Luke Rahmsdorff-Terry
Luke Rahmsdorff-Terry (Robert)
The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong
APRIL 15 — MAY 20
What excites you about The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong and the role you are playing?
I'm very excited about how much humor is in this show! There's a little bit of everything as far as word play, physical comedy, 'bad' acting and everything else in between. We've really thrown everything and the kitchen sink into this show and I'm excited to hear a theatre full of laughter!
What’s your biggest challenge about taking on this role?
So much about the humor relies on timing, as with any production. But because there are parts of the show that 'go wrong' as far as a door not opening, props not being placed or actors 'forgetting' their lines, so much of it relies on the precise timing to make sure the joke lands the way we want it to. A large chunk of our rehearsals have just been running specific sections to get the timing juuuussst right and make sure a joke is set up. Also, keeping on track from laughing so hard at the ridiculousness of everything around us during a rehearsal has been very tricky!
What type of audience would you say The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong is for? Who do you think it will appeal to most?
That's easy: anyone who likes to laugh! There's word play, physical comedy, absurdist moments, parodies of the murder-mystery genre and so much more. Guaranteed if you want a good laugh, then you shouldn't miss it!
You recently starred as Tim in the world premiere of Cross Words! How did you feel when the run ended? How did you feel about the play as a whole, especially since it was the world premiere? Any interesting takeaways?
I was sad to see that one come to a close. The entire run surpassed everyone's expectations for a brand new show that was a world premiere and the word of mouth kept was astonishing. It's always a gamble with a new show, but there was something special about Cross Words. Plus, I don't get to play roles like that all too often, so doing something outside my 'normal' was a treat. The biggest takeaway is thrillers aren't done nearly enough!
Was it difficult to keep the comedic-timing with so many lines to remember in Cross Words? Is there anything you’ll translate from that production to this one, or do you wipe the slate clean and treat it as a totally new process and forget about the past?
With a good script, the comedic moments can come much more naturally. Cross Words was great because Scott, our playwright, is an actor himself and wrote a very smart script that not only set some great groundwork for a murder-mystery scenario, but a lot of great punch lines for some really funny moments. Comedy can be harder than drama because you need to have really good timing to nail a laugh. Having a great script helps out with that so much.
As far any translation from Cross Words to The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong, honestly, it's a full slate clean. Both have different humor styles and different methods to deliver a joke. For me, starting fresh with a new cast (all amazingly funny and talented) and a new director (also amazingly funny and talented) helps build the world the new show lives in. And The One Act Play That Goes Wrong lives in a pretty hysterical world.
