By Carol Davis
SAN DIEGO — Ira Levin’s 1978 play Deathtrap was the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway. It ran four years with over 1800 performances. Not bad for a non-musical. But everyone loves a good mystery, and Levin gives us that.
If you are like the rest of us who sneak a peek at the last few pages of a book to see how it all turns out, look no further because this reviewer is not going to reveal the outcome. It’s just too much fun watching as it all plays out in the beautiful surroundings of Sidney Bruhl’s (Eric Poppick) Connecticut study (a converted stable) to give too much away.
Aside from the oversized desk with typewriter, lamp and (yes) dial up phone it is adorned with guns, crossbows, handcuffs, knives, swords, maces, battle axes and any other kind of weapon needed to fight battles or commit murder hanging on the walls and sitting on the fireplace mantle. Keep that in mind! (Credit Ted Crittenden for the beautifully constructed and well furnished set design with Josh Hyatt’s properties design).
At the heart of this little gem is Sidney Bruhl a well-known writer of mystery novels who is going through a ‘dry time’. He’s still living on his past successes (after nineteen years) and his wife Myra’s money (Natalie Stenz) Myra’s lust for more money is incentive enough for her to go along with her husband’s scheme to snatch new and successful play even if it goes against her moral grain. (Don’t give it too much thought though)
He’s frustrated, his typewriter is silent and he has no new ideas. Out of the blue he gets a phone call from a young up and coming playwright, Clifford Anderson, (Kevin Koppman-Gue). Anderson tells him that he has written a new mystery called Deathtrap and he would like Buhl to look it over and give him thumbs up on his writing. He sends Bruhl a copy of the play.
Bruhl thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread and connives how to make this play his. If he can get Anderson out of the way and present the play as his own, his stars will rise again. Bruhl then invites Anderson to come to his Connecticut home so they can work together ‘getting some of kinks out’. And then there were three. De-de- de -de…
Next door to the Bruhls, Helga ten Dorp (M. Susan Peck), a Russian psychic is spending the winter at the neighbors home. She rushes in at key intervals to lend us her psychic takings and does a little recap for us on the comings and goings at the Bruhl household.
She also lends comic relief to it all while tooting her horn on how wonderful she is at helping the police solve crimes. And then there were four. Rounding out the cast is Porter Milgrim (Charles Maze) the Bruhl’s lawyer who would also like a piece of the action. Now there are five and the cast is complete.
Jessica John, one of San Diego’s busy actors, is making her directorial debut with Deathtrap. She has a great eye for comedic timing and the good sense to have a cohesive and fun cast to pull off the all the shtick needed to give the audience a bit of scream, a bit of a chill and a bit of an a hah! Michael Simkovsky’s excellent lighting design adds to the chill factor.
Eric Poppick’s Bruhl is so much fun to watch. He just about carries the show with a wink, a nod, a crooked smile, a hair-raising one liner and a gleam in his eye as he plots, schemes and lies his way out of one caper after another. Especially chilling is the ease with which he pulls them off and then gets on with his ‘life’.
Koppman-Gues’ Anderson, his partner in crime if you will, is just as strong as the up and coming writer. While slow to make his intentions known, his presence is as strong a factor as is Poppick’s.
As the plot thickens, winds itself back and forth and the attention swings from one mystery writer to the next, we the audience are being led around by the nose trying to figure out the next move. Red herring after red herring is dropped and for the most part, unless you are super sleuth or have seen the show before, we are left holding the bag in the end. That’s the fun of it, though.
M. Susan Peck is over the top as psychic Helga ton Dorp but that only adds to the guessing game as to how close to the truth she will come every time she does her recap when she checks into Bruhl’s house. She is especially effective when she shows up unexpectedly during a storm (Robert May’s sound effects just about scare the bejeezis out of us) looking for some candles even though she has a flashlight in hand.
John does an exceptional job with period costumes (polyester leisure suits for Buhl, and Russian peasant looking skirts, blouses boots and bandana’s for Helga) giving Helga’s outrageous look a comical and eccentric presence. Both Natalie Sentz and Charles Maze lend fine support as the reluctant wife and the so called above-it-all lawyer.
Deathtrap at Scripps Ranch Theatre” is well worth a look-see.
See you at the theatre.
Dates: November 13th – December 11th
Organization: Scripps Ranch Theatre
Phone: 858-578-7728
Production Type: Comedy-Thriller
Where: 10755-F Scripps Poway Parkway, #187, San Diego, CA
Ticket Prices: 22.00
Web: scrippsranchtheatre.org
Venue: Legler Benbough Theatre, Alliant International University
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Theatre critic Davis is based in San Diego