ABSTRACT
Backstage Farce spotlights those whose way of life is directly tied to their work in the theatre. Foundation is laid with a discussion of Michael Frayn’s play, Noises Off. The chapter divides into four sections exploring backstage farces echoing specific points in the production process – rehearsal, performance, understudies, and critics. Among the contemporary backstage farces examined are: Sarah Ruhl’s Stage Kiss, Peter Houghton’s A Commercial Farce, Anne Washburn’s 10 out of 12 , the plays of Mischief Theatre including The Play That Goes Wrong, The Pin’s The Comeback, Theresa Rebeck’s The Understudy, and Terrence McNally’s It’s Only a Play.
