#abe phelps

[larryland]

"A Murder is Announced" at the Theater Barn is 'classic Christie' says Gail Burns

“A Murder is Announced” at the Theater Barn is ‘classic Christie’ says Gail Burns

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[larryland]

A Critic’s Lament

by Barbara Waldinger

The world situation being what it is, how welcome is the prospect of seeing Guys and Dolls, the delightful and carefree Frank Loesser 1950 musical! Based on several stories by Damon Runyon, the show won five Tony awards, including Best Musical, and went on to numerous revivals on Broadway and in London, productions world-wide, and became a popular film in 1955. The book, by Jo Swerling and then Abe Burrows– who was denied the Pulitzer Prize in 1951 because of his difficulties with the House Un-American Activities Committee (maybe everything wasn’t so carefree after all)–concerns the misadventures of New York City gambler Nathan Detroit and his quest for the cash to secure a venue for a craps game.  Desperate, he bets Sky Masterson, a high-stakes gambler who would bet on anything, that Sky will be unable to convince Salvation Army missionary Sarah Brown to accompany him on a dinner date to Havana.  Meanwhile, Detroit has to fend off poor Adelaide, a nightclub entertainer at the Hot Box, who, after fourteen years of engagement is adamant about marrying him, since she has written to her mother about their longstanding marriage and five children.  The comic escapades of these unlikely couples, the intertwining of the Salvation Army and the gamblers, add up to an entertaining story line, accompanied by Loesser’s entrancing music and lyrics.

Alas, this big, sprawling extravaganza proves too much for the company gathered by The Theater Barn in New Lebanon.  Neither the performers, despite their best efforts, nor the skimpy set and insufficient band, are equal to the task.

Sky Masterson (Nick Abbott) must win the heart of Mission Doll, Sister Sarah Brown (Katherine McLellan) in order to win a bet.

Nathan Detroit (Andrew Pace) has kept his fiancee, Miss Adelaide (Katie Luke), on the hook for 14 years.

Director/choreographer Kelly Shook cast performers who can sing, which is a good thing given the sublime songs.  The leading actors:  Nick Abbott (Sky Masterson), Katherine McLellan (Sarah Brown), Andrew Pace (Nathan Detroit),  Katie Luke (Adelaide), and some of the minor players, including Paul Urriola (Nicely-Nicely Johnson) and Andrew Martinelli (Benny Southwest) all have strong voices, especially Abbott and Luke.  Although Shook’s choreography succeeds in certain scenes, it falls flat in others because the cast, except for a couple of obvious dancers, cannot keep up with her ideas.  But three exciting dance sequences, each involving a number of cast members, give a taste of what might have been.  During the overture, in a scene repeated at the end, Runyonesque characters scramble about the stage, engaged in various New York City activities:  tourists taking photos, hustlers escaping a policeman’s surveillance by hiding money and cards in a baby carriage, drinkers, newspaper readers, a pickpocket nun, and Salvation Army marchers, complete with a huge bass drum.  In the second act, below street level, the lovable gamblers throw down money and dice in a graceful Crapshooters’ ballet.  And late in the proceedings, the singing and choreography of Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat, the showstopping number, brings the scene to vivid life.  If only the rest of the production could maintain this level.  Unfortunately Shook allows too many scenes to peter out at the end, without a suitable “button” to provide closure.

It is often said that the ideal musical theatre performer is a triple threat:  adept at singing, dancing, and acting.  There are very few performers in this production who have the acting training to make the story believable, not an easy task in view of the stock characters, contrived situations, and Runyon’s language:  a combination of formal speech (involving no contractions) and colorful jargon.  For Guys and Dolls to have a chance at success, we must care about the struggles of the four main characters.  Though Abbott’s handsome appearance and powerful voice work well for Masterson, he too often adopts the poses of a seducer without the inner life that would actually win over a strait-laced woman like Sarah.  McLellan, with her lovely soprano voice, finally loosens up in the second act, but ironically there is not much chemistry between them.  Pace and Luke as Nathan and Adelaide should supply the comic relief, but Pace’s mugging gets in the way.  Luke, on the other hand, despite an unfortunate and unnecessary attempt to adopt Blaine’s high-pitched voice, conveys the humorous frustration (and cold-symptoms) of Adelaide.  Mention must be made of the song More I Cannot Wish You, sung by John Trainor, as Sarah’s grandfather Arvide Abernathy, who advises Sarah to allow her love for Sky to overcome her objection to gamblers.  There is genuine caring between grandfather and granddaughter, and a welcome poignancy to their interaction.

The very basic set, designed by Abe Phelps, consists of a newsstand with old magazines and newspapers, a flat representing the mission with a too-narrow door on the outside and a desk and chairs on the inside, a tall structure draped with orange fabric for the HOT BOX, a small cabaret table, and old 1950s ads on the upstage black curtain.  The result, unhappily, has the look of a high-school production.  The band (led by music director Alan Schlichting) plays its heart out, but with only a piano, drums, and bass hardly provides the musical accompaniment necessary to make the show fly. The lighting (designed by Todd Allen and Gabe Karr) is fine, but the most effective member of the design team is Jade Campbell, the costume designer, whose colorful, period creations are a joy to behold.

After a draggy first act, the second act bounces back, so you may decide that a visit to The Theater Barn is worth your while.  But if you love Guys and Dolls, perhaps you should consider waiting for a better all-around production.

Guys and Dolls runs from August 24—September 3 at The Theater Barn.  For tickets call 518-794-8989 or online at www.theaterbarn.com

The Theater Barn presents Guys and Dolls; Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser, Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows.  Cast:  Nick Abbott (Sky Masterson), Katherine McLellan (Sarah Brown), Andrew Pace (Nathan Detroit), Katie Luke (Adelaide), Paul Urriola (Nicely-Nicely Johnson), Andrew Martinelli (Benny Southwest), Marc De La Concha (Rusty Charlie), Sky Vogel (Big Jule), Levi Squier (Harry the Horse), Nolan Baker (Angie the Ox), Liane Zielinski (Hot Box Girl 1), Megan Koumis (Hot Box Girl 2), Conner Milam (Hot Box Girl 3), John Trainor (Arvide Abernathy), Mike Hays (Lt. Brannigan), Barby Cardillo (General Matilda B. Cartwright), Olivia Bullock (Agatha).  Direction and Choreography:  Kelly Shook; Costume Design:  Jade Campbell; Lighting Design:  Todd Allen & Gabe Karr; Set Design:  Abe Phelps; Music Director:  Alan Schlichting; Stage Management: Chelsey Moore.  Running Time:  two hours 30 minutes, including intermission, at The Theater Barn, 654 Route 20, New Lebanon, NY 12125, from August 24, closing September 3.

REVIEW: “Guys and Dolls” at The Theater Barn A Critic’s Lament by Barbara Waldinger The world situation being what it is, how welcome is the prospect of seeing…

[larryland]

Godspell is a show of my youth, and it has been scientifically proven that music you listen to during your adolescence holds a special meaning for you all your life. But while I still know all the songs by heart, it has been nearly twenty years since I have seen a production, and the show in its entirety is still stunning in its simplicity and powerful message. Seeing it the day after the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia, was a deeply emotional and spiritually moving experience.

Godspell is an older spelling of the word gospel, which means “good news.” It is based on the Gospel According to Matthew, with bits of Luke’s gospel thrown in for good measure. The librettist, John-Michael Tebelak, who created the show for his Master’s thesis project at Carnegie Mellon, had contemplated pursuing ordination. Many of the lyrics not written by composer Stephen Schwartz are taken from hymns or even older liturgical sources – “Day by Day” contains writing by the 13th-century English bishop Saint Richard of Chichester. The central character is Jesus of Nazareth, so there is no getting around the fact that Godspell is a Christian show, but the good news embodied in it is so deeply rooted in justice and peace that it transcends any one religion. All the world religions embrace the message of this show, which is about unity, not division.

At The Theater Barn, director and choreographer Trey Compton has assembled the perfect cast for this show – ten remarkably talented young men and women – who he has formed into a cohesive team. Each actor plays at least one instrument over the course of the show, after the a cappella prologue “Tower of Babble” because, in Compton’s words: “Jesus physically brings the music with him,” transmitting his message of love and acceptance through music.

To  further this concept, this Jesus (Zack Zaromatidis) is a guitarist. He is literally crucified with a guitar slung across his body – talk about the day the music died! – and at his resurrection his hands are suddenly freed to play again. Zaromatidis is a gentle Jesus, a little too vanilla for my taste, but warm and appealing and a genuinely talented musician.

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Andrew Pace plays the only other named characters – John the Baptist and Judas Iscariot. There is a strong break in mood between Act I, Jesus’ ministry, and Act II, Jesus’ passion, and Pace’s performance in the second act is indeed passionate and riveting. Judas is not necessarily the Bad Guy, but the Guy Who Took Action. The other disciples are passive, they all fall asleep, Peter betrays Jesus by denying him. Judas’ actions literally acknowledge Jesus’ power, which he believes, at least some of the time, is dangerous to society. Pace allows us to see that deep conflict clearly.

As is traditional, the rest of the cast uses their own first names as their character names, although they are clearly playing roles, not playing themselves. The entire cast is on the stage throughout the show, and each gets a solo. It would be grossly unfair to single out one or two of them for extra praise – they truly perform as an ensemble and all are excellent – but they all deserve to be named: Nolan Baker, Megan Koumis, Katie Luke, Andrew Martinelli, Katherine McLellan, Connor Wayne Milam, Paul Urriola, and Liane Zielinski.

One of the great joys at the Theater Barn is watching the talented young actors play different roles throughout the season – Luke, Milam, and Zielinski were all in Nunsense, and Pace appeared in the Barn’s first two shows this season. I have my guesses how Guys and Dolls will be cast, and I am sure you will too.

Abe Phelps has designed a simple but flexible set which leaves plenty of room for the overflowing joy of many of the numbers. The cast spray painted the backdrop themselves and there is lots to look at and treasures to find. It reminded me of the well decorated cars of the New York City Subway system in my teens, which were – Surprise! – the 1970’s.

  Compton and cast creating the backdrop for “Godspell 2012.”

Actual 1970’s NYC subway graffiti

In the center of the backdrop is a circle with a Chi-Rho symbol in it. I had to check with Compton to make sure it was a Chi-Rho because it is done in a different artistic style than I am used to, but it is indeed the Greek symbol of the Christogram, featuring an X and a P, the first two letters in the Greek word Christos. Originally it was used by the Romans to brand Christians, but after Augustus it has been used as a positive symbol for Christianity. Compton explained that he wanted it to look like a 60’s or 70’s rock band insignia – something that might be painted on the band’s bass drum – and he has succeeded.

A traditional Chi Rho symbol.

The Chi Rho used on the backdrop of “Godspell 2012” at The Theater Barn.

The cast begins the show in 21st century hipster gear, texting endlessly on their cell phones, and then changes into more relaxed garb after heeding Jesus’ call. Jade Campell’s costumes, while contemporary, echo the 1970’s in subtle ways – fringe, crochet, a headband, long flowing skirts paired with Frye-like boots – the only thing the cast wears that we didn’t have back then are leggings (Spandex hadn’t been invented yet!) The cell phones remain though, and Allen Phelps incorporates them, and hand-held spotlights, into his lighting design on several occasions

The Barn has been raising funds over the past few years to upgrade their lighting and sound systems, and this production looks to be proof that they have achieved their goal. The performers are all miked, there are electric guitars in use, and there is actually a credited sound designer, Don Sweener. What does that all mean? Well, it is LOUD! But then rock music is supposed to be loud. There were people seated near me eyeing the size of the speaker system warily and pondering stuffing Kleenex in their ears, but as far as I could tell they didn’t feel that need and thoroughly enjoyed the show. After the initial blast of “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” I adjusted too and did not leave with ringing in my ears, as I certainly did after many musical events back in the 70’s.

I have a hard time affixing the “2012” to the title because, while I know this is an authorized new version, officially fluffed up by Schwartz, it is still Godspell to me. Like me, the show is aging. It was first performed in 1970, 47 years ago, and it probably needed a thorough updating. But whatever is new melds seamlessly with what is old. I did NOT miss the one cut number, “Alas for You,” the lyrics to which embarrassed Schwartz almost instantly, but I did miss the opportunity that song gave for Jesus to be visibly angry as he overturned the tables of the money-changers in the Temple. And “Beautiful City,” which was written for the 1972 film version, has been around plenty long enough to fit right in.

I know it has been reorchestrated, but the music, under Alan Schlichting’s direction, sounded just right to me. Unlike Jesus Christ Superstar – the rival “Jesus Musical” of 1970 – this score does not sound dated, it still brims with the exuberance and strong belief that the world can and will be changed by the current generation that was quixotically endemic to the “Hippie” movement. But looking at this young cast belting out these wonderful songs, even on August 13, 2017, I felt a surge of hope that maybe, just maybe, this generation will be the one.

Earth shall be fair, and all her people one; Nor till that hour shall God’s whole will be done.Clifford L. Bax, 1916

The Theater Barn presents Godspell 2012, book by John-Michael Tebelak, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and others, directed by Trey Compton. Set design by Abe Phelps, lighting design by Allen Phelps, costume design by Jade Campbell, sound design by Don Sweener, stage manager Chelsey Moore. CAST:Zack Zaromatidis as Jesus, Andrew Pace as John the Baptist and Judas Iscariot. Disciples: Nolan Baker, Megan Koumis, Katie Luke, Andrew Martinelli, Katherine McLellan, Connor Wayne Milam, Paul Urriola, and Liane Zielinski.

The show runs two hours with one intermission and is suitable for the whole family. Performances at the air-conditioned Theater Barn are Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets are $27.00 for the evening performances and $25.00 for the Sunday matinee.  For information and reservations call [phone].  www.theaterbarn.com

REVIEW: “Godspell 2012” at The Theater Barn Godspell is a show of my youth, and it has been scientifically proven that music you listen to during your adolescence holds a special meaning for you all your life.

[larryland]

by Gail M. Burns

As a theatre critic I am required to roll my eyes when a Nunsense show (there are nearly ten of them) is mentioned. The first iteration, currently playing at The Theater Barn, is 32 years old, and its age is beginning to show. But I still secretly relish the opportunities these shows provide for talented actresses who are no longer ingénues to strut their stuff.

If you have managed to avoid the Nunsense franchise until now, I will give you a quick synopsis. Dozens of members of the Little Sisters of Hobken, housed at Mount Saint Helen’s Convent, have died as a result of some bad Vichyssoise concocted by their convent cook, Sr. Julia Child of God. The remaining sisters have managed to bury all but four of their late comrades (they are stashed in the freezer and a visit from the health inspector is looming), but the sisters have run out of money so they decide to put on a variety show to raise the necessary cash.

Thus we find Mother Superior, Sister Mary Regina (Amy Feibke); Sister Mary Hubert, Mistress of the Novices (Connor Wayne Milam); streetwise Sister Robert Anne, the convent’s bus driver and mechanic (Courtney Silber); Sister Mary Leo, a balletically inclined novice (Katie Luke); and poor, befuddled Sister Mary Amnesia, robbed of her memory when conked on the head by a crucifix (Liane Zielinski), taking the stage. They are backed by musical director Alan Schlichting on piano, Ian Tucksmith on drums, and Adam Peterson on bass. All three musicians are wearing the collar and kibbutz gently with the cast on several occasions.

The humor is very broad, corny jokes abound, and the style is vaudeville all the way. In the course of the show we learn that all but Sister Mary Hubert have had careers or ambitions in show business, explaining their abilities to tap dance and belt out showstoppers at the drop of a veil, but each also takes time to reminisce about their calling and the joy they find in their vocation, which leavens the silliness and opens a window into these women’s hearts.

Kneeling: Courtney Silber, Amy Fiebke, and Liane Zielenski. Standing: Connor Wayne Milam and Katie Luke

Liane Zielenski and friend.

Director Marc de la Concha has assembled a very talented, although quite young, cast, with the exception of Feibke’s more mature (well, most of the time) Mother Superior.  Zielinski is a stand out vocally, especially in her big Act I number “So You Want to be a Nun” which requires her to sing in several different voices and styles in rapid succession. She is also amusingly goggle-eyed at the world she so mysteriously finds herself in.

Luke dances nicely en pointe and her “Dying Nun” solo is delightful. Silber is a little too gentle, but nonetheless winning as Robert Anne, and Milam doesn’t come into her own until the finale when she joyfully leads the cast in “Holier Than Thou.” Milam is the cast member who is obviously too young for her role, but she was a last minute replacement for an injured older actress, so the fault is neither hers nor de la Concha’s, nor the good lady who was injured!

Often the Theater Barn brings in a bunch of talented young singer/actors who play various roles in all three of their back-to-back musical productions – this year Godspell 2012 and Guys and Dolls follow Nunsense – and I am hoping this is the case again this year. I would be delighted to see any of these ladies in a repeat performance this season.

The Mother Superior is the star turn, and I was sure that Fiebke, a local theatrical stalwart, was up to the task. Sporting quite a steady Irish accent, Fiebke asserts her authority over the other nuns – and the audience via her clicker! – and carries the show. Her monologue “under the influence” at the end of Act I is a side-splitter.

Abe Phelps has created a rather busy set – the nuns are performing on the Mount Saint Helen’s High School stage, which is set for their production of Grease – which allows the band to be onstage with the ladies which adds to the fun. The costumes are a no brainer, just call up rent-a-nun then add the flourishes, but Jade Campbell has done them well.

Be prepared for some audience interaction – there is a pop quiz fairly early on, so pay attention! – and much merriment. If you are now or have ever been Roman Catholic, or attended a Catholic school, you will undoubtedly find this twice as hilarious as the rest of us unwashed masses.

Nunsense by Dan Goggin, directed by Marc de la Concha, runs July27-August 6 at The Theater Barn, 654 Route 20 in New Lebanon, NY. Musical director Alan Schlichting, set design by Abe Phelps, lighting design by Allen E. Phelps, costume design by Jade Campbell, stage manager Chelsea Moore. CAST: Amy Fiebke as the Mother Superior, Sister Mary Regina; Connor Wayne Milam as Sister Mary Hubert; Courtney Silber as Sister Robert Anne; Katie Luke as Sister Mary Leo; and Liane Lielinski as Sister Mary Amnesia.

The show runs two hours with one intermission. For tickets and more information call 518-794-8989 or visit http://www.thetheaterbarn.org

REVIEW:”Nunsense” at the Theater Barn by Gail M. Burns As a theatre critic I am required to roll my eyes when a Nunsense show (there are nearly ten of them) is mentioned.

[larryland]

by Gail M. Burns

Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976)  was a fascinating woman in all regards (only the Bible has outsold her collected works), and her work is as much fun today as it was in the mid-20th century when she wrote it.

Spider’s Web (1954) has a murder and a mystery, but it is primarily a character-based play commissioned by screen actress Margaret Lockwood, well-known for her villainess roles, who wanted to make her West End theatrical debut in a light part in a “comedy thriller” by Christie.  Lockwood’s request came in 1953, the year after The Hollow and The Mousetrap (yes, it is STILL running!) opened in London, and Christie wrote the play during the period of the final rehearsals for her next hit play, Witness for the Prosecution. She named the central character to be played by Lockwood Clarissa, after her mother (Agatha Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller).

That the resulting work is not one of Christie’s best plays is understandable. She was distracted by ongoing rehearsals, she was required to create a comic heroine for Lockwood, and Lockwood had further stipulated that she write roles for Wilfred Hyde-White, with whom she wanted to work, and her 14-year-old daughter r, Julia, neither of whom ever played the roles that were written for them.

At the Theater Barn director Allen Phelps has assembled an uneven cast – the best of whom are among our best regional actors – who make this production a pleasant evening of summer stock fun.

Kate Berg plays the Lockwood role of Clarissa Hailsham-Brown, a young woman recently married who takes her new role as step-mother to her husband’s teenager daughter very seriously. Berg makes a good show of her role. She is on stage for most of the play and needs to remember what Clarissa knows, or believes she knows, when and how she should react it to. She is well-paired with Phil Rice the Hyde-White role of her guardian Sir Rowland “Rolly” Delahayne, who is determined to protect his young ward no matter what.

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In order to protect the person she believes is the murderer, Clarissa, who has a vivid imagination, begins spinning a spider’s web of lies. They are so convincing that Police Inspector Lord (Toby Wherry) won’t believe her when she tries to tell what she believes to be the truth. Clarissa gets herself in quite a pickle until the murderer finally reveals her/his identity and then the doors always fly open and salvation arrives, just as it inevitably did for Jessica Fletcher seconds before she was stabbed, strangled, shot, fed to sharks, or pushed down an elevator shaft on Murder, She Wrote. I like a good “damsel in distress” rescue, don’t you?

Katelyn Widmer, granddaughter of Theater Barn founders Joan and Abe Phelps, acquits herself well as young Pippa Hailsham-Brown, Clarissa’s step-daughter. At the performance I attended a tremendous downpour drowned out the early scenes of the play and Widmer was unable to rise above the din as the more experienced performers did. But once the noise abated she did a fine job of showing real fear when Pippa’s evil step-father, Oliver Costello (Andrew Pace), enters the scene.

Clarissa’s husband, Henry, who is some kind of high mucky-muck in the British Foreign Service, does not appear in this production, his scene having been excised. It is a very small role and I suppose there is a savings having to pay one less actor, but this is a murder mystery and each character, each scene, builds the plot. Remove even the tiniest piece and the whole becomes that much more baffling.

The last time the Barn mounted Spider’s Web in 2010 John Trainor played Rolly, and he has played a long line of inspectors in the Barn’s annual Christie outings. Here he has fun as the dithering Hugo Birch, the local JP (justice of the peace, an elected position in Britain). Newcomer Gianmarco Colucci is uneven as Jeremy Warrender, becoming such a sandwich-eating cypher in the central scenes that I almost forgot his role early on.

Brian E. Plouffe plays Elgin, the butler, the role he also played in the 2010 production. There is quite a bit of humor in Spider’s Web, but Plouffe and Brette Morningstar, as Mrs. Mildred Peake, the gardener who “comes with the house,” seem to be playing a much broader style of comedy than the genteel drawing room variety into which Christie fits. Morningstar’s attempt at an accent – Irish? Scottish? – is distracting, although she strikes some good comedy moments early on. And boy, can she scream!

Along with Morningstar’s inscrutable squawk, there are a cacophony of other attempts at British accents on display, some of which are sustained better than others. The need for accents is the major stumbling block for all American productions of Christie’s work.

Abe Phelps has designed and built another wonderful realistic set for this show, nicely decorated in dark forest green and well lit by Gabe Karr. The mechanics of the hidden passageway are delightful. Jade Campbell has designed a beautiful dress for Berg, and assembled the appropriate British country tweedy look for the rest of the company.

There are people who just love a good mystery, and even in her lesser works Dame Agatha can be counted on for that.  The Barn routinely stages a whodunit at this point in the season, and mystery buffs throughout the region look forward to it.  Spider’s Web is neither Christie’s strongest work or the Barn’s, but it provides a fun evening of mental stimulation in an air-conditioned space, which is always a good deal!

Spider’s Web by Agatha Christie, directed by Allen Phelps, runs through July 6-23, 2017, at the Theater Barn, 654 Route 20 in New Lebanon, NY.  Set design by Abe Phelps; costume design by Jade Campbell; lighting design by Gabe Karr; stage management Chelsey Moore. CAST: Phil Rice as Sir Rowland Delehaye, John Trainor as Hugo Birch, Gianmarco Colucci as Jeremy Warrender, Kate Berg as Clarissa Hailsham-Brown, Katelyn Widmer as Pippa Hailsham-Brown, Brette Morningstar as Mrs. Mildred Peake, Brian Plouffe as Elgin, Andrew Pace as Oliver Costello, Toby Wherry as Inspector Lord, and Paul Araiza as Constable Jones.

The show runs two and a half hours with one intermission and is suitable for ages 10 and up (any murder mystery might be too scary for little ones). Call [phone] to reserve seats. Ticket sales are by cash or personal checks only (sorry, no credit cards.) The box office is open daily from 10 am-9 pm. http://www.thetheaterbarn.org/

REVIEW: Agatha Christie’s “Spider’s Web” at the Theater Barn by Gail M. Burns Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976)  was a fascinating woman in all regards (only the Bible has outsold her collected works), and her work is as much fun today as it was in the mid-20th century when she wrote it.

[larryland]

John Trainor and Clara Childress.

Meg Dooley and Rie Lee.

John Trainor and Rie Lee.

Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced now at The Theater Barn Theatre review by Gail M. Burns

The annual murder mystery – almost always an Agatha Christie – does so well for The Theater Barn that they are running this year’s offering for three weekends instead of the usual two. A Murder is Announced offers lots of familiar faces on stage and familiar names in the program at the cheerful, no-frills family run theatre in New Lebanon, NY. John Trainor is once again wearing the trench coat as a Christie sleuth, Joan Coombs is dithering, Meg Dooley is playing the highly strung mistress of the house where the murders (yes, there are two) take place, Abe Phelps has designed a handsome set which is well lit by his son Allen Phelps, and a supporting cast of talented young actors struts their stuff.

A Murder is Announced is a 1977 stage adaption by Leslie Darbon of Dame Agatha Christie’s 1950 novel of the same title, which was her fiftieth published book. The novel was very well received and is considered classic Christie, so it is interesting that Dame Agatha didn’t dramatize it herself. If she had, I suspect we would have ended up with a smoother, funnier, less fraught work than director Aaron Holbritter has to work with here.

In a large country house called Little Paddocks in the small English village of Chipping Cleghorn, Miss Blacklock (Dooley) is minding her manners and presiding over her hodge-podge household of friends and relations with the questionable assistance of her lone servant Mitzi (Shannon Paul), a loquacious and excitable Russian. It is Friday, October 13, and uppermost on Miss Blacklock’s mind is the celebration of her dear friend Miss Bunner’s (Coombs), aka Bunny, birthday. Bunny has been Miss Blacklock’s companion ever since the latter returned from a long stay abroad nursing her late sister through a losing battle with tuberculosis. But the day-to-day concerns take a back seat when a notice in the personals column of the local Gazette announces a murder will take place at Little Paddocks at 6:30 that evening.

And, of course, it does. With Miss Blacklock, Bunny, Miss Blacklock’s visiting cousins, brother and sister Patrick (Noah Mefford) and Julia (Alyssa H. Chase) Simmons, a boarder Mrs. Philippa Haymes (Clara Childress), and nosy neighbor Mrs. Swettenham (Nancy Hammell), her nebbishy son Edmond (Caleb John Cushing), and, of course, Miss Marple (Rie Lee) in attendance. (Mitzi claims she was locked in the dining room when the shots rang out.) Next thing we know Inspector Craddock (Trainor) and local policeman Mellars (Levi Squier) are on the scene asking questions and taking notes. The corpse (also played by Squier) is identified as one Rudi Scherz, a hotelier who Miss Blacklock knew briefly in Switzerland. Why was he here? How did he come to die? Who was he trying to kill and why? Everyone is a suspect and everyone has waaaay to long of a story about why it wasn’t, it couldn’t have been, them.

Red herrings fly about over the course of six scenes, during which a second murder, this time by poison, occurs. In the end Miss Marple wraps up the mystery and tea is served. Of course.

The mystery I am left to solve as a theatre critic is how so many talented people, and people well versed in staging and performing in this particular type of drama, have created such a slow-paced and wobbly production. Only Trainor and Paul seem to know what they’re about on the stage. In fact Paul’s performance is so forthright and commanding that I got excited every time she walked on stage. “Oh good,” I thought, “Now something is going it happen!”

Yes, this is a cerebral mystery. It is talky and you must listen carefully to each character’s story and the clues they so carefully place, so the actors must speak slowly and clearly. There must be a sense of repressed secrets and heighten tension as each individual comes under suspicion, and yes, these people are, with the exception of Mitzi, very, very mid-20th century British. But that doesn’t mean they are inert. Holbritter has performed several times at The Theater Barn, and while this is his directorial debut here, he has a solid track record as a director at other Capital District theatres. But his direction here is glacially static.

Having seen the younger members of this cast – Mefford, Chase, Childress and Cushing – in the Barn’s raucous opening farce Moon Over Buffalo two weeks ago, I know the energy and physical humor they are capable of, so it is sad to see them so severely restrained here. But they all disport themselves well, despite wildly disparate and fluctuating attempts at British accents. They would do well to follow Trainor’s lead and simply not attempt any accent at all.

But to me the weakest links in this cast were Dooley and Lee, who often seemed unsure of their lines and spoke too softly. Someday I would like to see Coombs take a shot at Miss Marple, as I feel she would have the backbone and subtle humor to do something special with the role. Lee is spry and twinkly, but she never fully inhabits the role. Dooley looks marvelous in flattering costumes by Shimra Jamie Fine topped by her glorious flaming red hair, but her seeming insecurity in this central role was the main cause of the production’s over-arching sense of instability.

Hopefully during its three week run the production will gel and the cast will settle in to their roles. There is a huge audience for a good whodunit on a hot summer’s night, and those of you not tasked with analyzing and writing about this production will undoubtedly enjoy yourselves thoroughly. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing right up until Miss Marple does her magic in the final scene.

The Theater Barn presents A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie, adapted for the stage by Leslie Darbon, Directed by Aaron Holbritter; Costume Design – Shimra Jamie Fine; Set Design – Abe Phelps; Lighting Design – Allen Phelps; Stage Management – Cheryl Ann Thompson. Cast: Miss Blacklock – Meg Dooley; Miss Marple – Rie Lee; Inspector Craddock – John Trainor; Mitzi – Shannon Paul; Miss Bunner – Joan Coombs; Julia Simmons – Allysa J. Chase; Patrick Simmons – Noah Mefford; Mrs. Swettenham – Nancy Hammell; Edmond Swettenham – Caleb John Cushing; Mrs. Philippa Haymes – Clara Childress; Rudi Scherz/Mellars – Levi Squier. Two and a half hours with one 15 minute intermission. July 9-26, 2015. The Theater Barn, 654 Route 20, New Lebanon, NY. thetheaterbarn.org 518-794-8989.

“A Murder is Announced” at the Theater Barn is ‘classic Christie’ says Gail Burns Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced now at The Theater Barn Theatre review by Gail M. Burns…