On the night of his engagement party Charles Haversham is found unresponsive in his private quarters—he’s not breathing and there’s no heartbeat—he was perfectly alive just hours earlier.
According to his maid Perkins, “never was there a man with more zest for life than Charles Haversham.” It was obviously murder, the one question that remains, who killed Charles Haversham…dun, dun, dun.
This week Coal City Theatre Department will present “The Play That Goes Wrong,” a hilarious, fast-paced comedy that follows members of the fictional Cornley Drama Society as they perform a murder mystery play “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” From the beginning everything that can possibly go wrong does for the cast of over-the-top characters and the crew that is supporting them behind the scenes and on stage.
Playwrights Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields “The Play That Goes Wrong,” will likely be, “the funniest show you’ll ever see.”
This play within a play features a cast of over-the-top characters that will keep audiences laughing from the opening curtain to the final bow.
“This year’s fall play is quite different from what audiences have seen in the past few seasons,” said Jack Micetich, Coal City Theatre Department’s director. This particular cast has not had the experience of performing at the comedic level that aquates to the writing of “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
“Comedy is not easy. Our students have been putting in an incredible amount of time, creativity and energy on this production in order to make the humor feel effortless and the story compelling,” Micetich said.
The 13 member cast is comprised of Mason Hamilton as Chris Bean/Inspector Carter; Julian Micetich as Johnathan Harris/Thomas Colleymoore; Theo Fritz as Robert Grove/Thomas Colleymoore; Brody D’Orazio, as Max Bennett/Cecil Haversham/Arthur the Gardener; Gabby VanDuyne as Denise Tyde/Perkins; Charlotte Banks as Sandra Wilkinson/Florence Colleymore; Aubrey Gunwald as Annie Twilloil, Austin Harding as Trevor and Cora Armstrong, Alex Carlson Lexi Dearth, Maxx Kramer, and Jordan Olson as the acting stage crew.
Together, these characters create a perfect storm of theatrical disaster that comes down to showcasing the true spirit of perseverance and the joy of performing.
There are three chances to catch all the “theatrics,” that is “The Play That Goes Wrong.” The fall play opens Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. with additional performances in the Coal City Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. Reserved seat tickets available at bit.ly/CCTheatreDept or at the door beginning one hour prior to each scheduled performance—on-site sales are cash only.
“I can’t wait to see the audience's reaction to what is likely the funniest play they will ever see,” Theo Fritz said.
“We encourage you to take some time this weekend and join us in the Coal City Performing Arts Center as we kick-off the 2025-2026 season, it's certainly going to be a fun one and this show will leave you laughing,” Director Micetich said.