On Stage Playhouse’s upcoming production is “Noises Off”
Left to right, row one: Cindy Hayes, Stephanie Traylor, Jada Graves, Maddison Travelo. Row two: Paul Russell, Darrick Wilson, Jacob Meadows, Lane Arnold (photo by Karly Pecua)
On Stage Playhouse is thrilled to take the audience behind-the-scenes of a production with the award-winning play “Noises Off!” by Michael Frayn, directed by Marc Hammes with Assistant Director, Paige Hood.
“Noises Off!” is a comedic face of a play-within-a-play. This high energy production follows a cast of actors, their stage manager, and director and the drama that ensues. Each actor cast in this production will be playing an actor who will be playing a character. The audience will get to see the stress of dress rehearsal and take a look at all the hijinks that occur backstage when they’re not supposed to see them. From off-stage relationships to on-stage mistakes, “Noises Off!” premiered on London’s West End in 1982 with a Broadway premiere the following year. In 1992 there was a movie adaptation that featured Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, and Carol Burnett. Recently, it had two Broadway revivals in 2001 and 2016.
Left to right: Lane Arnold, Darrick Wilson, Maddison Travelo (Photo by Karly Pecua)
Maddison Travelo is no stranger to On Stage, but this will be her first production on the stage instead of backstage. Most of her work has been in the dark as she has been a part of many productions, from assistant directing and stage managing to running lights and sound. Travelo also runs On Stage Playhouse’s Teen Drama Club on Mondays from 6:00-7:00PM. This will be her first production back to acting and she is extremely excited this show will be her debut.
“I was extremely surprised [being cast]. Considering it has been a hot minute since I did a show, let alone auditioned for one, I was so nervous during auditions. I am also a firm believer that if it is meant to be it will be, and lucky for me it was! I am most excited for the controlled chaos that this show is full of. I can’t wait to see how everything comes together and the audiences’ reactions to the craziness of this show!”
She will be playing the role of Poppy, the assistant stage manager.
The cast and crew of Noises Off! rehearsing. (Photo by Karly Pecua)
Returning for another fast-paced comedy, Kimberly Wisnewskiis back for her second production with On Stage. She was last seen in “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” She will be performing the role of actor Belinda Blair who is portraying the character Flavia Brent.
“Switching between accents to establish when the character is acting is going to be a fun challenge! I’ve also never been a part of a bigger cast like this. I’m told nine is not a big cast, but my previous experience was a cast of four, so it’s big to me!” Despite her reservations, Wisnewski is just as excited as Travelo: “I’m excited about the madcap farce and the characters playing off each other. I love a good, chaotic story – add in the silly, snarkiness of British humor, and I’m sold!”
Tickets will go on sale April 10th, 2026 online and at Carmichael’s Drug Store in Monroe, GA. Performances are 8:00PM April 24th and 25th and May 1st, 2nd, 8th, and 9th; 2:00PM on May 3rd and 10th; 7:30PM on May 5th of 2026. Tickets cost $20 each with the exception of May 5th for their half-price Tuesday special where tickets cost $10. For additional information, please visit their website at: https://www.onstagewalton.org/. On Stage Playhouse is located at 215 High School Avenue, Monroe, GA.
“Noises Off!” is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
Farce comedy and why you should see it by Paige Hood
On Stage Playhouse is currently diving into rehearsals for Michael Frayn’s Noises Off!, a production that promises to be the most coordinated chaos to hit our local stage this season.
This chaos is built on the foundations of farce, a style of comedy fueled by improbable situations and physical humor. While a standard comedy might rely on a witty joke, farce relies on a character losing their trousers while three different people hide in a closet; it is the “Swiss Watch” of theater, where every door slam and missed connection must be timed to the millisecond, or the whole mechanism grinds to a halt.
Beyond the precision of the timing, Noises Off! follows in the grand tradition of British comedy that we’ve loved for decades. It combines the slapstick, high-speed chases made famous by Benny Hill with the surreal absurdity and “silly walks” of Monty Python. Whether it’s the frantic energy of a Fawlty Towers episode or the irreverent, rule-breaking sketches of the Python troupe, Noises Off! takes these elements and puts them in a play-within-a-play format so the audience can see the backstage bickering that is often funnier than the performance itself!
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