Take A Bow: “The Play That Goes Wrong” Showcases the Comedic Talents of Our Performing Artists

12/13/2018

Last Friday evening, The Play That Goes Wrong went oh-so right as the comedic talents of our performing arts students had laughter echoing off the walls of FoxHound Auditorium.

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, the play-within-a-play follows the misadventures that ensue when the fictional Cornley Women’s Polytech Drama Society, which has admittedly fallen on hard times, presents The Murder at Haversham Manor. Despite the best efforts of the entire cast and crew (who sometimes end up in both roles!), debacles, from falling props and mistiming to mid-performance stand-ins and misreads, take center stage — but we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Portrayed by our girls, the actors of The Murder at Haversham Manor were truly professional throughout the entire production, which only added to the hilarity. The audience gasped when the pediment over the front door swung down to hit Inspector Carter (played by Chris Bean aka Leah S. ‘19) square in the face, but not a step was missed. Trained thespians Robert Grove (played by Krissa T. ‘20), Dennis Tyde (Jennifer C. ‘21), and Chris Bean — plus one crew member, Stage Manager Annie Twilloil (Courtney B. ‘20) who stepped in as impromptu understudy after a mid-scene incident with actress Sandra Wilkenson (Seabrook B. ‘19) — persevered when a script issue ran them in circles unable to advance to the next plot point. And when the murder victim Charles Haversham (played by Jonathan Harris aka Julia G. ‘20) was miraculously resurrected at the wrong time not once, but twice, the actors handled it cooly (while the audience giggled).

With its twists, turns, and no shortage of shenanigans, The Play That Goes Wrong made for the perfect combination of belly laughs from the audience and well-timed acting by our girls. Bravo to Director and Fine Arts Department Chair Karin Thorndike, and to the entire cast and crew for their outstanding work!

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"The Play That Goes Wrong"

In Friday's performing arts workshop production of "The Play That Goes Wrong," our girls portrayed actors of the fictional Cornley Women's Polytech Drama Society, which performed the play "The Murder at Haversham Manor." In the opening scene, the actors (Krissa T. '20, Ella B. '19, and Seabrook B. '19) discovered a murder has been committed.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

While the arrival of the inspector (Leah S. '19) should have moved the investigation along, there were hiccups — such as defective props — that forced the cast to improvise.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

The set had only just come together before curtain... for the most part, that is. When Stage Manager Annie (Courtney B. '20) brought out a part of the mantle, she soon became a living part of the scene.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

Annie (Courtney B. '20), here with Thomas Colleymoore (Krissa T. '20) and Perkins (Jennifer C. '21) would soon step into the spotlight when an unfortunate mishap required an impromptu understudy for Florence Colleymoore.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

The plot unraveled further when another character, Cecil Haversham (Ella B. '19), was murdered!
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

As the characters tried to solve the mystery, they found themselves frustrated by a circular loop in script that would not advance to the next plot point.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

Things clearly got a little heated between the actors, though they tried to remain professional despite the debacles.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

Later in the production, Sandra Wilkenson (Seabrook B. '19) returned to the stage as Florence Colleymoore once more, this time entangling herself with Arthur the Gardener (Janie W. '20) after both her fiance and her secret lover had been murdered.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

But what happens when the understudy doesn't want to give up the spotlight? Hilarity — and two Florence Colleymoores — that's what!
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

The plot turned on its head when the original murder victim, Charles Haversham (Julia G. '20) reappeared and revealed the inspector was behind it all along.
"The Play That Goes Wrong"

Bravo, bravo to the entire cast and crew for bringing such laughter and fun to FoxHound Auditorium!

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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.