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A CRITICAL CASE OF MURDER!
By Kurt Kleinmann
Pegasus Theatre
Directed by Coy Covington
Lighting Design by Sam Nance
Costume Design by Aaron Patrick Turner
REVIEWED 01/13/06 PERFORMANCE
CAST:
Lt. Foster.....................A. Raymond Banda
Harry Hunsacker.........Kurt Kleinmann
Nigel Grouse...............Timothy Honnoll
Kate Peabody..............Leslie Patrick
Carter Thorndyke........Joel McDonald
Duncan Van Dine........Greg Pugh
Beryl Drake................Carrie Slaughter
Alexander Nathan.......Chad Gowen Spear
Dorothy Whiteside......Sheila Rose
_______________________A CRITICAL CASE OF MURDER_____________________
Back in the 1980s and 1990s Pegasus Theatre created bold, innovative,
and interesting theater from its home on Main Street here in Dallas. But
where Pegasus made its mark in DFW Theater was the jaw dropping
recreations of those black-n-white films live on stage.
However, due to a major increase in rent where Pegasus was housed, the
company was sadly forced to close, but not gone. Since then they have
produced at least one production a year at other spaces around the
city.
Personally, I have never seen a Pegasus black-n-white production; last
night would be my first. I did see ICT Mainstage do one of these plays
for their season last year, but last night would be my first ever
viewing of a Pegasus produced production.
All of these plays center on absent minded detective and struggling
actor Harry Hunsacker, which is played by Kurt Kleinmann. Kleinman also
happens to be the playwright for all of these plays that pay homage to
those 30s & 40s black-n-white films.
This time around the plot deals with the deaths of theater critics, and
where those associated with theater are the leading suspects. It is up
to Hunsacker and his trusty assistant Nigel Grouse to discover who the
real killer is.
The evening launches off beautifully with a marvelous mini-film. We have
a festive film that shows off Pegasus's logo (like in the movies), and
then we are shown how three theater critics are killed off, one by one.
And that's where the problem lays, the script. Sadly the piece seems to
stay stuck in neutral, never really blasting off into hysterical
laughter or spine tingling terror. There's so, so much exposition and
not enough character development. There are scenes in which the other
characters are all pushed upstage with nothing to say for several pages
of dialogue. There could have been some really hilarious set ups
concerning critics, theater, and actors, but the script never grabs a
strong, firm hold on these themes and explore them on stage. I'm not
saying it was not good, because the script did have some funny moments,
but the piece never got off the floor to be truly hilarious.
Physically the piece is smashing!
The curtain rises to reveal a truly amazing visual set designed by Wade
Giampa that was constructed by Wolf Studios. The set is a police station
that truly resembles those old 30s detective noir films, I expected at
any moment Joan Crawford as "Mildred Pierce" to burst onto the set &
confess to the murder. From the frosted glass to the pipe lined walls,
Giampa's set is brilliant in its design & detail. Giampa's set is lit to
perfection by Sam Nance, giving the production that veil of smoky
celluloid.
Finally, Aaron Patrick Turner's costumes are ravishing, elegant, and
tailored to amazing confections of cloth. The women are dressed in
period detailed dresses, topped off with fantastic hats. The men wear
slick suits, vests, and even an angora sweater (all in black-n-white)
that fit perfectly in the film noir approach of this piece. Turner's
costumes really do help in taking us into that long gone world of
classic Hollywood.
Major Kudos to Director Coy Covington for giving the piece rapid pace
and energy. That cast moves at great speed to keep the exposition
quickly moving along, all with solid energy. Covington's staging is
terrific, it's as though he watched 24 hours of non-stop old Edward G.
Robertson or Robert Ladd detective films on AMC. Everything in movement
and speech drips in delicious old, campy, Hollywood glamour.
For example, watch how the women stand or take their seat centerstage to
be interviewed by Hunsacker and Lt. Foster. The ladies do this very
funny, yet elegant sitting posture that generated solid laughs from the
audience.
Another very funny staging moment involved the quick, snapping movement
of heads and bodies in unison to add that button of hilarity. It's a
really creative staging piece that adds a wonderful layer of staging
thanks to Covington. His blocking and direction of the actors is both
organic and highly creative. When they are not the focus of the scene,
the actors are directed to be in constant movement, discussion with
others, or plotting away. It's another example of how creative and solid
Covington's direction is.
The entire cast all deliver wonderfully entertaining performances: A.
Raymond Banda as "Lt. Foster"; Timothy Honnoll as "Nigel Grouse"
(although he seemed to stumble a few times over his dialogue); and Greg
Pugh as "Duncan Van Dine".
Stand outs within the cast include Leslie Patrick as the sexy ingénue
"Kate Peabody"; Joel McDonald as the playwright "Carter Thorndyke"; and
Sheila Rose as the snooty theater critic "Dorothy Whiteside".
Which leaves three performances which for me gave smashing, scene
stealing performances:
Chad Spear as holier than thou theater critic "Alexander Nathan".
Spear's characterization is an amalgamation of SnagglePuss, Sideshow
Bob, and George Sanders ("Addison Dewitt" from ALL ABOUT
EVE). Spear is catty, bitchy, campy, and thinks he's better than anyone
in the room. It's a wonderful performance that never dims on stage.
Carrie Slaughter is another stand out, as the producer, "Beryl Drake".
Slaughter has some of the funniest facial expressions of the night.Watch
her reactions and takes upstage as the evening progresses, she is
hilarious! Slaughter also walks like a sexy, slithering, panther as she
glides across the stage. She is marvelous in this production.
Finally, what a rare and fun treat it was to finally see the man who
created "Hunnsacker", Kurt Kleinmann in the role that made him famous.
Kleinmann's combination of facial expressions and comic delivery is
perfection from beginning to end. You truly want Harry to win and become
a star by the time the curtain drops, thanks primarily to Kleinmann's
sweet, endearing performance. Normally these characters become
irritating, but not under Kleinmann's masterful approach to
characterization. His performance is fantastic to watch unfold on stage.
While the script is not up to par, the mixture of solid design elements,
terrific direction, and a great cast of thespians makes this evening of
theater still worth attending, especially if you've never seen one of
these black-n-white productions, then you have to see this production!
GRADE: B
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A CRITICAL CASE OF MURDER plays through January 28th, 2007. Tickets are
on sale now at the Eisemann Center Box Office by calling 972-744-4650 or
online at www.eisemanncenter.com.
Ticket prices are $25 for Thursdays, $35 for Saturdays, $30 for Fridays,
& $25 for Sundays. Discounts are available for seniors, students &
groups. For groups, call 972-744-4657.
John F. Garcia, Jr.
Executive Director/Producer, "THE COLUMN" Theatre Awards
Editor & Founder of THE COLUMN
Texas Regional Theater Critic for talkinbroadway.com |
