Review: Let Nothing You Dismay

Review: Let Nothing You Dismay | Firehouse Theater Company | John Hand Theater, Denver, CO | Curtain Up! | Eric Fitzgerald | November 25, 2025

The stellar cast of Let Nothing You Dismay | Top: Ben Butler, Andrew Catterall, Verl Hite, Mary Campbell, Jenny Eaves, Veronica Straight-Lingo. Seated: Johnathan Underwood, Chrys Duran.

Like a holiday fruitcake spiked with farce, Firehouse Theater Company’s production of Let Nothing You Dismay is a madcap romp that piles quick-change antics atop heartfelt cheer. Playwright Topher Payne, whose Perfect Arrangement was a resounding success in Firehouse’s season last year, once again proves his comic dexterity with a script that balances chaos and warmth. Under the nimble direction of Paul Jaquith, the ensemble embraces Payne’s whirlwind of characters and situations with precision and verve. The result is a show that revels in its dizzying pace while never losing sight of the emotional core beneath the laughter.

The story focuses on Kevin (Johnathan Underwood) and Allie (Chrys Duran), whose plan for a peaceful Christmas while waiting for their baby through adoption from Lizzie (Chrys Duran) and Leonard (Johnathan Underwood) quickly turns into pandemonium. Payne fills the stage with a revolving door of relatives and friends: Kevin’s parents arrive with new partners and old issues, Allie’s family bursts in with competitive energy, and neighbors and friends add their own quirks to the mix. The eight actors play a total of twenty-two characters, and the fun comes not just from the fast pace of entrances and exits but also from how identities overlap, clash, and sometimes reveal unexpected tenderness beneath the chaos.

The ensemble reflects both continuity and discovery, drawing on seasoned returnees to the Firehouse Theater, including Ben Butler, Mary Campbell, Verl Hite, and Johnathan Underwood, as well as awesome newcomers to the Firehouse stage, including Andrew Catterall, Chrys Duran, Jenny Kim Eaves, and Veronica Straight-Lingo. The chemistry amongst all of them sparks much of the evening’s joy, reminding us that holiday chaos is best weathered not in solitude but in the company of a lively, unpredictable crowd.

There are too many performers, each with multiple characters, that it’s hopeless to mention them all by name. The stage becomes a hall of doubling—performers slipping between roles with seamless precision, each transformation a new mask lifted from Payne’s whirlwind of characters. Their shifts exemplify how the ensemble makes multiplicity feel effortless, with every persona distinct and every comic beat intentional. The humor never dissipates because the cast spins a kaleidoscope of personalities, turning chaos into choreography. The joy of the show lies in this mirroring and multiplicity, where doubling becomes delight. It is ensemble work at its finest. Bravo!

Topher Payne’s script thrives on excess, layering interruptions and identities until the stage itself feels like a revolving door. The idea of having eight actors play more than twenty roles could easily come across as a gimmick, yet Payne makes it work by writing each entrance with a distinct rhythm and comic payoff. What might have been a mechanical trick instead becomes a source of hilarity, as the audience enjoys watching performers transform repeatedly. At the same time, the bedlam builds toward something unexpectedly warm.

Director Paul Jaquith keeps Let Nothing You Dismay moving at a breakneck pace without letting the comedy spin out of control, shaping the entrances and exits into a rhythm that feels both chaotic and precise. His staging emphasizes the ensemble’s quick transformations while allowing moments of warmth to surface amid the frenzy, ensuring that Payne’s holiday farce lands not just as a showcase of comic timing but as a portrait of family connection beneath the laughter.

The uncredited set design offers a pitch‑perfect rendition of a hospital waiting area, its sterile calm serving as the ideal backdrop for the chaos that unfolds. Rachel Herring‑Luna’s costumes add quick‑change flair while grounding each character in recognizable detail, and Emily A. Maddox’s lighting design sharpens the pace with crisp shifts that keep the action buoyant. Madison Kuebler’s sound design deserves special mention—no small feat with dueling elevators upstage and the ping that announces their arrival, each cue landing with comic precision.

Let Nothing You Dismay is another hilarious hit by Topher Payne, energized by Paul Jaquith’s lively direction and a fantastic cast of characters who keep the laughter coming. Like that holiday fruitcake you didn’t expect to like but find yourself reaching for again and again, the show combines sweetness and nuttiness in equal measure, delivering humor with a touch of warmth. Playing through December 21, it’s a great alternative to the usual Christmas fare—one that might just become your new seasonal tradition.

For info and tickets: https://www.firehousetheatercompany.com/