INTERVIEW: Samuel Douglas is ‘Wrong’ and having a blast
The Play That Goes Wrong, the hit comedy that has played around the world, continues its historic run off-Broadway at New World Stages. Samuel Douglas portrays the lovable character of Max in the production, and the actor couldn’t be happier.
“It’s so much fun,” Douglas said. “I’m loving doing it. It’s such a great, cool opportunity.”
In May 2025, Douglas received a request to submit an audition tape for the production, and he decided to put in for the character of Chris Bean, who plays the director. For the unbeknownst, The Play That Goes Wrong centers on a dedicated but largely inept troupe of actors who are trying to stage a murder mystery play.
“Then I got an in-person invite to come do an in-person audition, and they said, ‘You know what, scratch that. We would love for you to come in and prepare the Max material,'” he said. “So I did that. That was early June. I just remember being really intimidated because it was a group audition, so we were watching everybody go up and audition. Beforehand, I was like, what is this going to be? This is so wild, and then in the room, I just was like, this is so great. It was so great. Everybody was so supportive, and everybody was hilarious. And I remember leaving that audition on June 4 or whatever and emailing my agent and saying, ‘You know what, I think I did a really good job, and I feel really good about this.'”
Unfortunately, the entire summer went by, and Douglas didn’t hear back. Then he received a call in October from his agent; the actor was actually attending a wedding in Spain, so he was caught off guard. The message was simple: The Play That Goes Wrong is interested, and would he be interested, too?
“And I was like, ‘Well, well, you know, I’m out of the country, and I have some other commitments that I’m responsible for. I’m going to see my parents. I could be free in like two-and-a-half weeks.’ And my agent emailed me back and was like, ‘How about Monday?’ So I changed my flight, and I came back early to New York,” Douglas said. “It was the most whirlwind rehearsal process I’ve ever been a part of. I think I rehearsed for four days, and then I was in the show. It was such a cool experience.”
Douglas remembers one bit of advice that the associate director gave him before his off-Broadway debut: Remember that you’re playing a character who is taking the stage in a new show for the first time, i.e., everything is going to be OK.
“It’s their opening night, and it’s easy to forget,” he said. “So I always think about that before every show. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, this is opening night. Remember that feeling of terror and excitement and joy that was the beginning of this process. It was wild, and it was so fun. I really loved doing it.”
Douglas reported that every member of the cast and creative team have been kind and welcoming. His first show went well, and he remembers soaking in the moment and realizing that he is well cared for by the company.
“Everybody is so competent, and I mean that really complimentarily,” the actor said. “Everybody is so good at their jobs, and if something actually goes wrong that’s not planned, everybody is so professional and so loving about it that it isn’t a big deal. I felt like I was joining a family that loves each other that is really not dysfunctional at all, and everybody is so talented. So it has made it a joy to play with everybody. I think it’s a cool experience that I’ve never had before of stepping into a role that somebody else had created. … People on the creative team have given me space to make it my own in as much as I can. Of course, I’m doing the blocking and saying the words. That has felt really empowering and has made it feel like I’m creating a character. I’m not just stepping into something that is still; it’s really full of life the whole experience.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Play That Goes Wrong, featuring Samuel Douglas, continues at New World Stages in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
