Interview: Actress Angela Grovey Talks THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: The Cornley University Drama Society is attempting to put on a 1920s' murder mystery, and nothing is going right. Cues are missed. Lines are flubbed. Set pieces threaten the physical safety of the actors. But in this comedy of errors, one young woman, stage manager Annie, tries admirably to wrangle the wayward production under control. Angela Grovey, who plays Annie, shares her experience performing in the comedy play.

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BroadwayWorld: Why is your character, Annie, so bad at stage managing?

Angela Grovey: Annie is an excellent stage manager. She is forced to deal with many difficult problems when work with this particular show and group of actors. Annie is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that the show goes on even if it involves her doing things that make her uncomfortable.

Therefore in my (Angela's) opinion I think she is THE BEST.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG requires you to be good at your job while pretending to be bad. Is this sort of play more difficult than usual for the actor?

This play is a daily challenge because all comedy is based in truth and allowing yourself to acknowledge what is happening. 101 of acting is listening and we as actors have to do this, especially in this show so that we allow the audience to catch up. Trusting that your silence is necessary is more challenging than you might realize. This show is a daily love poem to "The Basics."

The show depends quite a bit on the performances. How did you and your cast mates approach the challenge?

One of my favorite things about this play is how funny it is on paper. While i think that our cast is doing an amazing job telling this story you could also see one of the other 8 productions around the world and still have a great time. Part of the joy of being a professional actor is being able to work on characters for long periods of time. It's not a bad thing when an actor can say no two shows are the same.

I read an article featuring an interview with Nigel Hook, stage designer for THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, and the writer said the set was a character in and of itself. Is that true?

Absolutely. The set is the 13th actor in this production. And the only company member who has won a Tony! It's pretty magical.

If so, what sort of prep work did you and your scene partner (the set) need to do to make the show successful?

The staging of this production is very much like a dance number in a musical. We have to maintain our staging and spacing to remain safe. We rely heavily on our stage managers and fight captain to keep us safe.

There are quite a few comedy Easter eggs in the play. Can you tell us a few?

Unfortunately you'll have to come see us on stage and bring your basket because LOTS of "eggs" can be collected!!!

In the spirit of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, are there any stage mishaps that have happened over the course of your career that you can share with us? Hopefully, you can laugh about it now.

I was once in a production of Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby and I was a Lost Boy and as I was coming out for my bow I fell as I was running across the stage. I thought that I might have ruined the show but the show went on and all things were still ok.

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The Play That Goes Wrong. March 26 - February 3, 2019. The Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Street. For information by phone, call (800) 982-2787. Get information online at www.TheHobbyCenter.org or www.BroadwayAtTheHobbyCenter.com. Tickets start at $35.

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