From left cast members Jim Foley, Andrew Garvey, Scott Costantini (on couch) Adam Owens, Hillary Belin, and Aubrey Russell rehearse a scene from "The Play That Goes Wrong," which will open at Lucille Ball Little Theatre Friday at 7:30 p.m. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

Over the past few months Lindsay Russell has been busy immersing herself in the Lucille Ball Little Theatre of Jamestown’s first production for 2023, “The Play That Goes Wrong.”

After directing plays for children, Russell is branching out, and now is directing adults.

To prepare for her role as director, she has watched the play before at other venues.

“This is hands down the funniest comedy I’ve ever seen,” Russell said. “So many surprises happen.”

The director said the set is one of the main characters.

“The set has so many things that go wrong, that it’s just turmoil and becomes what it is. So, it’s just so much fun. This show has so much energy.”

“What a way to kick off our 2023 season, in this place, with all these people, I just wanted to be a part of it.”

According lucilleballlittletheatre.org, “‘The Play That Goes Wrong,’ welcomes you to the opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor,’ where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show–an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences.”

“We are so excited to be doing this production to kick off our 2023 Season. The Play That Goes Wrong has never been performed locally and it’s really exciting to get to bring something that is new to the Jamestown community. It’s listed as a ‘comedy for all ages’ but it’s like no comedy you’ve seen before, and promises to be a production that is not to be missed,” said LBLT Board President Holly Weston.

What’s neat about the production, Russell said, is a cast member plays a character, and that character plays another character within the play. For example a fictional cast member named Bob Sled portrays a character named John Doe, and John Doe portrays a character named Sam Sonite. It is a play within a play. You could look at the play sort of as simlacura — a photographer taking a picture of a photographer taking a picture of a another photographer taking a picture.

The cast includes Jim Foley as Chris Bean and Inspector Carter, Adam Owens as Dennis and Perkins, Aubrey Russell as Cecil and Arthur the gardener, Caleb Foley as Trevor Braun, Andrew Garvey as Robert and Thomas Colleymoore, Scott Costantini as Jonathan and Charles Haversham, Holland Isaacson as Annie, and Hillary Belin as Sandra and Florence Colleymore.

Jim Foley loves how theater is storytelling, and getting a chance to be somebody else.

“I have a general love for storytelling,” Jim Foley said. “There’s just something I love about being able to tell stories, and like many actors will say, you get to be somebody else.

An instrumental music teacher at Maple Grove School Jim Foley helped with stage renovations that were begun in October 2022 and completed in December 2022, so the production of “Elf The Musical” could begin.

“Every part of it is fun. And being on stage is some of the most fun because you get to be somebody else. And the interaction that you have with other actors is super special. And then the interaction that you have with an audience is super fun,” Jim Foley noted.

“The Play That Goes Wrong” performances are scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 12 at 2 p.m.