Reviewed by Tony Annicone
The opening show of The Players’ 110th season is “Deathtrap”, a thriller by Ira Levin. Alan Hawkridge directs this show with keen insight to guide his five member cast with all the clever twists and turns of this script that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. This show takes place in the Westport, Connecticut home of famous playwright, Sidney Bruhl who is having a dry spell with his writing and is trying to write his current script. Unfortunately he has had a string of failures and is suffering from a shortage of funds.
Just in time, a former student sends him a manuscript that promises to be a hit. His rich, doting wife, Myra is worried about her husband and encourages Sidney to collaborate with Clifford Anderson, his writing student from U-Conn. With his wife’s help, Sidney devises a plan to murder the young playwright and take the credit for himself. The show is filled with twists and turns and is sprinkled with humor. Mr. Levin throws in a comic Dutch physic and a stuffy lawyer to add chills to the proceedings which keeps the audience guessing until the final curtain falls. The expertise of the cast and direction leads to a standing ovation.
Alan’s blocking of the show is excellent especially during the action scenes when it throws you a curve that you don’t expect. His crew does a terrific job, too. The set is magnificent and resembles a converted stable in a country house. The stone fireplace, the wooden paneling, French doors and staircase add to the realistic atmosphere. The walls are covered with the weapons that Sidney used in each of his past thrillers and they are used to the utmost in this thriller, too. Marvelous lighting by Jessica Winward and splendid sound by Terry Shea are especially affective in the thunderstorm in Act II. Stage manager Morgan Clark keeps things running smoothly all night long. Dan Clement out does himself with this set for this show.
Heading this cast as the sinister playwright is Terry Shea. He commands the stage in this role with his tons of dialogue and stage business. Terry runs the gamut of emotions in this role. He plays it with flair and makes the audience guess what will happen next. This is one of the best roles I have seen him do. His long suffering wife of 11 years is played by Kathleen Oliverio . She is remarkable as Myra and gives the character a backbone to stand up to Sidney’s machinations and is much better in this role than Marian Seldes whom I saw portray it on Broadway with Stacey Keach as Sidney. Kathleen’s mannerisms and facial expressions capture the changing moods the role calls for and her nervous breakdown scene in the first act is magnificent. She is as brilliant in this role as she was when I first saw her as Blanche in “A Streetcar Named Desire” back at Providence College in 1981. And that is where she met her real life husband, Matthew. The young playwright, Cliff is played by Kirk Vanda. He is dynamic as Cliff with his many physical scenes in the show. Kirk handles them wonderfully that you don’t know will happen next. He handles the transition from naive student into a menacing figure with ease. He is especially impressive in the angry scene in Act 2. The special effects in this show are fabulous and realistically portrayed.
The biggest scene stealer of the night is Sharon Carpentier as Helga Ten Torp, the Dutch physic. Helga is the best written character in this show and Sharon commands the stage in all of her three scenes. She enters as a whirling dervish and her energy never wanes. Helga feels pain in this house, runs up to the others, scaring the pants off them but it is done tongue in cheek. Sharon’s best moments occur with the confusion of the name Smith-Corona, her parents never had to wrap Christmas presents, she never lost at hide and seek and that she received a vison that her daughter is pregnant in Europe. Her Dutch accent is perfect, too. She receives a thunderous ovation on a job very well done. Rounding out this cast is Walter Cotter, who plays the stuffy lawyer, Porter Milgrim. He has some clever one liners which garner him many laugh that you wouldn’t expect a lawyer to get. Walter and Sharon have a very comic scene in this show that will leave you wondering what’s happening and since this is a mystery thriller, you will have to witness it to find out what happened. So for an evening of thrills and chills with some topnotch acting and direction, be sure to catch “Deathtrap” The Players. It will keep you riveted to your seat.
DEATHTRAP (through October 21)
The Players, Barker Playhouse,400 Benefit Street, Providence, RI
1(401)273-0590 or www.theplayersri.org
