Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION at Conway High School

So many things went right at THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION at Conway High School last weekend, November 9-12. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, and Directed by Johnny Passmore, this play had the whole audience laughing as the antics became more and more absurd and the set came crashing down.  

As you entered the theatre, the kids were already in character as they ushered you to your seat. They used their various accents, searched for a Duran Duran CD, and was asking audience members if they saw their dog. Then the craziness started as they started entering the stage.  

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG can get a little confusing when trying to explain it, but I will do my best. The Cornley Drama Society is performing THE MURDER AT HAVERSHAM MANOR. Jonathan’s character Charles Haversham (Charles York) has been murdered, or so it seems, and Inspector Carter, played by Cornley's actor Chris (Lucy Strahin) is on the scene to find out who committed the murder. It could have been the butler Perkins, played by Cornley's actor Dennis (Lily Davies), who has issues with the big words; It could have been Charles' fiancé Florence Colleymoore, who is played by Cornley's actress Sandra (Caroline Andrews), who gets knocked out and needs to be replaced by the stage manager Annie (Ja’i Trinity Dantzler), who is reading her lines from a book; It could have been Charles' brother Cecil Haversham, who is played by Cornley's Max (Eli Halter), who is eating up the audience's applause and exaggerates his character more and more as the show progresses; or it could have been Florence's brother Thomas Colleymoore, who is played by Cornley's Robert (Connor Moyer), who is over protective of his sister. Did you get all of that? 

This play is definitely an ensemble show with the set being the real star, and the cast worked well together cranking up each moment to the disastrous end where everything falls apart. They were all so super funny, and the audience was having the best time. 

Watching the actors play actors was so much fun to watch. I loved how Strahin stayed calm and composed while trying to keep the show running smoothly; Dantzler and Andrews cracked me up with how physical they were with their fighting; and Halter was so cute trying to get reactions from the audience.  

The set was beautiful! Because it was a high school production, they did not have to deal with the second floor, and though I thought that would diminish the play, they still made it work. The gags were over the top, and no one cared that the extra layer wasn’t there.   

Because there is so much wonderful talent at Conway High School, this show was double cast, and unfortunately, I was unable to see the other set. However, I’m sure they were just as funny as the cast that I saw. This is a true testament of how important it is to their directors that their thespians have a chance to show their talents by giving them more opportunities to be on stage. 

Coming up in the spring for this group is JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Keep an eye out on the Conway School District website at https://www.conwayschools.org. 

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