The comedy play “Noises Off” originally written by Michael Frayn was performed at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park, from Oct. 8 to 24 from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
It is widely considered to be one of the best comedy plays to be written. The storyline is a play-within-a-play plot, and follows the trials and tribulations of a scattered theatre troupe touring their production of the fictional comedic play “Nothing On”.
The play was set on different days at different fictional theaters, and set in 1982. For example, Act I was at the Limelight Theater in Gilroy on Monday, Jan. 14, while Act II was at Hanford Civic Auditorium in Hanford on Wednesday matinee, Feb. 13, and Act III was set in Palm Canyon Theater in Desert Hot Springs on Saturday, April 6.
The director for the play was Sheri Lee Miller, the costume designer was Pamela Johnson, the stage manager was Cecelia Hamilton-Lee, and the lighting and set designer was Eddy Hansen. The scenic artist and prop master was Elizabeth Bazzano, the sound designer was Jessica Johnson, the stunt captain was Kevin Bordi, and the Fall Stunt Choreographer was David L. Yen.
The main reason why the director wanted to do this play was because “It was the funniest show I had ever seen in my life… As we are still struggling through a very difficult time in our country and the world, we felt it was the perfect time to just… laugh. Great, big, cathartic belly laughs. So ‘Noises Off’ was the clear choice.”
Attendee Christina Fernandez commended the stage hands for their work. She said at the beginning of Act II that “the stage hands were able to set up very quickly,” because during Act II the setting is completely different from the first act.
The cast consisted of Eileen Morris as Dotty Otley, Matthew Cadigan as Lloyd Dallas, Zane Walters as Garry LeJeune, MacKenzie Cahill as Brooke Ashton, Taylor Diffenderfer as Poppy Norton-Taylor, Kevin Bordi as Frederick Fellowes, Maureen O’Neill as Belinda Blair, Brandon Wilson as Tim Allgood, John Craver as Selsdon Mowbray.
Lissa Ferreira, an attendee stated that “my favorite character is Brooke because the actress playing the character has to have depth to the dumb blonde character. Like [the actress] has to play the dumb blonde within the play, and outside the play. Also her mannerism and behaviors are spot on, that the performance makes it feel believable and realistic.”
Attendee Harlow Shinn said their favorite character was Belinda because “the character is fascinating, because there are brief moments of her supposed ‘kindness’ as being believable. Along with the fact that the character calls everyone an affectionate nickname; however, she is responsible or feels responsible for all the actors and actresses within the production.”
Another attendee, Lehua’s favorite character was Dotty because “the character is so different from myself as an individual in the way that she is desperate for love and affection, yet she looks for it in all the wrong people, and places.”
