Portland Center Stage did Portland a favor by staging this play in January and February 2026. Because boy howdy, did we all need to come together and laugh.
The laughs started early when the stage manager recruited someone from the audience to help them shored up the mantel. While the stage manager ran off to get something to affix the mantel to the wall, she left the volunteer on stage. Another stage manager-type person appeared, and wanted the volunteer to sweep instead of hold the mantel, so the volunteer did. And thus it continued.
The play went terribly wrong.
While the depiction of the female characters hasn’t aged terribly well (Scantily clad catfight? Really?) the play was otherwise the most rejuvenating things I’ve encountered this winter. Everyone did a great job, but I will probably forever say, “A ledger????” in the style of Darius Pierce when I’m hunting for something I know was placed in a specific place but can no longer be found in that place.
If the Play that Goes Wrong is playing near you, do yourself a favor and attend.
Hanging on the bathroom door:
