Portland Stage to Present THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG in February
Performance Dates: January 31 through February 25, 2024.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 19, 2024
Portland Stage Company will start 2024 with the award-winning comedic ride, THE PLAY THAT GOEST WRONG.
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is a play-within-a-play physical comedy that spun out multiple other plays, TV specials, and a television series in the UK. Portland Stage's version includes a set designed to fall apart, consultation from an international physical comedy performer, (Portland local, Michael Trautman), and a "lost" dog cast locally just this week. The lines are hilariously blurred between the play that goes entirely wrong, the play the PS audience sees, and the audience itself.
Every inch of the set has been crafted to fall apart over and over without causing injury. The cast has learned how to trip, fall, react, and yell for maximum effect. A physical therapist is on call. Every detail has been crafted to bring Maine audiences a much-needed humor break this winter.
Portland Stage will welcome back director Kevin R. Free who directed SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE FINAL ADVENTURE and the world premiere LAST SHIP TO PROXIMA NOVA in 2022. As a director, he won an OBIE Award in 2015, an award from FluxForward Playwright Commission also in 2015, and a Doric A. Wilson Independent Playwright Award in 2014. He was featured as a playwright on Steppenwolf's “The Mix” List in 2019, a semi-finalist at the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2013, and NYTheatre.com Person of the Year in 2010. As an actor Kevin's stage appearances include the Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage, People's Light, and Centerstage. He has appeared on television, voiced audio books, and is the voice of Kevin in the extremely popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale.
Kevin R. Free and Artistic Director, Anita Stewart, have been very busy choosing a local dog to "play" Winston, the dog on the loose throughout the play. PS received over 120 applicants and is eager to reveal the winner in an epic curtain speech video, especially by PS standards. The response of the Greater Portland dog-loving community has been incredible.
The cast is made up of local and national actors bringing their unique humor and ability to collaborate to an especially detailed, layered production. Each plays an actor playing a character in a fast-moving, high-flying, rambunctious, and hilarious situation. Keeping a straight face is an entire art form.
Cast & Artists
MAX Dean Linnard*
ANNIE Erica Murphy
TREVOR J.Stephen Brantley*
CHRIS Ross Cowan*
JONATHAN Khalil Lesaldo*
ROBERT Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper*
DENNIS Max Samuels*
SANDRA Laura Darrell*
*Member, AEA
Director Kevin R. Free*
Scenic Designer Anita Stewart**
Costume Designer Patrice N. Trower*
Lighting Designer Weston Wilkerson**
Sound Designer Seth Asa Sengel
Stage Manager Myles Hatch*
*Member, AEA
**Member United Scenic Artists
Performance Details:
Performance Dates: January 31 through February 25, 2024
Run Time: approximately 1.5 Hours
Box Office Hours: Tuesday through Saturday • Noon to 5 pm and 2 hours before performance time
Box Office Phone: 207.774.0465
Box Office Email: boxoffice@portlandstage.org
Tickets Online: available now
In-Person: $20-$53. Discounts for seniors 65+ and students.
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN TICKETS AVAILABLE: Find rules and restrictions on the website.
RUSH35 Tickets: $20 at the door for registered participants ages 35 and under.
About Portland Stage:
Portland Stage offers Mainstage performances, New Works, and Education programs. The 2023-24 Mainstage season includes seven Mainstage productions, staged readings of its commissions, and Studio Series productions. PS promotes and celebrates the creation of new plays with an environment that supports the region's playwrights, builds bridges between its theater and national writers, and develops awareness of theater with three exciting initiatives: the Clauder Competition, the Little Festival of the Unexpected, and From Away, a festival in collaboration with the International Writing Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa. This year, Portland Stage also celebrates its 14th season of the Susie Konkel Theater for Kids and the 100,000 student experiences it has provided in the last decade through its education programs. Subscriptions to Portland Stage are available, and subscribers gain insider access, significant savings, and flexibility. PS is committed to accessibility and is currently completing a renovation to meet this commitment as well as offering ticketing options and expanded community engagement. Visit portlandstage.org to learn more.
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