Curtain Rises on 'Noises Off' Thursday, October 14

SALISBURY, MD---Set in the style of BBC sitcoms from the ‘60s and ‘70s, Noises Off, a British farce, opens Thursday, October 14 in the Black Box Theater of Salisbury University’s Fulton Hall. The London Free Press describes the two-time Tony-nominated play as “one very funny bit of stage business.” The BBC touts it as “a fizzing firework of a show.” Billed as “an adult comedy of lies, love, and lechery,” Noises Off continues Friday-Sunday, October 15-17, and Thursday-Sunday, October 21-24. Curtain is 8 p.m. for weeknight and Saturday performances, 2 p.m. for Sunday matinees. Written by famed playwright Michael Frayn (Copenhagen, Benefactors) and set in England, Noises Off is a play about players and the theatre.  The action focuses on the rivalries and affairs of a third-rate theatre troupe as they try to rehearse and perform a long run of a bad play called Nothing On. Act One is the final rehearsal, in which their efforts begin to unravel. In Act Two, the set rotates completely to reveal the actors’ lives backstage as they perform their play onstage.  Act Three shows the performance of Nothing On much later in the run when the tensions of “togetherness” have completely frayed everyone's nerves and the whole piece hangs together by a thread.  The piece is a farce - lots of mistaken identities and near-discoveries - thanks to a mass of doors, as characters race in and out with split-second timing.  Like clockwork, the play must be performed with critical attention to timing and detail in order to work. Directed by Dr. T. Paul Pfeiffer, SU’s director of theatre, the production features Lindsey Porter as Dotty, Christopher Bramer as Frederick, Stephanie Hallgren as Belinda, Abi Truet as Poppy, Adam Adkins as Lloyd, Steven Sharkey as Tim, Phillip Harjung as Gary, Kelly Reiter as Brooke, and Hank Meiser as Selsdon. Set design is by Gerald Patt Jr. Costume design is by Lisa Lantz. David Shuhy is lighting and technical director. Jessica Fritz stage manages. Tickets for weekday performances are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and SU students.  Weekend performances are $10 for seniors/students and $12 for adults. Sponsored by the Bobbi Biron Theatre Program, Noises Off is recommended for teen-age audience members (and older)but no young children. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling the box office at 410-543-6228.