If practice makes perfect, then the cast and crew of “Noises Off” is ready to put on one hell of a show.Theater legend says that a bad dress rehearsal can mean the most beautiful of shows. Problem is, “Noises Off” is a play about a play. Rehearsing in the wee hours of the morning shortly before the play opens, the cast did a pretty good job of making the necessary mistakes and dealing with technical difficulties.Tuesday’s practice run of specific scenes and tests of theatrical elements that may have needed tweaking only added to the building of the perfect show. The curtain is supposed to shut as the lights go down, but ends up stopping two feet from the floor. The lights don’t go out and the on-stage cast hits the deck to tug the curtain into place. It’s not a mistake, but a last-minute add that fits perfectly with the theme of the show and just happens to make the few people sitting in Fisher Theater laugh uncontrollably. The sweet smell of success will surely soon be wafting through Fisher.Written by British playwright Michael Frayn, “Noises Off” was chosen because ISU Theater had not done a farce in a number of years, according to director Jane Cox.”‘Noises Off’ has been called the cleverest farce that anyone has ever written,” Cox says. “It is an extremely funny farce about second-rate theater people.”Frayn won a Tony Award last year for “Copenhagen,” which deals with three historical characters in World War II, Cox says.”It is amazing to find a playwright who can write farce as well as works based on very serious issues,” Cox says.Kelly Bartlett, who plays Dotty in “Noises Off,” thought Tuesday’s dress rehearsal went well.

Matt Kawa, senior in art and design, plays Garry Lejeune and Roger Tramplemain in ISU Theater’s production of “Noises Off.”

“The wonderful thing about this show, for me at least, is that having the amazing set, lights and costumes and the flexible and creative cast leaves a lot of room to have fun with a script such as this one,” Bartlett says. “Jane [Cox] has given us, for the most part, a lot of freedom to find interesting and funny moments for our characters.” As an actor, Bartlett enjoys being able to “play” on stage and keep things refreshing.”Working with this cast has been very fun for me,” Bartlett says. “I’ve been able to work with some new people that have taught me a lot. It is always nice working with people who don’t get in a rut of performing the same way all the time. Things are always different and exciting.”Woodsie, the actor formally known as John Woods, junior in broadcast journalism, plays the show within the show’s director. How’s that for confusing?”I play Lloyd Dallas, the director of a show called ‘Nothing On,’ who is trying to produce a play with a cast of idiots and divas,” Woodsie says. “It’s hard to tell with how the play is structured, I guess everyone has a lead role because all the parts are vital to the show’s success.”Woodsie isn’t so sure about the “play within a play” label the show has received, joking about some other possible explanations.”I think it’s more of a provocative commercial for sardines,” Woodsie says. “I mean come on, half the show there’s a half-naked woman running around with a plate of sardines, and the other half everyone else is running around with sardines. So subliminally, people will leave the show craving those little slimy anchovy things.”Woodsie is new to ISU Theater but thinks there are some good things that have happened while making this production.”Since this is my first ISU Theater production ever, everything has been really interesting,” Woodsie says. “I would have to say that watching the set go up has been amazing. It started as a few boards nailed together. Now it has it’s own mortgage.”

“Noises Off” boasts the largest moving set ever constructed in Fisher Theater. “I think that’s fairly neat and groovy and stuff,” Woodsie adds.As a newcomer to the theater, Woodsie admits there have been certain things that were hard to adjust to.”For me, the most challenging aspect of the play has been walking up and down those damn stairs in Fisher over and over again,” Woodsie joked. “They’re not small enough to step down with one foot on one, and the next foot on the next step. But they’re not big enough to let you alternate which foot you step down with.”So Woodsie has decided to call them limpwells instead of stairwells.”It’s ’cause whatever the manner in which you walk up or down them, you appear to have a limp. And since my character spends much of his time in the back of the audience, I have to use the stairs quite a bit,” he explained. As opening night approaches, actors may naturally experience some sort of anxiety or another. According to Bartlett, the frustration of using certain props are helping her get into character.”One of things I’m most nervous about is the telephone,” Bartlett says. “I always seem to find a way to break it, misplace it or do something wrong with it. Between that damn phone and my multiple plates of sardines, I almost feel like I’m turning into my character.” Cox says that the audience should be prepared for what she describes as a funny, funny evening.”That may be the best kind of evening after all of the cold and snow,” she says. “Anyone who comes to the show will not be disappointed,” Woodsie adds. “It’s really a lot of fun. I’ve been working on it almost every day for over a month, and I’m still not sick of it. The cast is awesome, the crew is amazing, and the play itself is hilarious. “Actually, that’s all a lie. The sardines really make the show. We’ve spent weeks teaching them how to dance and sing, and I think they’re almost ready. Of course, we unfortunately lost a few (hundred) in the process, but no pain no gain, right?”