In a deep, no-nonsense voice, Vaughn Outman recently directed an actor on stage next to him to stop messing around.
“We are in the middle of a play,” he said. “This is no time for your shenanigans, so focus!”
Though Outman’s words sounded stern, they were just part of the show — one that has no shortage of the shenanigans Outman was admonishing.
“The Not So Grand Adventure,” written by Outman, is a “play within a play,” about the many mishaps that take place during its production, he explained.
Actors stumble and fall, knock things down, misuse equipment and cause other accidents in the slapstick comedy about a theater troupe trying to perform a play and being continuously sidetracked as things go awry.
It is the first foray into scriptwriting for Outman, a 2024 graduate of Lowell High School and former Kent Transition Center student. The play is being produced by Full Spectrum Players, a program of Autism Support of Kent County.
ASK is a Grand Rapids-based organization that provides services that make it possible for individuals with autism, ages 14 and older, to lead healthier and more productive lives through a variety of programs, opportunities and events.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, April 24 and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25 at the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center, 160 68th St. SW, in Byron Township.
Outman, who is autistic, said he was inspired by the Broadway play, “The Play that Goes Wrong” and “The Goes Wrong Show,” a British comedy television series that stems from the Broadway play about an amateur theater crew.
Outman’s play within a play is inspired by the movie “Paddington in Peru,” and involves characters trying to find the Tree of Life in El Dorado, a mythical city of gold.
“I’ve always been interested in theater,” he said. “Just how it’s done, … the process, the actors, the background, how they do it. It’s just really astonishing … I’ve always wanted to write my own script.”
The full-length, 11-scene, hour-and-a-half-long play has a 21-member cast, chosen by Outman and director Laura Hall.
“It was a little tricky, mostly just figuring out what was going to happen and how things were going to go wrong,” he said. “It just kind of came to mind.”
Hall said the play came together well.
“Vaughn has a really good imagination, so it was easy to get the script written. He had his ideas already set to formulate and get into script form and adapt into what we need for actors,” she said.
Outman also weaved in comedic advertising. The actors perform the well-known and snappy jingle from the company Service Professor, which the troupe got permission to use, singing and dancing to “We’ll fix it in a snap!”
His unique approach to the story and dedication to bring it to life were no surprise to Hall.
“Vaughn really likes to be a leader,” Hall said. “He likes to lead things like group games. He has a lot of confidence and leadership skills. I really enjoy watching him take charge.”
Special education teacher Anna Mainero, who taught Vaughn at Lowell High School, said she is happy to hear “Vaughn has found a place where he can cultivate his creative talent and use his unique skills to express himself.”
“Theater has an unique way of connecting others through self-expression, vulnerability, fostering empathy, and acting as a shared cathartic experience. The fact that Vaughn is able to share a piece of himself through play writing is admirable and inspiring,” she said.
A Natural Storyteller
Outman also acted in a play in middle school and was set to perform in a second production that was canceled due to the pandemic. In high school, he got involved with ASK, and has acted in several plays since. Full Spectrum Players perform two productions a year.
His mother, Melissa Outman, said she is impressed with her son’s effort in creating “the most complicated play ASK has done yet.”
“He worked really hard on it. He and (Hall) met for probably six months every week via Zoom and worked on it together,” she said. “He had so many different ideas, and it was exciting to see it come to life.”
“We are impressed that Vaughn has the imagination he does,” added dad Chris Outman, who is on the ASK board.
Melissa Outman said she isn’t surprised her son is embracing his thespian skills.
“He has always enjoyed theater. From the time he was little, he used to get up in front of class and make up little stories,” she said. “In first grade, I remember the teacher said Vaughn would get up in front of class before the bell would ring and he would start a story. Every day, he would get up and tell a little more of that story.”
When he’s not rehearsing or writing scripts, Outman enjoys LEGOs, puzzles and trivia, works at Meijer and cares for animals on the family’s hobby farm. He said he hopes to write another play.
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