Theater Review: Spit-takes, handcuffs and murder — Oh my!

Sopris Theatre Company (STC) premiered their second show of the season, “The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong”, on Nov. 18 at Colorado Mountain College’s Spring Valley Campus. Despite a small (intimate) audience turnout, those in attendance filled the room with uproarious laughter at the on-stage shenanigans. With two more weekends of performances, this witty, slapstick show is guaranteed to make other audiences sore from laughter as well.

Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields’ farcical comedy was brought to life by STC’s incredible cast. They did a phenomenal job of being organized in the chaos of the production.

Running at only around 60 minutes, the play packs a powerful punch and treats theatergoers to two shows in one. Within “The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong”, the fictional Cornley Drama Society, complete with a cast and crew, produces “The Murder at Haversham Manor” by fictional playwrite Susie H.K. Brideswell.

Though the title may give away the plot of the show, there are surprises around every corner. While it may be tempting, audiences are advised not to sit in the front row to avoid getting wet from multiple, hilarious spit-takes, where an actor sprays water from their mouth in feigned astonishment.

Every single one of the wacky characters in this production is doing their best to keep the show going, and every one of them fails to do so gloriously. The powerhouse comedic performances from Michael Banks, Joshua Adamson, Delven Bourne, Scott Elmore, JD Edmonds, Bostyn Elswick, Wyatt Tulk and Julia Whalen will leave you in stitches. Everyone in this production becomes increasingly animated over time as more and more things go wrong with their production of “The Murder at Haversham Manor”.

From dead bodies that can’t sit still, inconvenient places to be handcuffed, repeated and misspoken lines of dialogue, set pieces and props suddenly being destroyed and a show’s crew slowly going insane, there is something to laugh about at every beat, and for days later.

“The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong” will be performed again on Nov. 25, 26 and Dec. 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. and at 2 p.m. Nov. 20, 27 and Dec. 4. For tickets or more information, visit www.coloradomtn.edu/theater or call the box office at 970-947-8177.