Rehearsals for new play within a play to start
The Pahiatua Repertory Society is currently in rehearsal for their next production, the hilarious comedy Play On!
Directed by Ngaire Ngatuere, Play On! has a cast of 10.
Most of the actors are actually playing two roles — one in Play On! and one in the internal play Murder Most Foul.
There are four characters who don’t do ‘double duty’ — the stage manager, the director, the technician and the playwright. The cast is: Aggie Manville — stage manager and prompt Deb Bansall Allen, Geraldine (Gerry Dunbar) — a community theatre director, Vanessa Coogan. Henry Benish (Lord Dudley) Alan West. Polly Benish (Lady Margaret) Lesley Courtney. Marla (Smitty) Smith (Doris the maid) Katelyn Coogan. Saul Watson (Doctor Rex Forbes) Graeme Vial. Billy Carewe (Stephen Sellers) Michael Moran. Violet Imbry (Diana Lassiter) Emma Pelling, Louise Peary — the sound, lighting and scenic technician Karen Webster. Phyllis Montague — a novice community playwright, Pat West.
Play On! is about a small community group of actors staging a new play, Murder Most Foul, for the first time.
The director is valiantly attempting to get the production ready for opening night, four days away.
However, the author decides to re-write the play, changing the actors’ lines and, worse still, add a new character.
The cast members of Murder Most Foul are having problems enough learning the original script, let alone learning any new lines and suddenly having to incorporate a new character.
Even with the help of the stage manager/prompt and the sound and lighting technician, it seems as though the production is doomed.
Anyone who has been involved in rehearsing a play will identify very strongly with the maxim “If anything can go wrong — it will.”
Those who know little about the theatre will be enlightened and thoroughly amused!
Play On! is onstage at the Pahiatua Regent Theatre from May 18-27.
Tickets will be on sale from Ticketdirect, www.ticketdirect.co.nz from Monday April 3. Door sales will be available.
Check us out on facebook: Pahiatua Repertory Society — Play On.