Holiday hilarity comes to the stage with 'Let Nothing You Dismay'

The Whitefish Theatre Company ushers in the holiday season with "Let Nothing You Dismay" by Topher Payne, a fast-paced comedy filled with festive chaos and unexpected heart.

This holiday romp will be performed Dec. 4-7 and 11-14 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. There will be a sneak preview performance on Dec. 4. All shows are at 7:30 p.m., except for the Sunday matinees on Dec. 7 and 14, which begin at 4 p.m. 

It's Christmas and Allie and Kevin are far from home in the maternity ward of an Ohio hospital, anxiously waiting for the birth of the child that they are hoping to adopt. And though they have asked their families to respect their privacy for the moment and let them have a quiet Christmas together, their crazy families ignore their wishes and descend upon the waiting room – complete with an entourage in tow. 

A sudden barrage of quirky family members arrives along with stepmothers, upstairs neighbors, a veterinarian, and an author to name a few – as well as a very pregnant birth mother who goes missing in all the action. "Let Nothing You Dismay" by Topher Payne (writer of "Perfect Arrangement" and "The Baby Shower") is a lightning-paced holiday farce that celebrates what it really means to be family. 

This madcap farce is directed by Malcolm Sharbutt. Most recently seen on the WTC stage as the titular character in “Shrek: The Musical”, Sharbutt is no stranger to the science of comedy.  

“Obviously quirky families plus the holidays, and our high expectations of them, is a good recipe for comedy," Sharbutt said. "And here with this show, we’ve followed Topher Payne’s original idea of casting eight actors to play twenty-four roles. Challenging? Sure. Why do you ask? Because it’s hoot! Why wouldn’t you want to do that?!” 

The all-star ensemble is made up of Isaac Schroeder, Hayley Hyde, Andrew Matulionis, Kim Krueger, Baylee Oligmiller, Dawn Watland, Henry Elsen and Stuart Green- All playing multiple wacky and entertaining characters. 

“This story has the perfect balance of wild comedy and heart,” Sharbutt said. “We all just fell oh so in love with it. We hope you have as much fun watching it as we did putting it together.”  

Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students. Tickets to the sneak preview performance on Dec. 4 are $12 for adults and $10 for students and are available for purchase at the box office night of the show only. 

All other tickets can be purchased on our website at whitefishtheatreco.org, at the Box Office at 1 Central Avenue in Whitefish, or by calling 862-5371. Box Office Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance. This show is generously sponsored by First Interstate Bank.