Laurel Mill Playhouse is pleased to present LAUGHING STOCK, a hilarious backstage farce and genuinely affectionate look into the world of the theatre. When The Playhouse, a rustic New England summer theatre, schedules a repertory season of Dracula, Hamlet and Charley’s Aunt, comic mayhem ensues. We follow the well-intentioned but over-matched company from outrageous auditions to ego-driven rehearsals through opening nights gone disastrously awry to the elation of a great play well told and the comic and nostalgic season close.

“—a summer stock production of Dracula disintegrates into chaos on opening night. Gothic horror becomes high comedy amid misplaced technical cues, forgotten lines, wrong entrances and eccentric acting—the large audience howled with glee as they watched the mayhem unfold…”
– Salt Lake Tribune.

“LAUGHING STOCK soars as farce…”
– Salt Lake City Weekly.

“The delightful thing…is that Morey strikes a balance between a depiction of everything that can and usually does go wrong…and a genuinely affectionate look at the magic that holds theatre companies together…these are all type characters but Morey adeptly deepens and individualizes each one…The Dracula section and a rehearsal of Charley’s Aunt where the actors improvise being animals at dusk around an African water hole are comic high point…”
– Event (Salt Lake City).

“LAUGHING STOCK will indeed have you laughing in your seat if not rolling in the aisles…It’s hard to imagine anyone whose funny bone wouldn’t be tickled by this one…it’s a hoot…it’s a blast…”
– Monadnock Ledger (NH).

“Scene after scene, beat after beat, LAUGHING STOCK piles on the laughs…every single piece crackles with successful wit and abundant humor…virtuoso farce…”
– Keene Sentinel (NH).

“I cried, I choked, I fell into a coughing fit, I cried some more…can’t help but love this play.”
– Nashua Telegraph (NH).

Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.

Performances run just two weekends from Friday, July 11, 2025 through Sunday July 20, 2025 with Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 pm. and Sunday performances at 2pm.

General Admission: $20

Children 18 and under, Seniors 65 and over, Active & Retired Military and American Legion Post 60 Members: $15

Tickets can be purchased by going to www.laurelmillplayhouse.org! For further information, please call 301-617-9906 or contact Maureen Rogers at lmp508main@gmail.com!

Laurel Mill Playhouse is located at 508 Main Street, Laurel, MD 20707.