For drama students, being booked is the dream, whether on tour, on or off-Broadway. Tisch alum Liana Hunt, currently starring in “The Play That Goes Wrong” at New World Stages off-Broadway, proves this is possible.
As a fourth-year drama major at CAP21, the former musical theater program since replaced by the New Studio on Broadway, Hunt had access to industry members, mock auditions and a whole host of career-focused events. These initiatives landed her representation with Kaiser Talent, which she’s still with today.
“I felt like when I graduated, I already was completely set up here,” Hunt told WSN.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” was on Hunt’s radar for years. When asked to come in for the touring production, the timing just wasn’t right for her professionally then. But when Hunt’s dream role, Sandra, opened up earlier this year at New World Stages, she jumped at the opportunity. In classic New York theater fashion, the turnaround was quick.
“I saw it and I had such a blast working on the material,” Hunt said. “I had a callback the next day and then I got a call that was like, ‘OK, you start rehearsals in a week.’”
Hunt began performing as Sandra in June. The show follows Cornley Polytechnic’s Drama Society as it opens its production of the 1920s murder mystery “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” As the title suggests, the group’s plans go haywire, from set collapses, technical glitches and beyond. Sandra, the conceited leading lady, is at the center of many of these snafus.
Adjusting to the physical demands of the zany yet precise play was a wild process. To keep up with the chaos, Hunt said that all of the actors arrive early to the venue and do an extensive warmup that focuses on opening up their voices, since they don’t use microphones. She caters her warmup to prepare for the many lifts she’s involved in throughout the show.
“For my track, it’s pretty hard on the neck and shoulders,” Hunt said. “I have all my little [exercises that] let me make sure the right muscles are engaged so that when you get to stunt time in the show and you have adrenaline, your body just knows where to walk in.”
The play’s massive scale is executed in gloriously choreographed pandemonium. The production has contingency safety protocols to redirect the show in case any actors get hurt from a falling set piece or improvisation goes too far off the rails. Hunt is no stranger to technical powerhouses, however. In 2023, she played Lorraine Baines in “Back to the Future” on Broadway, another technical beast. While the two processes felt similar, “The Play That Goes Wrong” poses more safety risks — whether they’re set pieces or the actors themselves, something or someone is always falling.
Hunt’s individual approach to acting remains consistent. Her style adapts to the genre and the specific challenges each show presents.
“With this one, I think the challenge is the temptation might be to just play big, broad comedy and overdo it,” Hunt said. “Where, in fact, our unique challenge is to just tell the murder mystery.”
Hunt wants to remind aspiring actors that professionals still take classes and attend workshops frequently. She also stresses personal agency as an artist, and that it’s OK to say no and follow your gut.
“Your journey will not look like anyone else’s and that’s okay,” Hunt said.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” is running at New World Stages in Hell’s Kitchen. Tickets are available online.
Contact Joe Paladino at [email protected].