Laugh while things go haywire with ALT's 'The Play That Goes Wrong'

Brianna Maestas, Amarillo Globe-News
·3 min read

Get ready for hysterical chaos as the Amarillo Little Theatre presents "The Play That Goes Wrong" as the third Mainstage production of the season. This side-splitting farce has taken the theatrical world by storm and is called “the funniest play Broadway has ever seen.”

This hilarious production includes plenty of double entendres as ALT's cast performs a play within a play. The story will begin with the opening night of "The Murder at Haversham Manor," where “break a leg” takes on a whole new meaning for this woefully misguided troupe of players. When the curtain goes up, the performance quickly goes from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), "The Play That Goes Wrong" is an unforgettable evening of laughter.

Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cast for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."
Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cast for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."
Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cats for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."
Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cats for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."

"This is a good slap-stick comedy with a little Sherlock Holmes ... this show is wild, entertaining, unpredictable and fast paced," said Jenny Morgan, portraying Sandra as Florence.

With the story famously being known to have many moving parts, Morgan encourages the audience to see the production twice if they have the chance.

"See it twice. Already, I can tell you, this is a show you must see twice to catch everything, and sit in a different place the second time. Some characters might have a lot of action on one side, and you see things completely differently on the other side," Morgan said.

Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan, Harrison Stringer and Brooks Boyett in the Amarillo Little Theatre production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."
Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan, Harrison Stringer and Brooks Boyett in the Amarillo Little Theatre production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."

ALT has assembled a talented array of players for this production mixed with ALT veterans and newcomers. Performers include Heather Dillon as Annie; Brandon Graves as Trevor; Brooks Boyett as Chris; Zeke Lewis as Jonathan; Jeremy Hernandez as Robert; Harrison Stringer as Dennis; Sawyer Landry as Max; Jenny Morgan as Sandra; and Vanessa Hill, Camron Kelley and Travis Tidmore as the Cornley Drama Society Stage Crew.

Artistic director for this production is Callie Hisek, with Kendall Carnahan serving as assistant director and Sean Pritchard as production assistant.

"It's really fun to play a character within a character, because I am not portraying Inspector Carter how I would play it. It's how Chris would play it. ... And Chris isn't the best actor, but he's trying real hard and he is determined to see the play through. So, no matter what is going on around him, he is 100% determined to make this show happen," Boyett said.

Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cast for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."
Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cast for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."
Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cast for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."
Vanessa Hill, Travis Tidmore, Camron Kelley, Brandon Graves, Heather Dillon, Brooks Boyett, Zeke Lewis, Harrison Stringer, Jeremy Hernandez, Jenny Morgan and Sawyer Landry are among the cast for Amarillo Little Theatre's production of "The Play That Goes Wrong."

The production's director spoke about the production's unique engagement with the audience, including plenty of fourth-wall breaks catered to provide a laugh for all viewers.

"This is the best time to see a comedy. The holidays are over; the colder weather is here. What better way to relax than to come in and just laugh? Forget about everything, all your troubles for a few hours, and enjoy a murder mystery that is a comedy like you have probably never seen before," Hisek said.

This Olivier and Tony Award-winning comedy is a hilarious hybrid of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes that is not to be missed. Come see all the mayhem Jan. 11-21 on the ALT Allen Shankles Mainstage, located at 2019 Civic Circle.

Showtimes are Jan. 11 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. (Thursday); Jan. 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 8 p.m. (Friday/Saturday); and Jan. 14 and 21 at 2:30 p.m. (Sunday).

This show is recommended for ages 10+ due to some adult themes, including violence and gunshots. Reserve your tickets online at www.amarillolittletheatre.org or by calling 806-355-9991.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: ALT presents night of unpredictability with 'Play That Goes Wrong'