The Factory x Groove Theatre presents
Perfect Arrangement
June 2026
Overview
By Topher Payne
Directed by Joseph Fox
Inspired by real events in 1950s Washington, DC, Perfect Arrangement follows two seemingly traditional married couples whose carefully constructed lives conceal deeper truths. As professional pressures and personal secrets collide, the play navigates love, loyalty, and survival in a time when being oneself carried serious consequences. Warm, witty, and ultimately tender, the story balances humor with emotional depth while addressing themes of identity, intimacy, and societal constraint.
“Perfect Arrangement” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
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Cast
Bob – Male, 30s-40s
Jimmy – Male, 20s-30s
Norma – Female, 30s
Millie – Female, 20s-30s
Ted – Male, 40s-50s
Kitty – Female, 40s-50s
Barbara – Female, 40s
Nathan Leopold – Roegan Bell
Richard Loeb – Max Brennan
Robert Crowe – Alex Greenlee
Clarence Darrow – Ray Nissen
Reporter Ensemble – Tyler Henry, Erik Fair, Clay Owens
Creative Team
Director – E.T. Wilford
Producer – Cecile Storm
Stage Manager – Joseph Fox
Costumes – Cecile Storm
Sound, Lighting, Set Design – E.T. Wilford
Special Thanks – Joey Everngam, Marianne Meadows
About the Director
E.T. Wilford is a director and lighting designer with extensive experience across the Delmarva region. He has directed over 25 plays and musicals for a wide range of production companies, including: Company; Pan & Wendy; Assassins; Kiss of the Spider Woman; Sweeney Todd; Dog Sees God (Underground Actors); Leaving Iowa; Merrily We Roll Along; The Rocky Horror Show (Tred Avon Players); Let The Right One In; Jungle Book; Red Riding Hood; The Little Mermaid; Hedwig and the Angry Inch; The Yellow Boat; Torch Song Trilogy (Groove Theatre Company); George Orwell’s 1984; Into the Woods; Peter and the Star Catcher; Revenge of the Space Pandas; and The Elephant Man, among others. His work spans professional, community, and educational theatre settings.
Wilford is the founding Executive Director of Groove Theatre Company, which he originally established as a student-run theatre company in Easton at the age of 16 and returned to each summer as director. He later served on the Board of Directors for Tred Avon Players for five years following his graduation from college and has remained actively involved with theatres throughout the Eastern Shore.
In addition to directing, Wilford frequently serves as lighting director for his own productions and those of other companies. He has also toured children’s theatre productions to elementary schools in Northern Virginia, teaching acting and improvisation to young performers. He holds a BFA in Theatre for Youth from Shenandoah Conservatory.
His most recent project was directing The Elephant Man (for a second time) at the Garfield Center for the Arts in Chestertown, MD, in October 2025.