One evening. Four adults. No survivors of polite society.
When a playground altercation between two boys brings their parents together for a civilized discussion, polite small talk quickly unravels into chaos. In Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage, courtesy dissolves into comic mayhem as wine flows, tempers flare, and facades crack wide open. This razor-sharp comedy of manners exposes the absurdity lurking beneath modern civility, revealing just how thin the line is between refinement and raw emotion. Intelligent, biting, and hilariously unpredictable, God of Carnage turns a simple parent meeting into a laugh-out-loud battlefield of egos, blame, and human nature.
When a playground altercation between two boys brings their parents together for a civilized discussion, polite small talk quickly unravels into chaos. In Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage, courtesy dissolves into comic mayhem as wine flows, tempers flare, and facades crack wide open. This razor-sharp comedy of manners exposes the absurdity lurking beneath modern civility, revealing just how thin the line is between refinement and raw emotion. Intelligent, biting, and hilariously unpredictable, God of Carnage turns a simple parent meeting into a laugh-out-loud battlefield of egos, blame, and human nature.
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A Note from The Director
God of Carnage is one of those weird, wonderful, dark comedies that some folks adore, and others, well, it's not for everyone. That said, this has been one of the more enjoyable rehearsal processes that I have had in a long, long time. This ensemble is amazing and we spent many hours parsing out the tempo and subtleties of this brilliant script.
Be prepared to laugh, awkardly and frequently. Life is absurd, and our understanding of ourselves and our relationships is tenuous at best. When circumstances push beyond the edges of polite niceties, who knows what might happen. These four characters mean well, but they are human. Being human, they are flawed, and the defense of those flaws is both fascinating and worth examining.
When we put this show on the calendar, I assured the board that it would not be a show that would break any records for ticket sales. Reservations are actually fairly robust, so I hope y'all enjoy it!
-- Michael
God of Carnage is one of those weird, wonderful, dark comedies that some folks adore, and others, well, it's not for everyone. That said, this has been one of the more enjoyable rehearsal processes that I have had in a long, long time. This ensemble is amazing and we spent many hours parsing out the tempo and subtleties of this brilliant script.
Be prepared to laugh, awkardly and frequently. Life is absurd, and our understanding of ourselves and our relationships is tenuous at best. When circumstances push beyond the edges of polite niceties, who knows what might happen. These four characters mean well, but they are human. Being human, they are flawed, and the defense of those flaws is both fascinating and worth examining.
When we put this show on the calendar, I assured the board that it would not be a show that would break any records for ticket sales. Reservations are actually fairly robust, so I hope y'all enjoy it!
-- Michael
Annette - Carrie Counihan
Carrie Counihan has been involved in a variety of shows at The Forst Inn since 2021. She is drawn to the classics and shows that are character driven highlighting the tension and drama of everyday life and especially dark comedies like this one. (The ongoing joke with Michael is that these tend to also be the shows that draw a lower number of audience members and that over her seasons at the Forst, she’s probably been involved in every lesser selling show!) She is excited to bring Annette to life (and puke onstage for the first time) and is grateful to Michael and the cast for what has been an incredibly fun and challenging experience. Here’s to getting through this roller coaster of a show without cracking each other up! She lives in Door County and cares for a variety of 24 (at last count) animals in her free time.
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Michael - Gavin Annette
I am so excited to return to the Forst Inn mainstage for God of Carnage; taking on the role of Michael has been both a particular challenge and a bit of welcome familiarity, as I tend to find myself cast as surly brutes, drunkards, and/or unlikeable bastards...hey, if it works, it works! In this case, Michael speaks to me as both a reflection of past and hopeful experiences in awkward social situations: having to mask your true feelings to keep face and remain polite, all the while wishing you could just speak exactly what was on your mind. Previous roles at the Forst includes Sweeney Todd (Beadle Bamford), Throwing Stones At The Sun (The Murderer), Five Women Wearing The Same Dress (Tripp), Young Frankenstein (Igor), Misery (u/s Sheriff Buster), Into The Woods (The Baker), and Carrie: The Musical (Billy Nolan). Many thanks to Michael Sheeks for this opportunity, my fellow castmates for their hard work and dedication, and my fiance Jonathan for his love, moral support, and many late-night pasta dishes when I was craving comfort carbs. I know I've had a lot of fun with this production, and I hope our audiences will as well! Thank you for supporting the Forst Inn, and please enjoy the show!
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Veronica - Lisa K. Adams
This is my first performance with Forst Inn! While I’ve been acting since I was eight years old, characters like Veronica don’t come around very often. She combines the sass and stubbornness of Kate in Taming of the Shrew (Holmen Community Theatre) and the righteousness of Vera in First Baptist of Ivy Gap (La Crosse Community Theatre). While I can see myself in my character, I do attempt to allow more balance than Veronica manages. A few of my other favorite roles include Belinda Blair/Flavia in Noises Off (Albright Community Theatre, Batavia, IL) and Miss Maudie in To Kill a Mockingbird(Theatre in the Park, Petersburg, IL). I also enjoy playing multiple characters like Barbara Pitts, Reggie Fluty, Tiffany Edwards, and Newsperson in The Laramie Project (Springfield Theatre Centre, Springfield, IL). Most recently, I’ve been involved with Seven Ages Theatricals in Sheboygan with Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Macbeth. I live in Manitowoc, and by day, I’m the Marketing and Events Manager at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay.
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Allan - Christian Love
Christian Love is stoked to be back on the Forst stage after killin’ it as Thomas in “Murder in Green Meadows”. When he's chillin’, he's with his kid Tyler and Carrie Counihan, bingin’ horror flicks and hittin’ up gigs. He's always been into acting but lately he's lowkey obsessed with fancy fromage. That’s cheese for all you normies out there.
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A Forst Inn Partner
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Production Team
Director - Michael Sheeks Stage Manager - Shannon Paige Scenic Dressing - Karter Mueller Properties - Phillip Jindra Board Liaison - David Bowman Production Manager - Tessa Jindra |
Ticket Pricing is Set by Table Type
Saver Tables (Orange Tables) $20 Youth, $24 Senior/Student/Military; $28 Adult
Tier One Tables (Blue Tables) $20 Youth, $30 Senior/Student/Military; $34 Adult
Click on seats to select ticket type and reserve.
Tables 12 & 23 are good options for wheelchair or limited mobility access.
Saver Tables (Orange Tables) $20 Youth, $24 Senior/Student/Military; $28 Adult
Tier One Tables (Blue Tables) $20 Youth, $30 Senior/Student/Military; $34 Adult
Click on seats to select ticket type and reserve.
Tables 12 & 23 are good options for wheelchair or limited mobility access.
