What could possibly go wrong? Almost everything, apparently, in the Performing Institute of Minnesota (PiM) Arts High School’s upcoming production of the Tony Award-winning comedy “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the show is a riotous comedy about the theater. The Cornley Drama Society is attempting to put on a 1920s murder mystery. However, everything that can go awry does, as the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to get to their final curtain call.
Robert Thompson, who is the play’s director and PiM Arts High’s director of communications, said, “This is a tour de force for the actors and technicians. Not only are they trying desperately to present a threadbare murder mystery, but they run into every possible faux pas, mix-up, and disaster that could possibly happen in the theater.”
He added, “Folks familiar with the theater will enjoy the trainwreck that materializes in front of them, and others will just not believe that so many mishaps could happen in one place.”
Performances will take place at PiM’s White Box Theatre at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4. There will also be a 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, May 4, featuring the understudies.
Tickets are available online at pimartshs.org; $5 for students and $12 for adults. The White Box Theatre is located at PiM Arts High School, 7255 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie.
Seniors credit school’s guidance for personal and artistic growth
This will be the final PiM production for three cast members who are seniors: Greta Caliri, Pluto Soloman, and Z Anderson.
Caliri, who has been involved in theater at PiM since ninth grade, said, “I love how fresh it feels to be in this production. We all experiment and add new comedic elements in each rehearsal, so the show feels really exciting every time.”
She said she hopes the audience will find the play funny, as well as feel rapport with the cast and characters. “This play invites the audience to relate to theater makers (actors, tech, crew) in a super unique way, so I hope that they feel more connected to the process of creating a show,” Caliri said.
After graduation, Caliri plans to study theater in college. She credited PiM’s theater teachers with helping her along this journey. “The investment of the theater department teachers in my growth as an artist from my first class here has helped me not only strengthen my musical theater ‘triple threat’ but also develop my artistic identity,” she said.
Caliri said that each performance, class, and opportunity at PiM has helped her build a specific acting skill or become comfortable with a previously challenging concept.
“I have become a more receptive artist and person,” she said. “I have also loved the inspiration that comes from being in a building which is constantly filled with new art.”
Soloman, a senior who plays Perkins, started at PiM with a focus on musical theater, but then changed focus after developing a passion for photography and media arts. Nevertheless, Solomon wanted to take part in one last show.
“I really love above all else the sense of community that you find in productions, especially one like this where there’s a million small things you need to be very precise with and be very trusting of your fellow actors with,” Soloman said. “It’s been so so awesome to grow more comfortable in this group of talented people over the course of the production, and see all of the amazing work we’ve done and our growth to help this show come together.”
Next year, Soloman plans to pursue scientific studies in college, “but I hope to always keep the different arts that I love as a piece of my adult life, whether that’s freelancing photography work or joining in on college theater opportunities.”
Anderson, who is the show’s stage manager, expressed hope that audiences will be able to see and appreciate not only the work that went into creating this show, but also the layers of comedy and the way actors have made choices with that.
“There are so many moments in the show that I didn’t realize were double or triple entendre until a couple of weeks into rehearsal,” Anderson said.
This fall, Anderson plans to study photography at Columbia College Chicago and then pursue a career in fashion photography and the film industry. “Before coming to PiM, I knew I had a passion for art and creation, but I didn’t know how to apply it to anything or realize there were real careers in art,” Anderson said. “I have a ton of things I’m passionate about, so wherever I end up, I know I can thrive.”
Crediting the mentorship of PiM’s staff, Anderson said, “I never thought I would be so passionate about theater tech, but every single production I have been involved in has been such an amazing experience. I have created friends for life, and learned lessons that I can use in so many aspects of my future.”
Cast and crew
Lead cast
Pluto Soloman as Dennis
Isaac Balabuszko-Reay as Robert
Elita Sellner as Trevor
Aurora Penasco Gouin as Annie
Indie Gerster as Max
Addie Wyant as Sandra
Greta Caliri as Chris
Mackenzie Martin as Jonathan
Supporting cast
Nolan Taylor
Bridget Rock
Max Williamson
La’noja Jones
Myles Funderberg
Talia Segal
Student director: Asher Maguire
Production stage manager: Z Anderson
Director: Robert Thompson
Set design: Devin Heuffed
Lighting design: Tom Becklund
Costume design: Laurie Olson-Williams
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