Don’t let this show at the Utah Shakespeare Festival pass you by

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is about to open for its summer 2023 season, and while The Shakespeare Festival usually has some great options for theater outings, there is a lesser known play this season that you will not want to miss.

The Play That Goes Wrong is a straight play that is the epitome of the term meta-narrative. It centers around a small theater troupe putting on a play that’s a bit too big for their britches. Mistakes abound throughout the performance from set pieces breaking to actors getting a little too creative in their line delivery.

This is hands-down one of the best slap-stick comedies out there with incredibly quirky performances from the cast and crew. Yeah, you heard me right, the crew gets plenty involved throughout the show as well. So much so that the show technically starts before the curtain rises. I highly advise anyone seeing this show to get there 20-30 minutes early so they can get the full experience.

Coming from a more personal perspective, I saw this show for the first time when the pandemic was still in full swing. I was massively depressed in large part because of the many obstacles getting in the way of my career at the time and it was hitting me hard. So on a whim, I decided to drive up to Sandy to see The Play That Goes Wrong at the Hale Center Theater.

The amount of joy I felt during the whole production gave me such a boost in motivation that I was able to power through my struggles at the time. I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt, and I laughed so much I was sore the next day like I did a rigorous ab workout.

Chances to see shows like this don’t come all too often in southern Utah, and more than anything, I know how much of a motivation booster it is to have a good laugh.
The Play That Goes Wrong opens at The Utah Shakespeare Festival June 30, and will lower its curtains October 7.