As an annual tradition, the PHS Spectacle Theater opens up the season of giving with a fall play. This year, from November 17-20, they presented “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Unlike last year, when the Spectacle Theater’s performance of “Bethel Park Falls” was recorded and streamed due to COVID restrictions, the play was performed in front of a live audience.

“The Play that Goes Wrong” follows the fictional Cornley Drama Society as they attempt to put on a show called “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” This presents a challenge, as everything seems to go wrong - to start with, they have no budget or good actors. As the show progresses, a series of unfortunate events unravels, turning the play into a complete and utter disaster that made the audience cackle to their core. With an unconscious lead, a moving corpse, a ruffled detective, and a butler that fumbles his words, this comedic murder mystery kept the audience on their toes while the ‘actors’ themselves tripped over their lines and props.

Sylven Waldman ‘25, who played Dennis, was absolutely ecstatic when he first heard about the show.

“The moment I heard about it, I immediately downloaded a copy of the script and read it through completely because I was so excited,” Waldman said.

Though putting a production together is no easy feat (as demonstrated by the play itself), the cast worked hard to put on a good performance.

“We’ve been rehearsing since late September. Initially, they were 2-3 times a week and we only had to stay back until 5:30. As we got closer to show day, we started rehearsing more often, about 5 days a week and the occasional weekend rehearsal. The last few rehearsals ran longer until about 9:00,” said Elliott Becker Peeler ’24, who played Chris in the show.

“It’s a very physically demanding show. Because it relies so much on physical comedy, rehearsals have sometimes felt more like sports practice. The stunts are hard and the whole cast has had to build up a lot of strength and stamina. I find three new bruises when I come home every day, but the brutal nature of the show makes it all the more rewarding when we get it right. The preparation has been hard work but it’s work that all of us have put in and I know it’s going to pay off when we have an audience,” said Pippi White ’23, who played Robert.

This play presented a unique challenge - it had to be intentionally bad.

“The rehearsal process has been tough but rewarding. There are so many bits in the show that the actors and crew need to do perfectly wrong, and they’re very satisfying to pull off as a team. The easiest part has definitely been playing off the other actors on stage,” Peeler said.

The production also gave the students involved a sense of community. After spending long hours together in rehearsals, the cast and crew members grew close.

“[The preparation] was very physically demanding but also rewarding at the same time. My favorite part about the play is the community and support system that goes along with it. The whole process of line memorization, blocking, and stunts is so much more enjoyable with friends,” said Noa Zacks ’25, who played Annie.

The play could not be done without the PHS Tech Crew, who work behind the scenes.

“The Tech Crew manages the props, lighting, sound, stage management, costumes, painting, carpentry, and set design for the play. During tech week, which is the week leading up to the performance, we stayed afterschool until 9 every day with the cast for run throughs,” said Carolina Kertesz ’23, props supervisor and Tech Crew co-leader.

The process presented some challenges to the crew members, though it all came together in the end.

“It was difficult figuring out what looks best on stage. We had to be able to differentiate between how it would look painted in a classroom and how it would look with all the lights. We did have to redo some parts, and some days we would stay after school until 10:00 pm, but in the end it all got done. Overall, it was such a fun experience, and it looked amazing,” said Tech Crew member Elizabeth Waldman ’25.