LEWISTON – Lewiston Civic Theatre continues its 2022-23 season with Noises Off by Michael Frayn, a play some have hailed as the greatest farce ever written.
Called the “funniest play written in my lifetime” by former New York Times critic Frank Rich, Noises Off is a side-splitting comedy about putting on a comedy. In a rollicking backstage farce about a second-rate theatrical troupe, the audience is treated to a hilarious behind-the-scenes peek at an acting troupe rehearsing a flop called Nothing On.
The Lewiston Civic Theatre is thrilled to have Rodney Farrington back to direct after a 16-year hiatus. Mr. Farrington shares, “The world today is crazy, so spending a couple of hours in a theater lost in a show whose sole purpose is to encourage us to laugh at our own humanity is a rare and welcome escape. Noises Off is the most requested play for the Civic to produce, and I am thrilled to be able to return to direct this brilliant cast in this hysterical show.”
The cast will feature LCT greats Leilani Farrell (It’s a Wonderful Life, The Man Who Came to Dinner), Danielle Jones (Murder on the Orient Express) , Aidan Walsh (Cinderella), Carrie DeBerard (Murder on The Orient Express, Blithe Spirit), Paul Segren (Murder on The Orient Express, Blithe Spirit), Matt DeBerard (Little Shop of Horrors, Murder on the Orient Express), Cooper Knutson (Puffs, Cinderella, Spamalot), Mark Drevlow (The Man Who Came to Dinner, Greater Tuna/Tuna Christmas) , and Ben Bonin (Puffs).
For questions please contact Amy Stout at 321-749-0839 or Nancy McIntosh 406-544-8517. Actors and Creative Staff are available for interviews by request.
This play within a play features an ensemble cast who, despite nerves, dropped lines and technical difficulties, make it through rehearsal and open the show. As time goes by, things deteriorate until pandemonium ensues and axe-wielding co-stars, drunken cast members and misplaced sardines take center stage during a disaster of a performance that threatens to jinx the old saying, “The show must go on.” Doors slamming, on- and off-stage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this uproarious and classically comic play. Rated PG-13 due to innuendo/content and language.
Noises Off premiered on Broadway in 1983 and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. The idea for the play came to Frayn after he was inspired by a performance of a farce while watching in the wings. According to Frayn, “What I saw backstage was actually funnier than what was onstage.” Noises Off was an immediate hit, and has been wildly popular ever since.
Lewiston Civic Theatre’s production of Noises Off is made possible by our sponsors Advantage Advertising, Inland 360, Grocery Outlet and Bumper Crop Coffee. All programming at Lewiston Civic Theatre is made possible through the generous support of the City of Lewiston.
Founded in 1964, the Lewiston Civic Theatre shows originally played at the Porthouse in downtown Lewiston. The Porthouse no longer stands, due to constant water damage from the tides of the Snake River, which were known to flood—but not cancel— a show. As LCT survived those tides, so has it survived the search for a new home. While the performance spaces have changed throughout the years, time and time again the always resilient Lewiston Civic Theatre has proven that theater is the people that create it, not the building that houses it. Currently, season productions are performed at the former Lewiston High School Auditorium (1114 9th Ave, Lewiston, ID 83501, also known as the Normal Hill Campus) in special arrangement with the Lewiston Independent School District. The Lewiston Civic Theatre (Nancy McIntosh, Executive Director) is committed to be a creative home for actors, directors, and designers to collaborate and enrich the cultural life of the LC Valley and surrounding areas. We are an inclusive organization that welcomes and encourages participation and volunteers from all of our community at large.
Lewiston Civic Theatre is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers theatrical productions and theater education opportunities year-round.