INTERVIEW: The show must go on for Maggie Weston
Photo: The Play That Goes Wrong stars Jesse Aaronson and Maggie Weston. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Daniel / Provided by BBB with permission.
The hard-working ensemble of off-Broadway’s The Play That Goes Wrong knows a thing or two about the motto “the show must go on.” On a nightly basis, they present a hilarious murdery mystery over the course of two hours that comes undone and falls apart before the eyes of the audience. Props fail to appear, sets fails to stand, lines fail to be remembered, and poison is substituted for water. As the saying goes, this cast is so right at going so wrong.
At the center of the ensemble is Maggie Weston, playing the role of Sandra. She is portraying an actor in the mysterious play The Murder at Haversham Manor, and the audience has a notion that her character knows a thing or two about the murderous deeds at the center of the plot. The problem is that she keeps getting hit over the head and quite literally knocked out of the show.
“I actually saw The Play That Goes Wrong on Broadway with the original cast, and it was one of those moments where you sit in the theater and you go, oh gosh, I have to be in this,” Weston said in a recent phone interview. “I auditioned for the national tour first, and then I auditioned for Broadway covers. And then finally I auditioned for the off-Broadway show, and I was fortunate enough to be cast as the understudy for Sandra and Annie, and then worked my way up.”
The audition process, Weston said, was different than anything else she’s seen in the theater industry. The creators of the show from England — many of them now appearing on Broadway in Peter Pan Goes Wrong — came over to New York City and held group auditions with the actors. Weston said they played warm-up games, switched partners for scenes and held some of the most inclusive, open auditions she’s ever experienced.
“I think it started off our company just that way, in an inclusive, warm, joyful space, so I really admire how they had us audition,” said Weston, who performed in It’s a Wonderful Life at Miles Square Theatre. “It was very cool.”
Weston, who has a BFA from the University of Miami, approaches the character of Sandra in a unique way. She calls her a “diva,” but she’s also an actor who is extremely excited to perform in The Murder at Haversham Manor. The theater company has a fabulous set and nice costumes, and they are performing for a large crowd. In her mind, she envisions that there’s a casting director in the audience who is taking in Sandra’s performance on stage.
“And she just wants to do a good job and wow everyone in the audience, and so when things start going wrong, all of these buffoons all around her are ruining her chances and ruining her star performance,” she said. “The show is The Murder at Haversham Manor, and everything that goes wrong, you’ve just got to fight through it because you’ve got put on this show.”
Weston can remember “things going wrong” in her high school theater days. Flats would fall, or an actor may miss a line. So the world of The Play That Goes Wrong is not too far from reality.
“Things would just go wrong, and I think everyone can relate to it, whether they are an actor or not,” Weston said. “I think that’s the joy in it, the tragedy of the whole comedy. For Sandra, this is the worst night of her life, and she’s just gotta keep working through it. So, yeah, I can identify with that. I can identify with things going wrong on stage, and you just have to work through it and wow the audience instead so maybe they will forget about it.”
The Play That Goes Wrong, which originated in London and has played Broadway, continues to wow audiences in New York City. Recently the production celebrated 1,000 performances at its off-Broadway home, New World Stages, and ticket sales were extended to October. For Weston, the success of the show has to do with that hard-working ensemble and behind-the-scenes crew.
“All the relationships both on stage and backstage are incredible,” she said. “We all support each other so much, and we spend a lot of time together. And so because of that we not only get to know each other really well, but we also get to know the risks that everybody likes to take. When you get to know somebody, you really get to play, and I think that’s the joyfulness that comes out of the show. This show is about an ensemble, and if there’s no teamwork, the show wouldn’t work because you’ve got to lob some jokes up for other characters to slam dunk. It’s so wonderful when you can look at your castmates after this whole show and know everyone has worked so hard for you, for us, for everyone. I’ve had audience members come up to me or one of my castmates and say how much fun it looks like we’re having up there. It really, really is. I’m very grateful. We just had rehearsal today, and everyone was smiling and happy and ready to work. Who could want a better job than that?”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Play That Goes Wrong, featuring Maggie Weston, continues at New World Stages in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
