Noises Off
"What if we can't pull this off?" is the frightening question that rotates in the brain of every stage and film director. What happens if it all goes wrong? Failure is sometimes inevitable, no matter how hard we fight to avoid it. Michael Frayn's Noises Off takes this fear and puts it under the spotlight, on display for all to see, and every moment is hilarious! Realistically speaking, this level of defeat in one production is highly unlikely, but not impossible. No matter how big the disaster, we must give the audience a show. It must, you know, go on!
This over-the-top farce has become a household name for its familiar antecs and epically funny plotline, script and characters. Noises Off is a play-within-a-play, which tells the story of a cast of six actors, who, along with their Director, Stage Manager and Technician, are so desperately trying to rehearse and be ready to perform their show, "Nothing On." Anyone who has ever been involved in a production knows how incredibly difficult it can be to get "Audience Ready." Amid the overwhelming flood of responsibilities like learning lines and remembering cues, come the mishaps: actors getting sick, stage doors not closing/opening, tech cues coming too soon or too late, costume pieces ripping or props going missing. Then there are the off-stage romances, the misunderstandings, the lack of communication, and so on and so on. Running a tight ship becomes crucial, but that is naturally easier said than done.
Despite being highly educated in Dramatic Literature, Director for "Nothing On," the sarcastic Lloyd Dallas (Alex Organ) has all but thrown in the towel, considering his half-witted talent line-up. You know their types: Dotty (Liz Mikel) the somewhat forgetful veteran actress, Garry (Pierre Tannous) the know-it-all, wanna-be director, Brooke (Molly Searcy) the idiotic indicator, Freddy (Esteban Vilchez) the actor in need of his character's motivation, Belinda (Tiffany Solano) the gossipmonger over-actor, and the chaos causer Selsdon (Bob Hess)--Where the hell is Selsdon?! It is, as you know, very easy to fall into a "type" as an actor, forgetting that you must give your character a true, fleshed out identity. Unlike the actors that they play, the names you see in bold have done just that. Stepping in for Selsdon, when he's passed out drunk in the green room, is Technician/Handyman Tim (Cristian Torres,) who is much better at fixing a broken door than he is facing an audience. And Stage Manager, Poppy (understudied by Amanda Reyes for my performance, but primarily played by Christina Austin Lopez) desperately tries to keep everyone sorted.
Individually, these actors are fantastically amusing, but relationally they are comedic genius! Love triangles, jealousy and the need for attention makes for an explosive chemistry that leaves us spinning in circles, while they're spiraling out of control. Tannous' Garry is the epitome of jealous boyfriends, fuming with rage, making death-threats with his eyes and preparing to bash in the head of the other guy who he thinks is pulling a fast one with his girl. Solano's Belinda mother hens and overcompensates for the mistakes of her fellow actors, dueling with their incompetence, but causes more harm than good. Searcy's Brooke is bouncy, bobbily, and abroad in her own little world, where no one else is invited. Hess' Selsdon is a sneaky little bugger, outsmarting the rest of the gang who wrestle to keep him away from the sauce! Organ as Lloyd could stay a little more focused on directing his show, if he weren't swirled around the finger of two women. Torre's Tim is twisted in everyone's direction and bullied by the Director, Mikel's Queen Dotty spins around and around searching for those sardines, wondering why she's still holding the receiver, all while stroking the egos of two (much younger) men. Vilchez's Freddy, who is delicate and easily wounded, (yet easily encouraged too) can't seem to stop his nose bleed. And Reyes' overly polite Poppy is knocked around and about, taking it on the chin for the greater good.
A beautifully constructed set, designed to fall apart by Todd Rosenthal boasts excellent detail-oriented elements with a rotating stage and sturdy construction. Fantastically funny physical comedy and stage combat is choreographed by Rob Aronowitz. Aaron Patrick DeClerk has crafted a picturesque pallet of fabric variations that are aesthetically pleasing in color, texture and pattern. Wig, hair and make-up designs by Maggie Donald compliment the character and the overall portrait of this production.
Dallas Theater Center and Director Ashley H. White have opened their 2025-2026 season with this outrageous comedy and given us a flawlessly chaotic masterpiece! With excellent attention to detail, masterfully timed physical comedy, and fully immersed characterization, every element has come to together to make this production perfectly imperfect. Tickets can be purchased at dallastheatercenter.org. Noises Off continues through October 26th.
Enjoy the Show!
Natalie Shaw
Photos by Karen Almond
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