propel the story! Many of these technical failures are what we would call stunts, gags, or tricks. In order for these stunts to be executed safely for both the cast and crew, it required creative thinking and engineering!
The most engineered trick is a falling second floor level! At one point in the show, two cast members are on a second floor platform that is four feet off of the stage level. The support for this platform is inadvertently (on purpose) kicked out and the platform is to fall in a series of inclines while the actors soldier on. This amounts to a very serious engineering feat that requires equipment and design to execute safely. In this instance, David Jolly (Tech Director) chose pneumatic support of the platform. This provides the necessary support while exhibiting a bouncy, unpredictable visual as it is allowed to fall to increasingly steep angles. Anchoring this platform so that it is appropriately supported was a very difficult proposition!
Another trick that needed planning to execute was items “falling” off the walls. This was not an easy trick considering that many items fall off the walls in unison and some are replaced only to fall off again. If this wasn’t enough of a challenge, the walls that hold these items eventually fall themselves!
As an audience member, you will be able to see the ASPI backstage crew on stage throughout the performance. The crew is actually cast in the show to participate and execute the stunts in full view of the audience.
Many thanks go to David Jolly and Cyndee Sweetland for their set design, Cyndee and her A team (painting crew) who provided the rich colors and visual interest in creating the look of Haversham manor, and to David Jolly, Vince Baudry, and Al Steeno for building the set and gags! Also many thanks to all who assisted with props!
Any audience members that are intrigued and would like to learn more about the execution of the engineering and students in The Play That Goes Wrong are encouraged to reach out to a cast member, staff member, or David Jolly after the performance for a tour and further explanation.
Tickets are on sale NOW! Showtimes for The Play That Goes Wrong are 7pm on May 8-10 and May 15-17 and 1pm on May 11 and May 18. Don’t miss the hijinks in this truly unique ASPI production.