Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) - Broadway

The saying, ‘big things come in small packages” is never more true than in the new musical comedy, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).  The two-person show, which plays like a fairytale movie romcom, is endearing, heartfelt, and a little bit magical.  You will not leave the theater (or for that matter, during the show) without a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eyes.

The engaging book by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, who also wrote the upbeat score, concerns Dougal, a late 20 year-old Brit who has come to U.S. to attend his father’s wedding.   The young man has never met or even been acknowledged by this dad.  Nonetheless, he is over-the-moon about the upcoming nuptials and arriving in The Big Apple.  Dougal is played by Sam Tutty, whose exuberance and boyish charm are infectious.  From the moment he belts out the high-spirited opening number, “New York,” he has won over the audience.  Meeting him at the airport is Robin, also in her mid-20’s, and the younger sister of the bride.  A running joke is Dougal referring to her as “Auntie.”  Christiani Pitts, in the role of Robin, (who New York audiences may remember from her role as Ann Darrow in the short-lived King Kong), is a cynical, tough New Yorker on the outside, and a self-doubting Brooklynite on the inside.  While she initially appears as a hardened soul, the actress effectively teases out the role to, eventually, imbue the character with warmth and determination.

After picking up Dougal, Robin wants to just go back to her unappealing life, working as a barista in a coffee shop.  Dougal wants her to see the town with him.  After some playful bickering, she acquiesces, to a degree, but does let him help her pick up the wedding cake.  Spoiler alert – they don’t carry it across New York, but the scene does set up the story for the remainder of the musical.  Barne and Buchan could have settled for the libretto to just be stuffed with silliness and inane adventures.  The twosome, however, have fleshed out the backstory of each character and storyline.  Everything is not what it appears, which provides for a more realistic, honest encounter, and fulfilling ending.

 

As mentioned, the duo also wrote the music and lyrics.  Many of the numbers are beautifully rendered with optimistic, hopeful tunes mixed in with lighthearted and endearing songs.  One word to describe the score – refreshing.

 

Director/Choreographer Tim Jackson skillfully guides the musical to its gratifying conclusion, a difficult task for a two-person show.  His choreography is muted, but provides the occasionally energetic boost to the production.  He adeptly incorporates Soutra Gilmour’s whimsical Scenic Design – two pyramids of suitcases atop a rotating stage – and Jack Knowles sharp Lighting Design to create a show that appears larger than its small scale.

 

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), a show not to be missed, playing at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway.

Art of Murder - Seven Angels Theatre

There are three essential ingredients for a murder mystery to work on stage:

1. The believability factor
2. The understandability of the plot
3. Some twists and turns

The Art of Murder, playing at Seven Angels in Waterbury through November 30, contains all three, making it a diabolically entertaining show.  It’s not a whodunnit, but a whydunit.  Playwright Joe DiPietro - Broadway (Nice Work If You Can Get It – book, Memphis - book and lyrics), Off-Broadway (The Toxic Avenger - book and lyrics; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - book and lyrics) – has infused the show with comedy and drama, which allows for a more relaxing theatrical experience.

 

Without giving away much of the intrigue, the action takes place in the living room of a quaint Litchfield County home, impeccably rendered by Scenic Designer Kimberly Jackson.  An appealing detail by Ms. Jackson is the inclusion of paintings from the Mattatuck Museum that decorate the walls.  Uber artist, Jack Brooks, an arrogant, ego-centric painter, resides in the abode with his wife, Annie, an artist in her own right, and live-in maid, Kate.  A visit by Jack’s New York City art dealer, Vincent, is the catalyst for, as the saying goes, the plot to thicken. 

 

The strength of Art of Murder is the number of deceptions and artful trickery permeating the script.  Just when you think the play will tilt one way, it takes a sharp 180-degree turn.

 

Director Travis Kendrick-Castanho keeps the constantly changing machinations at a well-paced tempo.  His decision to have of Jack (Constantine Pappas) and Vincent (Tom Simonetti) play their roles in a more over-the-top manner enlivens the production.  He incorporates Charles O’Connor’s Lighting Design and his own Sound Design to effectively add a spine-tingling jolt to the show.

 

The cast is game for whatever comes their way.  Charlene Hong-White is suitably deceptive as Annie, delectably imbuing her character with both submissiveness and strength.  Tom Simonetti is delightfully bombastic, providing vitality and comedic affectations as Vincent.  Gemma Berg, in the underwritten role of Kate is, nonetheless, an integral part of the thriller. Constantine Pappas, the Artistic Director of Seven Angels, deserves a special nod in the role of Jack, having to step in at the last minute to replace the actor Reid Sinclair, who was ill.  Even with script-in-hand, Pappas was able to portray the self-important artist with vivacity and zeal.

 

There are just a few performances remaining of Art of Murder, playing at Seven Angels through November 30.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Fox on the Fairway - Music Theatre of Connecticut

The playwright Ken Ludwig is a master of farce, and his zany comedy, The Fox on the Fairway, is receiving a spirited production at the Music Theater of Connecticut.  There are twists and turns layered upon more twists and turns.  An innocuous reference early in the show becomes a key point later on in the play.  What seems implausible becomes possible.  The storyline?  I don’t want to reveal too much so as not to spoil the fun.  Simply, the plot revolves around the annual golf tournament between two country clubs.  A sizeable bet between the two clubs’ Executive Directors becomes the catalyst for the fun and silliness that emerges.

Josh Powell and Ted Gibson in The Fox on the Fairway.

Director Amy Griffin embraces the farcical nature of the show with slamming doors, physical humor, fast pacing, and romantic folly.  Even with all the absurdity and dashing about, she effectively keeps the cast from going overboard in their characterizations.  The humor comes more from the continuously changing situations than the histrionics of the cast.  Sean Sanford’s unpretentious tap room Scenic Design, with its numerous doorways and tactically placed furniture, is just right for all the shenanigans that take place in the show.  Jon Damast’s strategically inserted Sound Design contributes greatly to the folly.

Josh Powell and Missy Dowse in The Fox on the Fairway.

The ensemble is all in for the merriment, playing their characters with a self-assured effervescence.  Whether they are called upon to roll on the floor, jump on the furniture, smash a P.A. system, or chase (or be chased) around the set or down the aisles, the cast is up to the challenge.  Josh Powell, a frequent performer on Connecticut stages, is splendid as the perpetually flummoxed Mr. Bingham, the head of one country club.  Sean Hanlon, is perfect as Dickie, the arrogant, pretentious leader of the rival club.  Fresh-faced Ted Gibson gives an exuberant performance as the naïve, inexperienced Justin, the newly hired assistant to Mr. Bingham.  His fiancée, the waitress Louise, is played with bravado, charm, and a touch of desperation by Erin M. Williams.  Missy Dowse, enticingly imbues the character of Pamela, Treasurer at Mr. Bingham’s club, former wife of Dickie, with a sultry playfulness and calculating swagger.  Anette Michelle Sanders is ideal as the strident and shrill Muriel, wife of Mr. Bingham.

Sean Hanlon and Anette Michelle Sanders in The Fox on the Fairway.

The Fox on the Fairway,  a riotous time at the theater, playing at the Music Theater of Connecticut through November 23.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Importance of Being Earnest - Westport Country Playhouse

The Westport Country Playhouse opened its 95^th season with an uneven production of the classic Oscar Wilde comedy The Importance of Being Earnest.  Wilde’s wit, humor, and intellect is on full display in the show.  The issue is the pacing of the production.  Director Melissa Rain Anderson, primarily in Act I, has the characters hurrying about James J. Fenton’s stylishly rendered set.  The somewhat flashy performances, the dashing about, and clambering up and down the center staircase, while amusing, can also be distracting.  Less would have been more, allowing the comedy to come naturally from the repartee and well-planted bon mots.

L-R: Kristen Hahn, Katy Tang, Triney Sandoval, Anthony Michael Martinez, Christine Pedi, Jan Neuberger, and Michael Raver in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

 

 In the show, two young men, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, both lead double lives.  Jack lives in the country but pretends to have a wicked brother named “Ernest” so he can enjoy the pleasures of London.  In reverse, Jack’s friend Algernon relishes the opportunity to play in the country under the assumed identity of “Bunbury.”  The name of “Ernest” plays a key role in the work.  The secretive guises create a tricky problem with their love lives - Jack with Gwendolyn Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin, and Algernon with Cecily Cardew, Jack’s ward.  Complicating the whole affair is Algernon’s aunt, Lady Bracknell, an imposing, highly opinionated matron; Gwendolyn’s governess, Ms. Prism; and an over-stimulated priest, Canon Chasuble.  In the end, surprises are sprung, and happiness prevails for all.

L-R: Michael Raver and Anthony Michael Martinez in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

 

The centerpiece of The Importance of Being Earnest is the role of Lady Bracknell.  When she enters the stage, the character should demand the audience’s undivided and devoted attention.  Christine Pedi, garbed in one of Costume Designer Annie J. Le’s sumptuous outfits, is daunting and haughty, but the actress is not domineering within her scenes.  She becomes just one of the players.   

L-R: Kristen Hahn, Mark Silence, and Katy Tang in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15.   Photo by Carol Rosegg.

 

Anthony Michael Martinez’s Algernon is a foppish, vain, man about town, but the actor is slightly over-the-top in the role.  Michael Raver is more controlled as Jack Worthing, but almost too woeful and distressed.  Katy Tang’s Gwendolyn is attractively focused on her desires.  Kristen Hahn’s Cecily, as delicate as a butterfly is, nonetheless, resolute and unyielding with her wants and yearnings.  The two women, when together on stage, provide an entertaining verbal joust.  The other players - Jan Neuberger as the proper, yet restless, Miss Prism; Triney Sandoval as the frisky, jocular Canon Chasuble; and Mark Silence as the unexcitable and tolerant butlers – deliver ample support to the production.

L-R: Kristen Hahn, Anthony Michael Martinez, and Christine Pedi in “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Westport Country Playhouse, now through November 15.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

The Importance of Being Earnest, playing at the Westport Country Playhouse through November 15.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Almost Famous - A.C.T. of Connecticut

The Broadway musical of Almost Famous, based on the 2000 movie of the same name, flopped on Broadway, running only 77 performances.  Fast forward a few years, and the creative team of Cameron Crowe (who wrote and directed the film and, for the musical, the book and lyrics), and Tom Kitt (the score) came to A.C.T. in Connecticut to help them revise the show.  The result, under the skillful direction of Daniel C. Levine, is a leaner, more structured first act, but a second act, which is still in need of some work.

The cast of Almost Famous at A.C.T. of Connecticut.  Photo by Jeff Butchen.

 

The story, loosely based on Cameron Crowe’s life, is a coming-of-age story, a tale of an outsider trying to fit in.  The character William Miller, played with charm, naïveté, and a dash of spunk by Michael Fabisch, is a fifteen-year-old would-be rock journalist.   His big break is an assignment by Rolling Stone magazine to write a piece on the up-and-coming band Stillwater as they tour the United States.  Before the tour, he befriends the legendary Penny Lane, a laid-back groupie who has seen it all and done it all.  Once on the road, the young writer attempts to get his story, but is continually put off by, primarily, lead guitarist Russell Hammond.  During the multi-city travels, Miller’s mother harps on him from afar, as the high school student learns valuable life lessons, matters of loyalty, friendship, and romance.

Michael Fabisch in Almost Famous at A.C.T. of Connecticut.  Photo by Jeff Butchen.

In Act I, all the components of the musical come together in a frenetic whirlwind of harmonious action.  Levine utilizes members of the cast as a type of Greek chorus surrounding the skirmishes and conflicts on stage.  They bring an urgency and commentary to the rock milieu.  The streamlined plot and quick pacing, embellished by Charlie Morrison’s pulsating Lighting Design and Camilla Tassi’s vivid Projection Design, generate a well-balanced completeness to the first part of the show.  There is also an emotional viability to the Act.

Chris Marth, Chris Cherin, and Jack Rasmussen in Almost Famous at A.C.T. of Connecticut.  Photo by Jeff Butchen.

The problem in Act II is a sense of focus.  The character of Penny Lane becomes more prominent.  The power struggle within the band, their squabbling, and reconciliation, while essential to the story, minimizes the plight of William Miller.  The young lad’s mother, Elaine, played with a toughness and protective mindset, by Anika Larsen also receives more stage time.  The effective layering of the musical’s various components, demonstrated in Act I, are less clear in the latter half of the show.   Also, the moment when William is seduced by the three young female groupies is somewhat overt.  The kid is only fifteen.  Maybe a more suggestive, rather than explicit scene would have been more appropriate.

Michael Fabisch and Tess Marshall in  Almost Famous at A.C.T. of Connecticut.  Photo by Jeff Butchen.

Tom Kitt’s score, augmented by songs from Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, is a mixture of energetic power numbers (the opening “1973”), folk and country rock (“Everybody’s Coming Together,” “Ramble On”), and wistful ballads (“Morocco”).  Taken as a whole, the songs represent a rich tapestry and backdrop to the story of a teenager’s entry into the world of rock ‘n roll.  The songs are augmented by a cohesive, high-energy, larger-than-normal-sized band under Nicholas Connors’ first-rate Musical Direction.

The cast of Almost Famous at A.C.T. of Connecticut.  Photo by Jeff Butchen.

The cast is led by Michael Fabisch as William Miller.  Even though he is a 2024 graduate of The University of Michigan’s musical theater program, the actor easily passes for a teen of fifteen.  He effectively displays a demeanor of innocence and resilience, successfully anchoring the show.  Jack Rasmussen exudes charisma and a somewhat rocker’s mystic in his performance as Stillwater’s lead guitarist Russell Hammond.   The actor smoothly moves from introspection to rowdy partier.  Chris Cherin suitably imbues Stillwater lead singer Jeff Bebe with throaty baying and swaggering deportment.  Tess Marshall appealingly embodies Penny Lane with a coquettish presence, but also an undercurrent of disillusionment and world-weariness.  In the role of Elaine Miller, Anika Larsen initially comes across as a one-dimensional, overbearing motherly figure.  However, by the beginning of Act II, with her melancholy “Elaine’s Lecture,” the actress’s performance becomes more rounded and sympathetic.

 

 Almost Famous, playing at A.C.T. of Connecticut through November 23.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

The Great Emu War - Norma Terris Theatre

Musicals are based on movies, cartoons, fictional stories, and true-life events.  Point in fact, The Great Emu War, playing at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester through October 26.  Yes, I said true-life!  In 1932, the Australian army was called to the Western part of the country to cull the emu herds, which were laying waste to the crops.  This historical footnote intrigued the team of Cal Silberstein (book) and Paul Hodge (music, lyrics and book) to conjure up a cute, fun, and tuneful 90-minute musical.  The story stalls in the middle, and some of the topical jokes fall flat, but, in all, The Great Emu War is a diverting, cheery time at the theater.

The cast of Goodspeed's The Great Emu War. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The show is told from the standpoint of…the emus.  Many of the musicals at the Norma Terris, while receiving a full production, are still in the development phase.  Accoutrements like sets and costumes are at a minimum.  In The Great Emu War, the acting troupe is garbed in Costume Designer Herin Kaputkin’s, let’s call them, shiny emu headdresses and glittering tails.  The main set piece are two small bushels of wheat.

 

The opening number, “The Ballad of the Great Emu War,” is reminiscent of the start to the musical Shucked, with their two narrators laying out the plot of the show backed up by the other cast members.  Here, there is only one narrator, known as The Bush Bard (LaRaisha Dievelyn Dionne), a happy-go-lucky bloke who pops up throughout the production to add plot exposition, translate Australian vocabulary, or make bad puns.  While Ms. Dionne performs her function with buoyancy and aplomb, as the musical progresses her entry into the action seems sometimes forced.

Ethan Peterson, Claire Saunders and Jeremy Davis in Goodspeed's The Great Emu War. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

 

We learn from The Bard and, primarily, Edith (Claire Saunders), an independent, strong-willed female emu, about emu migration patterns, child-raising practices, and mating rituals.  Her father, Enoch (Jeremy Davis), wants her to stay with the herd, but Edith, hungry and thirsty because of a drought, wants to explore beyond her comfortable surroundings.  Let me interject that all emus are known by just their first name which always begins with the letter E.  Back to the battle – while foraging, Edith comes upon wheat.  Acres and acres of the sweet-tasting plant.  Soon, the fields are overrun by emus (historical footnote:  approximately 20,000 emus overran the harvest in 1932).  To combat the threat, the central government calls upon one Major Meredith (Taylor Matthew) to lead troops to the region to eliminate the threat.  Unfortunately, between the commander’s ineptitude and the pluck of Edith’s leadership, along with her boyfriend Ethan (Ethan Peterson), the emus continually out maneuver the armed forces until they withdraw in defeat and embarrassment. 

 

Paul Hodge’s score is refreshingly upbeat and frequently humorous.  References to other works abound - “Jam It, Damn It” from Emu sourcing “Dammit Janet” from The Rocky Horror Show.   

Taylor Matthew in Goodspeed's The Great Emu War. Photo by Diane Sobolewsk.

 

 Director/choreographer Amy Anders Corcoran brings levity and mischievousness to the musical, which is layered with a few tender moments.  Yes, emus can be introspective and romantic.  The momentum of the show slackens a trifle in the middle of the production before concluding on an upswing.  Ms. Corcoran adds a number or crowd-pleasing tap routines and the erotically tinged mating dance in “Boom” is downright steamy.

Claire Saunders and Ethan Peterson in Goodspeed's The Great Emu War. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

 

Ms. Saunder provides spunk and an animalistic amorousness to the role of Edith.  She anchors the show with her dynamism and a powerful singing voice.  Ethan Peterson delivers charm and honesty to his portrayal of Ethan.  Taylor Matthew imbues the character of Major Meredith with a thundering, over-the-top persona.  His hatred of birds and overblown self-importance provides a consistent comic spark to the show.   As Enoch, Jeremy Davis infuses his father bird with an expressiveness and pragmatic nature that is the perfect counterweight to his high-spirited daughter Edith.  The actress Morgan Cowling, playing the second banana in most scenes, contributes ample support to her other cast members.

 

The Great Emu War, playing at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, CT through October 26.  Click here for ticket information.

Spunk - Yale Repertory Theatre

Zora Neale Hurston’s play Spunk languished in the Library of Congress until being rediscovered in 1997.  The creative team at the Yale Repertory Theatre, where the play is receiving a joyful, rousing production through October 25, spent the last four years working to bring the show to life.  For example, there is no music included within the script so Nehemiah Luckett, the composer and music supervisor for Spunk, needed to write compositions to emulate the spirituals and folk songs of the time.   

J. Quinton Johnson and Kimber Elayne Sprawl (foreground) with Isaiah Reynolds, Alaman Diadhiou, and Mikey Corey Hassel in a scene from Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk. Photo by Joan Marcus.

 

The result is a stirring production, a play, with dozens of songs, pulsating choreography, and a love story set in the deep, rural south where segregation is in full swing.

 

The story takes place in the mid-1920’s in a small, fictional town in central Florida.  The plot revolves around Spunk, a handsome, charismatic, guitar-playing young man who comes upon the small town.  At a gathering of townsfolk, amongst the merriment, dancing, and drinking, Spunk eyes a woman, Evalina, and is smitten.  It doesn’t matter to him that she is married.  They take up together in total bliss, until her husband, Jim Bishop, steps in to put an end to their public affair.  Matters take an ominous turn, which threatens Spunk and Evalina’s relationship, but, in the end, through various trials and tribulations, they come together for a somewhat inconclusive ending.

 

Jeannette Bayardelle, Correy West, Janiah-Camile François, Tyler Clarke, and Matthew Elijah Webb. Photo by Joan Marcus in a scene from Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Hurston, an author, playwright, and ethnomusicologist, used her fieldwork to, as stated in the program notes, “document the music and oral traditions of Black communities…”. She has taken this research to craft a work “of elders and young folks, fun-loving and bitter, superstitious, ornery, gossipy, brave and scared, none of them angels and no cartoon villains.”  Community is key in Spunk.

 

The superlative cast, under the skillful direction of Tamilla Woodard and choreographer nicHi Douglas’ vibrant, naturalistic dance numbers, work as a highly satisfying ensemble.  Ms. Woodward deftly weaves the action, dance, and song into a seamless whole.  The result is a down-to-earth milieu full of humor, drama, and passion.

J. Quinton Johnson, Shawn Bowers, Correy West, Alaman Diadhiou, and Matthew Elijah Webb in a scene from Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk.  Photo by Joan Marcus.

 

Spunk is led by J. Quinton Johnson as the title character.  He has a magnetism and allure that captivates.  He brings an intensity layered with a breezy persona to the role.  The actor is also an accomplished musician.  Kimber Elayne Sprawl’s imbues Evalina, a lithe woman, with an assortment of moods and emotions as she moves from her troubled marriage to Jim Bishop to a harmonious connection with Spunk.  Each of the featured performers are noteworthy, but three that stood out were Jeannette Bayardell as the no-nonsense Mrs. Watson.  The actress also boasts a powerful singing voice.  Correy West brings comic chops to the role of Oral, and Alaman Diadhiou displays slick dance moves as Blue Trout.

Kimber Elayne Sprawl and J. Quinton Johnson in a scene from Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk.  Photo by Joan Marcus.

 

The sets by Scenic Designer Karen Loewy Movilla are minimally conceived, but along with Lighting Designer Gib Gibney’s sometimes luminous color palette, provide a striking backdrop to the production.  The outfits created by Costume Designer Kristen Taylor are practical, durable, and appropriate for the time-period.  Special mention goes to Nehemiah Luckett, whose varied musical work on the production is invaluable in making the show come to life.

 

Spunk, playing at the Yale Repertory Theatre through October 25.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Rope - Hartford Stage

In the classic TV detective series, Columbo, the crime, usually a murder, takes place within the first few minutes of the episode.  The fun was watching Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo of the Los Angeles Police Department then solve the crime.

 

In the world-premiere of Rope, receiving a tantalizing production at Hartford Stage, the same principle applies.  Here, there is no detective hot on the trail of the culprits, but the set-up is the same – right from the start there is a murder, we know the perpetrators, and we know the method.  The audience just settles back to witness how justice will prevail.

The cast of Rope.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

 

Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher has slimmed down Patrick Hamilton’s 1929 play Rope’s End, into a taut, 90-minute, intermission-less cat and mouse game.  Hatcher has spiced up the show with witty repartee and humorous moments, which are coupled with the unease and tension within the production.  All the action takes place in Scenic Designer Riw Rakkulchon’s sumptuously adorned London apartment, with its floor to ceiling bookshelves and sizeable picture window, dead center.

 

The premise for Rope, which audience members may remember as an Alfred Hitchcock film, is based on the 1924 Leopold and Loeb “crime-of-the-century,” where two University of Chicago students sought to commit the perfect crime.  As stated in the program notes, the pair were “inspired by [the philosopher] Nietzsche’s concept of the ubermensch (superman), believing themselves to be above the law…[and they] viewed their crime as an intellectual exercise in implementing Nietzsche’s philosophy.”

The cast of Rope.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

 

At the start of Rope, we observe Brandon (Daniel Neale), a narcissistic, intellectual, uber male, and his weaker-willed, live-in partner, Lewis (Ephraim Birney), gazing into an open chest, which holds the body of their murdered friend Ronald.  Brandon, especially, relishes the cold-hearted act in what he describes as the perfect crime.  Lewis is not as demonstrative over their deed.  As part of their plan, a small party with people close to Ronald, has been planned and one-by-one they arrive.  There is the victim’s father, Mr. Kentley (James Riordan); his son’s fiancée, Meriel (Fiona Robberson); and best friend, Kenneth (Nick Saxton).  Also joining the soiree is Rupert Cadell (Mark Benningofen), a retired instructor from the boarding school attended by Brandon, Lewis, and Ronald.  A logical, intelligent, but dour individual, he is also a successful mystery novelist.

Mark Benninghofen and Daniel Neale in Rope. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

As the evening progresses, parlor talk of murder makes the rounds.  Clues about the evil deed begin to surface as the play slowly, but steadily, proceeds to its theatrical conclusion.

 

The tension on the stage is palatable and Director Melia Bensussen slowly ramps up the anxiety level throughout the production.  She moves the characters around the set like a chess master plotting a surprising strike.  The Director infuses the show with Lighting Designer Mary Louise Geiger’s atmospheric lighting and Sound Designer Jane Shaw’s effectively timed thumping noises, thunderous claps, and the incessant ringing of a telephone.  Costume Designer Risa Ando’s adds a dash of realism with her refined period outfits.

Daniel Neale, Fiona Robberson, and James Riordan in Rope. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The cast is first-rate, led by Daniel Neale’s Brandon.  The actor exudes a smugness that is infuriating.  He is flamboyant and pretentious with an edgy, socio-pathic streak.  As Rupert, Mark Benningofen is the perfect intellectual rival for Daniel as the two engage in an entertaining battle of wits.  The performer imbues his character with a more muted showiness that moves from deferential empathy to horror.  Ephraim Birney, the most sympathetic character on-stage, infuses Lewis with a heightened level of doubt and uncertainty as the play propels to its climax.  James Riordan delivers an unruffled and suitably upper-class performance as the doomed boy’s father.  Fiona Robberson gives an effervescent air to the role of Meriel, while Nick Saxton comfortably suffuses Kenneth with surprise and bewilderment in the midst of murder.

 

Rope, playing at Hartford Stage through November 2.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.