Funny 'Noises Off' grabs a laugh at Owens Community College

William Toth, left, is the director trying to inspire Amber Johnson and James MacFarlane in their roles in "Nothing On," the play within the play of "Noises Off."

Jeremy Meier said Noises Off is one of the funniest plays ever written and it was performed at Owens Community College this weekend and will be again next weekend. 

Nine actors and a dozen backstage workers put on three shows in the past three days at Owens Center for Fine and Performing Arts’ Mainstage Theatre, off of Oregon Road in Perrysburg Township. Noises Off is a comedy about cast members that struggle to put together a play. 

PHOTO GALLERY: Noises Off at Owens Community College

"It is a play within a play," Mr. Meier said, the play's director and Owens assistant professor of fine and performing arts."Performers can relate to an 'actors nightmare.'"

There will be three more performances next weekend -- Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 for the general public, and $8 for Owens students and employees.

Mr. Meier said it is one of the most difficult plays they have had to do because there are a lot of physical parts and time elements to it. There is a scene with a swinging axe, and a performer falling down stairs.

"If one thing goes wrong, it throws everything off," he said. "It is hard to play a role were things are going wrong, in the right way."

Things are going wrong in the play the actors are trying to perform in Noises Off. During intermission, the audience will be able to see the transformation of the set which will be on wheels and rotated to a backstage for Act 2. People will be able to see the mechanics and behind the scenes workings. 

The cast has been rehearsing the play since the first week of February. These are the nine actors: John Toth of Toledo, Jamie Ramlawi of Perrysburg, Amber Johnson of Toledo, Kenneth Taylor of Toledo, William Toth of Toledo, Amber Breault-Albain of Toledo, James MacFarlane of Toledo, Emily Pheils of Rossford, and Matthew Johnston of Maumee.

There is a good thing about a complicated play within a play.

"If the show has a mistake, it would blend into the hilarity of the show," Mr. Meier said.

Tickets can be purchased at www.owens.edu/arts or 567-661-2787.

Contact Matt Thompson at: mthompson@theblade.com or 419-356-8786 or on Twitter at @mthompson25.