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.”
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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