Pavement Ends Studio Brings Youth Theatre Tour of Mischief Theatre Company's THE ONE-ACT PLAY THAT GOES WRONG to New Mexico

Pavement Ends Studios has announced its inaugural youth theatre tour of Mischief Theatre Company's The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong, playing the Alpine Lodge Rail Haus in Red River, New Mexico June 15-19, 2022. The production began in Cherokee, Oklahoma as Cherokee High School's 2021 class 4A state championship play directed by Jason Paris.

"This is really a dream come true," Paris said, "I've visited Red River a lot over the years, and I've always wondered why there's no live theatre there. It seemed like an opportunity, so I reached out to people, kind of randomly, and ended up finding some really great partners with the Alpine Lodge. I couldn't be more excited about doing this show there."

The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields is the original hour-long version of Mischief Theatre Company's West End and Broadway hit show, The Play that Goes Wrong. A fast paced slapstick comedy in which a well meaning but ultimately incompetent troupe of actors attempts to put on the exciting whodunit, The Murder at Haversham Manor, the play has spawned numerous professional productions, other Goes Wrong plays, and a BBC television series, The Goes Wrong Show.

"I was lucky to see the original cast, who are also the creators of the show, in New York," Paris said, "I was producing a show for the Midtown International Theatre Festival, and we had a day off, so we got tickets to this comedy we knew nothing about. From the moment we walked into the theatre, though, we realized this was going to be a fun experience. I've never laughed that much in my life. At intermission, I got on my phone and ordered tickets to see it again. It was that good, and I knew I'd be directing it someday."

That day was delayed, however, by Covid-19. Originally, set to produce the show in the fall of 2020 at Cherokee High School, Paris backed out when it became clear that the state one-act festival would be virtual, citing his view that the show requires a live audience to work. Paris was able to direct the show during the 2021-2022 school year, though, garnering the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association's class 4A state championship, the technical theatre award, and four All-State cast positions. In addition to winning the past three state one-act play contests, the cast boasts a combined 18 All-State awards for theatre, speech and debate.

"I know this seems crazy," Paris explained, "I mean, It's a significant expense, and I'm sure Pavement Ends Studios will take a little bit of a financial hit, but I also feel compelled to put my money where my mouth is in terms of the importance of the arts. I think the arts are the most important things we do, and I want my students to understand that theatre, or really any of the arts, aren't just things we do in school. They're life-long pursuits, and you can engage with them at any level. The other impetus, really, is that I think we're just beginning to understand the damage the pandemic did to our kids' psyches. They're resilient, and we'll all be fine, but I do think that it took a little magic out of the world for a lot of kids, so this is, hopefully, an opportunity to bring a little magic back for people. And this group of kids is certainly capable of doing that."

Pictured: The company of Pavement Ends Studios' youth theatre production of The One-Act Play that Goes Wrong.