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The Stissing Theatre Guild (STG) will present its fall play, Noises Off, a farce by English playwright Michael Frayn, on December 6, 7, and 8 at Stissing Mountain High School. 

About the show 

Noises Off is a farce that depicts the rehearsal, performance, and subsequent decline of the fictional play “Nothing On.” Act one depicts the technical rehearsal of the play, in which there are a lot of mistakes, missed lines, technical errors, etc. which drives the director, Lloyd, into a rage. 

Act two portrays a matinee performance one month following act one, and in this act, the play is seen from backstage, which provides a view that emphasizes the deteriorating relationships between the cast. 

Act three depicts a performance near the end of the show’s run in which relationships between the cast have soured and the set is physically collapsing. The actors attempt to prevent the audience from seeing the chaos, but the plot is soon abandoned as the show completely falls apart. 

“The play is wrought with sexual innuendo, but that’s a big part of British farce. Because these are high schoolers, we tone down particular aspects of costuming that would be inappropriate, as well as downplay some of the innuendo and focus more on the physical comedy,” said Greg Locker, the director of Noises Off and a tenth grade English teacher at Stissing Mountain High School. “High schools all over perform this play and even though it’s PG-13, younger audience members will still enjoy the slapstick elements of the show.”

Taking the stage 

Carol Jiminez, a sophomore, arguably has the hardest job of anyone as the stage manager. She previously worked as part of the crew for STG’s spring 2024 production, Matilda, and was later inspired to take on the role of stage manager for the fall production. “It’s a lot of new things, but with that, I’m learning a lot!” 

For Paige Foley, a junior, this is her first time performing in any type of production. Paige plays Belinda Blair, a cheerful and reliable actress who also serves as the company’s de facto peacemaker. “I’m not doing a sport this year, and I always wanted to do the play when I was younger, but never could because of sports. Logan convinced me to do it and said he’d pay me $50, so I figured, why not?” she joked. “I’m in every single act, so learning and memorizing my lines has been the most difficult part.” 

Senior Logan Cavey is no stranger to the stage. He most recently performed in STG’s production of Matilda, in which he portrayed Harry Wormwood. In Noises Off, Logan portrays Garry Lejuene, the play’s leading man who has a stutter and is incapable of completing sentences unless it is dialogue. Though he is comfortable on stage – and even considering going to college for some type of performing arts – he noted that this show has been rather difficult due to all of the choreography and movement required. 

Eliza Baden is another student who is no stranger to the stage, as she has performed in STG’s plays throughout her life, but always as a member of the ensemble. Her role as Dotty Otley is her biggest role to date as far as dialogue is concerned. Dotty is a middle-aged television star who is not only the top-billed star in the show, but also one of the play’s primary investors. 

“It’s hard for me to get out of my British accent once I get into one,” Eliza jokes. 

Notes from the director 

This show is particularly meaningful to Locker, as he performed in the show 30 years ago while he was a student at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. 

“Of all of the shows I’ve ever done, both amateur and professional, it’s the funniest show I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “It’s also an incredible challenge. After the success of Fools last year, I felt like we needed a show that could top it, and I think this is the show that will do just that.” 

While it is exciting to be directing a show that he previously performed in, Locker notes that he doesn’t want to produce the same performance that he witnessed 30 years ago. 

“Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, but it can also be detrimental. Times have changed, and there are many aspects of this play that have not necessarily aged well.” 

The show isn’t just challenging for the actors; it also required a massive undertaking in terms of set production. Each night after rehearsal, Locker is joined by a handful of STG volunteers who work together to build the set, which consists of a rotating stage platform that will spin to allow the audience to get a look “backstage” as the actors are performing “Nothing On.” 

“This show wouldn’t happen without the help of the STG volunteers every night,” Locker said. “There are many people who have been working very hard to make this production successful. It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing it all come to fruition.” 

The Stissing Theatre Guild will present Noises Off at Stissing Mountain High School on December 6, 7, and 8. Ticket information can be found on the STG website here.