Andover's Ryan Doyle stars in Enter Laughing

Andover Drama Guild alum Ryan Doyle plays David Kolowitz in the hilarious comedy Enter Laughing, a show adapted from the semi-autobiographical novel by the inimitable Carl Reiner. Directed by David Allen George, it is the riotous account of stage-struck young David, originated on Broadway by Alan Arkin, working as a delivery boy in a sewing machine factory. Denying his parent's wishes for a druggist in the family, he leaves their dreams and his devoted girlfriend Wanda behind and is soon enlisted (and paying for) a slot as the “leading man” in a third-rate theatrical company while being vamped by the resident less-than leading lady, the daughter of the hammy “artistic director.” His baptism of fire is a hilarious first performance where everything that can go wrong, does.

Andover born and bred, Ryan has performed in some twenty-five productions. Starting with Josie Walker and the Merrimack Junior Theatre as a comic narrator in Robin Hood, he went on in to be cast as The Artful Dodger in the Andover Summer Theatre Ensemble production of OLIVER! in 2010. Under the expert guidance of AHS drama director Susan Choquette, Ryan appeared in ten productions at the Collins Center, beginning as Michael flying across the stage with Peter Pan, and culminating with his portrayal of the singing crap game promoter Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. In 2016 and repeating in 2017, Ryan was awarded the Excellence in Acting title in all five of his competitive performances in Andover’s entries 33 Variations and True Places in the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild annual drama festivals. Ryan now studies in the BFA Theatre Performance program at Salem State University where in November he performed in the role of Conor in Advance Man, his performance earning him a nomination for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Irene Ryan Award.

Enter Laughing will run at the Sofia Gordon Center for the Creative and Performing Arts at Salem State University 352 Lafayette Street, Salem MA 01910 for 8 performances, Feb. 22,23,24 at 7:30pm and the 25th at 2:00pm; then Mar. 1,2,3 at 7:30pm and the 4th at 2:00pm. Tickets are $20 general/$15 seniors and students 18 and above/under 18 admitted free. Purchase at salemstatetickets.com or 978.542.6365. For more info visit salemstate.edu/arts