The first weekend of February saw Schaumburg High School students put on the  annual winter play, and this year’s winter play was the ever-enjoyable The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong.  

A hysterical play, The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong tells the story of a theatre company putting on a murder mystery, but there’s a twist.  Everything that can go wrong, does.  From actors getting knocked unconscious to the entire set falling down, the play goes hilariously wrong in every way imaginable.

As for the show itself, the audience loved the perfect comedic timing and excellent physicality of the actors.  The auditorium rang with laughter every time a character missed a cue or looped the script.  The actors’ energy-filled portrayals helped to stick every joke and land every “mess-up.”  

“I loved watching the energy crescendo as the actors, and tech crew honed the show and created an amazing experience for the audience,” stated show director Ms. Micheletto.

The stagecraft and technical aspects of the show also contributed to the mishaps.  It was such a great part of the show, that during one of the performances, the set got thunderous applause when it fell.    

“My favorite ‘mess up’ of the show would have to be the musical cue that plays instead of the musical spike (i.e., Elton John, One Direction, Rick Astley), added assistant student tech director, Emma Radons. “Not only did I find it entertaining to execute, but it also furthered my understanding of QLab, the program we use to control sound effects, light cues, and projections.”  

Regardless of which hysterical “mess-up” was the best, purposeful or otherwise, the show managed to make everything work out in the end and fit together perfectly.

This year’s winter play drew large crowds that filled the auditorium and showered the show with applause.  All in all, the actors, crew, and directors were pleased with the final product, which turned out to be a well-constructed, hilarious, feel-good show that caused everyone who came to leave with huge smiles underneath their masks.  

Junior Chris Mininni, who played Max/Cecil Haversham, felt this show “was one of the best shows SHS has done. And, I personally think it was one of my best performances.”

Next up is Schaumburg High School’s musical, Mary Poppins, which is sure to be just as great of a show and will premiere at the end of April.