A new comedy is coming to the Centralia Cultural Society stage in April. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong in The Play That Goes Wrong, directed by Rob Jackson. The play features a show within a show as an amateur theater troupe puts on a murder mystery that goes awry. The actors make increasingly absurd mistakes as they miss cues, misuse props, and even the set falls apart. Jackson said he chose to direct this play because of how funny it is.
“It’s hilarious. It’s a lot of fun, and I knew the cast was going to have fun doing it,” Jackson said. “It starts funny and it ends funnier. It’s just a laugh a minute, and I feel like these days we could all use a good laugh.”
Jackson called this cast one of the best he’s worked with.
“They’re fabulous. They’re some of the greatest actors I’ve worked with so far. They come in, they work hard, and they’re really focused on the task. They know why we’re doing what we’re doing, and we’re having fun doing it.”
The cast is enjoying the process of putting this show together. Nathan Stanfield, who plays an understudy, says the play presents unique challenges to performers.
“There have been a few gags that are more difficult than others, because it has to look like an accident, and it’s hard to do something on purpose and act like you’re doing it as a mistake,” Stanfield said. “For the most part, I think the show has been very successful during these rehearsals, and I think we’re going to make it all come together to a pretty hilarious disaster by the end of it.”
The Play That Goes Wrong will be presented as a dinner theater show on April 4, 5, 11, and 12. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Dinner tickets are $30 each, or $50 for couples. A limited number of show-only tickets are available for $15 each. Dinner service begins at 6:00, and the curtain opens at 7:30. The production is sponsored by EFI Solutions.
Tickets are available online at our.show/ltpdinner2025.
Preview photos by Austin Williams:
