"The Play That Goes Wrong" is a comedy play that follows the disastrous journey of the fictitious Cornley Drama Society as they attempt to stage a murder mystery play titled "The Murder at Haversham Manor." From the moment the curtains open, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. The inept and accident-prone actors stumble through their lines, miss cues, and suffer from hilarious mishaps. The set itself becomes a source of chaos, with collapsing scenery, malfunctioning props, and unpredictable technical failures. As the play within the play unravels, the actors struggle to maintain their composure, leading to a series of slapstick and physical comedy sequences. Amid the chaos, the dedicated Cornley Drama Societycast members bravely persevere, improvising their way through the calamities and attempting to salvage the performance. With each mishap, the humor escalates, leaving the audience in stitches. Through the Temescal Canyon High School Spotlight Players' uproarious portrayal of a theater production gone awry, "The Play That Goes Wrong" celebrates the resilience and absurdity of live theater while delivering a side-splittingly funny experience for the audience.

Set Design: Jamison Rieger | Set Dressing: Tara Abell | Set Construction: LEUSD Tech Crew

 

The set for the play "The Play That Goes Wrong" is a masterpiece of controlled chaos and comedic ingenuity. The color pallet was selected to define the space from our Titan stage without visually competing with the actors. Our student set painters worked with laser-cut stencils, air brushes, and sponges to create the illusion of wallpaper along the walls of the manor while the illusion of wainscotting was painted in the compliment to violet of the "wallpaper" to contrast the deep blue chaise lounge from its background. This set is deliberately designed to be shallow in an effort to push the dramatic action toward the audience and to allow for interaction between the cast and the audience. Flats matching the "interior decor" create the illusion of additional hallways in the manor while, as the set breaks down, they also readily confess the illusion that set design exploits.

 

As the title suggests, this set is intentionally designed to depict a theater production that is constantly beset by hilarious mishaps and unexpected accidents. In a stroke of comedic brilliance, the set is rigged with hidden traps, malfunctioning props, and cleverly concealed mechanisms that cause doors to stick and objects to fall at precisely the wrong moments. These deliberate design flaws are essential for the play's comedic timing and physical comedy. The set becomes an active participant in the chaos, contributing to the humor and drawing laughter from the audience as the actors struggle to navigate the treacherous environment. Overall, the set for "The Play That Goes Wrong" is a testament to the creative collaboration between set designers, directors, and performers in bringing a hilariously dysfunctional world to life on stage.