By John Lyle Belden

Wendy and I saw two different productions of “The Play That Goes Wrong” this past weekend, and from what we witnessed we would like to make this point: All of the mishaps involved throughout the show are meant to be there. You are not witnessing a very poor performance. Laugh along and enjoy all of the goofiness. Do NOT leave at intermission! That said, let’s get to the actual review. I am reviewing the production by Carmel Apprentice Theatre at (naturally) The Cat.

In a way, this is a perfect show for this company as its productions provide a learning experience for new and out-of-practice theatre folk, mentored by and working with community theatre regulars. Thus, when anything, from a spoken line to a random wall hanging, is dropped, who’s to say that was a mistake? In actuality, we have seen many sharp performances and applause-worthy debuts at their shows, and that tradition continues with this comedy, a directorial debut by Rachael Weyers.

The play is a U.K. and Broadway hit by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer, who apparently spend their time in London making other stage genres and classic stories “go wrong.” The script invokes the spirit of Murphy’s Law, in that practically every conceivable mistake can and will be made.

To set this scene, and provide fair warning, the director (Elijah Baxter) of the play within the play, “Murder at Haversham Manor,” opens with a curtain speech about how this should be better than past low-budget productions. Posters from these sad attempts decorate the production booth at the far-left edge of the stage, where tech director Trevor (Zach Kreinbrink) frets at both the dog Winston (needed for Act Two) and his prized Duran Duran CDs being missing.

Between mishaps – which occur regularly practically from the start – we get a whodunit mystery with the first victim, Charlie (Greg Borgard), lying on the chaise at center stage. He tries in vain to maintain a stiff demeanor as his friend Thomas (Jake Williams), brother Cecil (Tim West), fiancé Florence (Reagan Nagel) and the butler Perkins (Julie Eaton) stomp around, later accompanied by Inspector Carter (Baxter).  Stagehand Annie (Allison Hermann) does what she can to control wayward props and furniture but is soon called into service as Florence when the actress appears to have been knocked out cold.

This farce is “the show must go on” taken to a ridiculous and hilarious extreme. Performances are comic gold all around, including Eaton’s pronunciations of words from her lines she wrote on her hand, West’s mastery of the pratfall and penchant for chewing the scenery when he’s not wrecking it, and the glorious dueling “Florences” as both women feel they should be in the spotlight. Part of the beauty of the show is how the characters trapped within this disaster come to deal with their situation, from moments of cheekiness to resignation.

The CAT worked around both budgetary and geometric limitations of their smallish stage, still managing the main features of the stage set, including a hollow grandfather clock and an unsteady platform representing the manor’s study. It also suits a low-budget community theatre playing a low-budget community drama club to have a woman in pasted-on mustache as the male butler. Through it all, the understanding audience (except for a couple who bolted during intermission, inspiring the top paragraph) seemed to thoroughly enjoy this well-constructed calamity.

There are three more chances to see CAT’s “The Play That Goes Wrong,” Friday through Sunday, March 29-31, at 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. Get tickets at thecat.biz.

And if anyone sees Winston, let them know.