The cast of Noises Off! Andrew Bradford Benson, Darrell Johnston, Seth Kaltwasser, Kimberly Braun, Ed Moersfelder, Elizabeth Albers, Josiah Laubenstein, Megan Clark and Jaclyn Johnson. Sardines! Sheets and Doors! Phones and Police! Bags and Boxes! St. Croix Festival Theatre’s fall production is now in rehearsal, celebrating the company’s 25th Anniversary of producing professional theatre in the upper St. Croix River Valley. Noises Off, a comedy written by Michael Frayn, promises to be an evening of surprises and laughter. The New York Times has described the play as “[t]he most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy. A spectacularly funny, peerless backstage farce. This dizzy, well-known romp is a festival of delirium.” Now in its second week of rehearsal, the play is directed by Jenny Ward who was last at Festival Theatre to direct the Youth Conservatory in 2013 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The story line of Noises Off follows a cast of itinerant actors in a flop of a play called Nothing On during the dress rehearsal, one month into the run, and the final performance. As the play progresses, relationships fray and the disintegration of the actors’ personal lives is hilariously displayed for all to see. Dotty, played by Festival veteran Jaclyn Johnson, is nursing along the play which she is producing and in which she is acting, hoping to put aside a nest egg from its profits. The Nothing On director Lloyd, played by Darrell Johnston is hoping simply to get the play on its feet and leave to direct “Richard III”…oh, and maintain romantic relationships with the assistant stage manager Poppy, played by Elizabeth Albers and the glamorous actress Brooke, played by Megan Clark. Frederick, played by Andrew Bradford Benson, suffers from nosebleeds at the slightest hint of violence and Gary, played by Seth Kaltwasser, can’t form a coherent thought to save his soul. Add the overworked and sleep deprived stage manager Tim, played by Josiah Laubenstein, the overly helpful and passive-aggressive young actress Belinda, played by Kim Braun, and the elderly actor Selsdon in endless pursuit of the backstage whiskey bottle, played by Ed Moersfelder, and the play within the play inevitably leaves the rails.
A ninth character in Noises Off is the ambitious set designed by David Markson and built by Carpenter Fizz Kizer and David Holmes which pivots to show us the front of the set for the first and third acts, and the back of the set, and the action taking place off stage in the play within a play, in act two. Properties for the show are by Abi Leveille, Costumes by Gina Bonin, and Lighting Design by Todd Reemtsma. Peter Weber is production Stage Manager.
Jaclyn Johnson, Festival’s Artistic Director, says: “We have had our eye on producing this show for the past several years and felt that our twenty-fifth celebratory season of theatre in this historic venue was a great time to revive this classic farce last produced here in 2004 and loved by our audiences then. Rehearsals are just pure fun and I can’t wait to have the audience participate with us as we bring this show once more to Festival’s stage.”
Noises Off opens on Saturday, October 3rd and will run through Sunday, October 25th. Thursday and Sundaymatinees are at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday evening shows are at 7:30 p.m. The show is Flex Pass eligible. Single tickets for the play are $26 for adults and $13.50 for youth. Groups of ten or more are eligible for special ticket prices of $19.50 and groups of 20 or more for special ticket prices of $17.50.
The story line of Noises Off follows a cast of itinerant actors in a flop of a play called Nothing On during the dress rehearsal, one month into the run, and the final performance. As the play progresses, relationships fray and the disintegration of the actors’ personal lives is hilariously displayed for all to see. Dotty, played by Festival veteran Jaclyn Johnson, is nursing along the play which she is producing and in which she is acting, hoping to put aside a nest egg from its profits. The Nothing On director Lloyd, played by Darrell Johnston is hoping simply to get the play on its feet and leave to direct “Richard III”…oh, and maintain romantic relationships with the assistant stage manager Poppy, played by Elizabeth Albers and the glamorous actress Brooke, played by Megan Clark. Frederick, played by Andrew Bradford Benson, suffers from nosebleeds at the slightest hint of violence and Gary, played by Seth Kaltwasser, can’t form a coherent thought to save his soul. Add the overworked and sleep deprived stage manager Tim, played by Josiah Laubenstein, the overly helpful and passive-aggressive young actress Belinda, played by Kim Braun, and the elderly actor Selsdon in endless pursuit of the backstage whiskey bottle, played by Ed Moersfelder, and the play within the play inevitably leaves the rails.
A ninth character in Noises Off is the ambitious set designed by David Markson and built by Carpenter Fizz Kizer and David Holmes which pivots to show us the front of the set for the first and third acts, and the back of the set, and the action taking place off stage in the play within a play, in act two. Properties for the show are by Abi Leveille, Costumes by Gina Bonin, and Lighting Design by Todd Reemtsma. Peter Weber is production Stage Manager.
Jaclyn Johnson, Festival’s Artistic Director, says: “We have had our eye on producing this show for the past several years and felt that our twenty-fifth celebratory season of theatre in this historic venue was a great time to revive this classic farce last produced here in 2004 and loved by our audiences then. Rehearsals are just pure fun and I can’t wait to have the audience participate with us as we bring this show once more to Festival’s stage.”
Noises Off opens on Saturday, October 3rd and will run through Sunday, October 25th. Thursday and Sundaymatinees are at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday evening shows are at 7:30 p.m. The show is Flex Pass eligible. Single tickets for the play are $26 for adults and $13.50 for youth. Groups of ten or more are eligible for special ticket prices of $19.50 and groups of 20 or more for special ticket prices of $17.50.
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