The Play that Goes Wrong is a play-within-a-play comedy about a well-meaning, but inept theater group attempting to put on the fictitious Murder at Haversham Manor. While the play has been rehearsed, the props and set are gorgeous and mostly functional, and the actors look wonderful, a mix of Murphy's Law, dropped lines, and pride result in a series of errors, culminating with the very stage falling apart around them. The Play that Goes Wrong is a testament to the love of theater and gives us perfectionists a chance to step back and laugh at ourselves.

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Cast

Joshua Winston (Chris) is a third-year Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Major. His previous UT shows include Trail to Oregon (Understudy - Men), Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood (Friar Tuck), The Laramie Project (Actor 4/Moises Kaufman), and Dead Fun Society (Ben). He is incredibly excited to be a part of this show and grateful to everyone involved in this process for making this show possible. His goes wrong moment is when he was forced to replace someone a full foot shorter than him halfway through a performance of High School Musical.

Fernando Paiz (Robert) is a first year prospective molecular engineering major. The Play That Goes Wrong is his University Theater debut! Some of his favorite roles from the past include: King Basilius in Head Over Heels, Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps, and Bill in Lobby Hero, all of which were under the Performing Arts department of Milton Academy. His ‘goes wrong’ moment stems all the way back to his sixth grade production of Wonka, in which, on opening night, the chocolate river prop, a long flowing brown silk, went missing. In a stalwart attempt to play off this miscue, Fernando tried to convince the rest of the oompa-loompas to ‘become the river.’ They did not, and alas, he was the lone loompa waving his arms in front of the stage.

Michael Guiliano (Dennis) is a first year with varied interests including Physics, East Asian Languages and Civilization, and Glee. Previous roles include Bill Austin from Mamma Mia! and Demetrius in a Midsummer Night’s Dream. His ‘goes wrong’ moment is when he had to physically replace a fellow performer‘s wig in an middle school production of Bye Bye Birdie after it became airborne mid-scene.

Liv Moreno (Sandra) is a second year majoring in Global Studies and minoring in Health and Society. This is her first play at UChicago, but some of her favorite previous roles have been in Three Sisters (Natasha), Singin’ in the Rain (Dora Bailey), and Our Town (Emily u/s). She is so grateful to have worked on such a fun show with such a supportive group of people, and wants to thank Caroline for being a kind and patient director. Her personal best ‘goes wrong’ moment in theater was when she was an ASM for a show, and when she walked through the curtains to put a prop on stage, the curtain rod fell from the ceiling onto her head and concussed her! She hopes nothing like that will happen in this performance, and hopes you enjoy the show!

Collin Polasky (Max) is a third-year Computer Science and Economics major. He’s previously been a part of Queen of Spades (Hermann) and is super excited to be back on stage for his first full production at UChicago. He’s had a blast putting this show together with this incredible cast and crew. Special shoutouts to Rory, Eleni, and Jon who encouraged him to actually audition despite his trademark indecisiveness. His goes wrong moment was in 8th grade when he not only missed going on stage but when he did appear he was wearing half of two separate costumes.

Kati Langille (Annie) debuted with University Theater in this main stage production. Her real-life ‘goes wrong’ moment was when she was a cow in a grade school show and coughed in the middle of her moo-sical number. Thankfully the cow’s sickness was canonical, and people thought the performance was spot on. Kati, however, sobbed.

Lucienne Totti (Taylor) is a second-year Political Science and TAPS major. She has previously worked on UT shows, Perfect Match (Jessie), and Strings Attached (Assistant Vocal Director). Before college that she was trained in Opera and Musical Theater for most of her adolescence. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and misses the island everyday. Outside of UT she likes to go on adventures downtown and greet every dog that approaches her. You can usually find her studying in the Logan Center, or occasionally in the basement of Phi Delt. My best ‘goes wrong’ moment in theater was when I played a nun in ‘Sound of Music’ for a high school performance. The set of in this case ‘the chapel’ ended up falling behind us as we sang the scene the last night of the show. No one was hurt but it became a hazard the rest of the show.

Sean Moore (Johnathan) is a third year Economics, Math and Philosophy major. This is his first full production with UT, but he has previously written and performed in Theater[24]. His ‘goes wrong’ moment was the crew accidentally blacking out the lights in the middle of a performance of Newsies. He would like to thank the cast and crew for all the hard work they’ve put into the show.

Production Staff

Caroline Lopez (Director) is a third year Chemistry major and, more importantly, incredibly grateful for all the hard work everyone in this company has put into turning the chaos in her brain into a full-fledged production. Like Chris, she is also making her directorial debut, though you may have seen her on stage in Dead Fun Society, Marian, Queen of Spades, or The Trail to Oregon! She would like to thank every single person who supported this production for making it a reality. There are over 30 people in this company: they are all incredible human beings and wonderfully, wonderfully talented artists who are capable of minor miracles. While she is certain The Murder at Haversham Manor will not go wrong (knock on wood), it has forced her to relive her own worst ‘goes wrong’ moment in which she snapped a prop knife on the stomach of Tony in West Side Story while stabbing him: he’s fine, they’re still really good friends, she swears, no need to check up on him!

Andrei Thüler (Production Manager) is a third-year Data Science Major, Science Communication & Public Discourse Minor. His University Theater credits include Theater[24] Fall 2021 (Director), Workshops - Ah Wing (Lighting Designer), Workshops - Ah Wing (Videographer), Workshops - The Heirs (Videographer), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Videographer), Amazon’s and Their Men (Videographer), The Heirs (Videographer), The Light (Videographer), Workshops - Fields of Asphodel (Videographer), Workshops - Chaos Theory (Videographer), Theater[24] Spring 2022 (Videographer), New Work Week - Pre-vaccine Post-Instagram (Videographer), Trail To Oregon (Videographer), King Lear (Videographer), Scientific Method (Video Editor), TAPS BA Projects - Yivdak (Videographer), TAPS BA Projects - Ah Wing (Videographer), Workshops - The Intruder (Videographer), Workshops - Perfect Match (Videographer), Marian Or The True Tale of Robin Hood (Videographer), Romeo and Juliet (Videographer), Theater[24] Winter 2023 (Videographer), Macbeth In Space (Videographer), The Laramie Project (Videographer), Workshops - Queen of Spades (Videographer), Workshops - Harlesden High Street (Videographer), Be More Chill (Production Manager), Be More Chill (Videographer), Twelfth Night (Videographer), Dead Fun Society (Videographer), Theater[24] Fall 2023(Videographer), Workshops - Cassandra (Videographer), Workshops - Strings Attached (Videographer), The Wolves (Videographer), The Taming of the Shrew (Videographer), Muscle Memory (Videographer), Workshops - Paper Wasters (Videographer), Workshops - The Song of Circles (Videographer), Falsettos (Videographer), Oedipus Designer Run (Videographer), Richard III (Videographer), Theater[24] Spring 2024 (Videographer), and Strings Attached (Videographer). He has filmed over 100 performances for UChicago’s Theater And Performance Studies department. His goes wrong moment is when he realized he ran out of storage right before re-filming Trail To Oregon (long story), so he had to drive back to IHouse to grab more SD cards, only making it back 10 minutes before the opening number. In his free time, he enjoys coding and fighting the university bureaucracy. andreithuler.com

Jinhee Kim (Stage Manager) is a MAPH alum in EALC and TAPs. She has previously worked on Muscle Memory (Assistant Stage Manager). She had many ‘goes wrong moments’ in her past productions, but one of the most notable ones happened during her first show ever in undergrad. She was the light board operator. An actor had one job: to walk across the stage at the end of the scene. For whatever reason, he decided to walk across the stage at the beginning of the scene. Other actors had to immediately jump to the end of the scene. She had to rapidly go through a couple of light changes (luckily there was no sound cues in this scene). More importantly, she had helped write a part of this scene and was very sad none of it got delivered. This was also the first time she heard her director (who was watching from the booths) swear. A year later for a different show, she also had the wonderful experience of programming light cues as SM/light designer while the house was open, finishing two minutes before show time (swearing in Korean the whole time. Her ASM/board operators were incredibly amused). She is very grateful to everyone in this wonderful production! (especially that she did not have to go near light or sound board)

Kaden Kaden (Lighting Designer) is a first year Linguistics and History major with a love for kombucha and bogs. They’ve previously worked on String Attached, (Assistant Costume Designer & Assistant Lighting Designer), Muscle Memory (Lighting Designer), Winter Workshops (Costume Designer), and three quarters of Theater [24] (Lighting Designer).

Elena Gill (Sound Designer) is a fourth-year Linguistics and Public Policy major. She has previously worked on Falsettos (Music Director/Rehearsal Pianist), Be More Chill (Co-Music Director/Rehearsal Pianist/Keyboard 1), Queen of Spades (Pianist/Rehearsal Pianist), Yivdak (Composer/Arranger/Music Director/Pianist), Trail to Oregon! (Piano 1/Rehearsal Pianist), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Asst. Sound Designer). Her goes wrong moment is when, after never having a problem in rehearsal, she played the dramatic opening chord of Be More Chill in the wrong key on opening night.

Aneth Rodriguez (Scenic Designer) is a second-year student double majoring in Economics and Psychology. Prior work she has done is Dead Fun Society (Assistant Director) and various TAPS reading projects. A ‘gone wrong’ moment during DFS is when a light fixture unexpectedly fell from the ceiling of Cobb Cafe. Fortunately, nobody was harmed in this ‘went wrong moment,’ but it certainly added quite the twist to the production.

Ryanne Leonard (Scenic Designer) is a second-year Political Science and Law, Letters, and Society major. She has previously worked on Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Production Manager) and Taming of the Shrew (Scenic Designer).

Ruth Witter (Props Designer) is a first year Linguistics and Something Else major. They have previously worked on Taming of the Shrew (Vincentio/Curtis/Rich Brian) and Richard III (Clarence/York/Derby). This is their first venture outside of the Dean’s Men and they’re finding the lack of ‘methinks’ disturbing.

Belle Nahoom (Costume Designer) is a third-year TAPS/Data Science double major. Her previous theatre credits at the University include The Heirs (ASM), Marian (ASM), The Intruder Workshop (Costume Designer), Scientific Method (Costume Designer), Macbeth in Space (Hair & Makeup), Queen of Spades Workshop (SM & PM), The Laramie Project (SM Collective), the B.A. Thesis, Yivdak (Jared), 12th Night (Hair & Makeup), Be More Chill (Costume Designer), The Wolves (Asst. Costume Designer), Falsettos (Costume Designer), Theatre24, as well as the upcoming spring production of Midsummer (Asst. Costume Designer). Additionally, she is artistic director of the Commedia Dell’Arte improv troupe on campus and a member of Medusa A Capella. She would like to thank her phenomenal assistant for all her help!

Konstantin Shmarko (Asst. Director) is a third-year Economics major. He’s been around UT for a second, working as Assistant Dramaturg on Be More Chill last spring quarter, as Production Manager on Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood in Autumn 2023, acting in The Heirs as Teagan all the way back in Winter 2022, not to mention several installments of T[24] and Staged Readings. When acting on the Heirs, he had the tremendous honor of derailing the entire production by getting Covid (the show was luckily re-railed after he got better), a fact that his fellow UT-ers don’t hesitate to bring up every time understudy roles are discussed.

Giancarlo Beritela (Asst. Director) is a second-year in the College studying Economics and Romance Languages. His other UT credits include acting as Baptista (Taming of the Shrew), Chase von Meyer (Dead Fun Society), and Benvolio (Romeo & Juliet). This is also his first time directing! During a high school production of Clue, a fellow cast member whispered ‘Coochie Man’ to him quite loudly from backstage while he was onstage, unfortunately causing him to break and laugh much longer than is generally considered appropriate.

Rachel Bolte (Asst. Production Manager) is a second year Sociology and Germanic Studies major. Although this is her first production with UT, as a kid she played just about every role except baby Jesus in the church Christmas program her aunts annually direct. Her goes-wrong moment is the one year she agreed to operate the curtains for the aforementioned Christmas program and they did not open in a timely manner because she was dozing backstage.

Kelly Mao (Asst. Production Manager) is a third-year Computer Science and Mathematics major whose UT credits include Muscle Memory (Stage Manager), The Laramie Project (Calling Stage Manager), and The Heirs (Production Manager). Her entire life is a series of ‘goes wrong’ moments.

Camila Delgado (Asst. Stage Manager) is a first year Astrophysics major. They have previously worked on Richard III (Lighting Designer), Taming of the Shrew (Assistant Lighting Designer), and Theater[24]. Their most dramatic ‘Goes Wrong’ moment was when the ancient laptop running the lighting system crashed, deleting all of the light cues for a musical five minutes before the show began. They were able to reprogram the cues unnoticed during the first act, though! Unbeknownst to them, someone backstage had named the Scottish Play right before this exact moment…

Elias Buttress (Asst. Stage Manager) is a first year Art History major. He has previously worked on Falsettos(Marvin) and Muscle Memory(Assistant Production Manager). He is glad to be joining this production alongside his many fellow Shoreyites.

Will Rehmus (Asst. Lighting Designer) is a first-year astrophysics major. They have previously worked on Weekend of Workshops: Cassandra (Lighting and Sound Designer), Muscle Memory (Asst. Lighting Designer), Falsettos (ASM), and Strings Attached (Co-Sound Designer).

Asher Stone (Asst. Sound Designer) is a first year biology major. He has previously worked on A Midsummer Night’s Dream (House Manager). He’s also had many acting roles in productions including A Chorus Line (Al), Mamma Mia (Eddie), Into the Woods (Rapunzel’s Prince) and Pippin (Pippin). He’s having a lovely time working behind the scenes for a change.

Althea Li (Asst. Sound Designer) is a fourth year Music and Statistics double major at the College. In UT, she has previously worked on Strings Attached (Conductor, Co-Music Director), Falsettos (Choreographer), the Strings Attached Workshop (Co-Composer, Choreographer), and Be More Chill (Choreographer), but you may have also seen her dance for UCDancers and UBallet. A Play That Went Wrong for Althea is when she dropped her conducting baton during a number of Strings Attached when the spotlight was on her.

Elias Buttress (Asst. Scenic Designer) is a first year Art History major. He has previously worked on Falsettos(Marvin) and Muscle Memory(Assistant Production Manager). He is glad to be joining this production alongside his many fellow Shoreyites.

Ruth Witter (Asst. Scenic Designer) is a first year Linguistics and Something Else major. They have previously worked on Taming of the Shrew (Vincentio/Curtis/Rich Brian) and Richard III (Clarence/York/Derby). This is their first venture outside of the Dean’s Men and they’re finding the lack of ‘methinks’ disturbing.

Seth Wang (Asst. Scenic Designer) is a first year in the college. They have never worked on a UT show before. They look forward to pushing the flat over. Their ‘Goes Wrong’ moment was realizing that a pole specifically designed to only support the weight of a piece of fabric was, in fact, meant to support the weight of a man.

Seth Wang (Asst. Props Designer) is a first year in the college. They have never worked on a UT show before. They look forward to pushing the flat over. Their ‘Goes Wrong’ moment was realizing that a pole specifically designed to only support the weight of a piece of fabric was, in fact, meant to support the weight of a man.

Kaiden Wu (Asst. Props Designer) Hi, I’m Kaiden, and this is my first time working on props. Turns out I’m pretty bad at making brooms though, I can’t quite get the formula down. If anyone has any tips on how to not make them break apart on their own please let me know.

Ciara Kinney (Asst. Costume Designer)

Seth Wang (Stagehand) is a first year in the college. They have never worked on a UT show before. They look forward to pushing the flat over. Their ‘Goes Wrong’ moment was realizing that a pole specifically designed to only support the weight of a piece of fabric was, in fact, meant to support the weight of a man.

Eleni Lefakis (Stagehand) is a third-year TAPS major. She is pleasantly shocked and appalled that a show that is literally designed to crash and burn never once managed to be a pain in her ass! Eleni’s real-world goes wrong moment is when she accidentally got violently high on cold medicine right before her debut as Maria in West Side Story and threw Tony halfway across the stage when he tried to hug her.

Collin Polasky (Stagehand) is a third-year Computer Science and Economics major. He’s previously been a part of Queen of Spades (Hermann) and is super excited to be back on stage for his first full production at UChicago. He’s had a blast putting this show together with this incredible cast and crew. Special shoutouts to Rory, Eleni and Jon who encouraged him to actually audition despite his trademark indecisiveness. His goes wrong moment was in 8th grade when he not only missed going on stage but when he did appear he was wearing half of two separate costumes.

Elias Buttress (Stagehand) is a first year Art History major. He has previously worked on Falsettos(Marvin) and Muscle Memory(Assistant Production Manager). He is glad to be joining this production alongside his many fellow Shoreyites.

Konstantin Shmarko (Fight Captain) is a third-year Economics major. He’s been around UT for a second, working as Assistant Dramaturg on Be More Chill last spring quarter, as Production Manager on Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood in Autumn 2023, acting in The Heirs as Teagan all the way back in Winter 2022, not to mention several installments of T[24] and Staged Readings. When acting on the Heirs, he had the tremendous honor of derailing the entire production by getting Covid (the show was luckily re-railed after he got better), a fact that his fellow UT-ers don’t hesitate to bring up every time understudy roles are discussed.

Giancarlo Beritela (Fight Captain) is a second-year in the College studying Economics and Romance Languages. His other UT credits include acting as Baptista (Taming of the Shrew), Chase von Meyer (Dead Fun Society), and Benvolio (Romeo & Juliet). This is also his first time directing! During a high school production of Clue, a fellow cast member whispered ‘Coochie Man’ to him quite loudly from backstage while he was onstage, unfortunately causing him to break and laugh much longer than is generally considered appropriate.

Eleni Lefakis (Committee Liason) is a third-year TAPS major. She is pleasantly shocked and appalled that a show that is literally designed to crash and burn never once managed to be a pain in her ass! Eleni’s real-world goes wrong moment is when she accidentally got violently high on cold medicine right before her debut as Maria in West Side Story and threw Tony halfway across the stage when he tried to hug her.