Deathtrap: A return to the ‘80s that doesn’t quite make it
Lawrence Evenchick as Sidney Bruhl Photo: Maria Vartanova
Ira Levin’s well known and very clever thriller about an older playright, a younger playwright and play that is in the process of writing itself during the performance, has become a great classic of repertory theatre. Deathtrap has been performed many times in Ottawa, in both languages, since it appeared on Broadway and as a film. Now, it is back at the Ottawa Little Theatre representing the hit from the seventh decade of the OLT since it first appeared on the OLT stage in 1983, directed then by Susan Taylor. Lets quote the Ottawa Citizen review from that period: “ ..to work properly (the play) must have perfect timing (and be ) a fast-paced, well executed production.”
I wish director (2013) John Collins had taken a good look at that review that was probably written by Audrey Ashley at the time because he would have understood immediately why his version of the show did not quite work.
Bad timing, uneven pacing, awkward blocking and the general work with actors, several of whom had other kinds of difficulties, were not particularly conducive to a good mystery/thriller of this kind where the complexities of the plot, the surprises, the twists and turns, needed a much much stronger hand at building up tension which in this case, never materialized on stage. `
Àlthough Lawrence Evenchick, as the older writer Sidney Bruhl, did his best to bring life to the stage, engage his colleagues and find some suitable pace, the apparent lack of experience of the rest of the cast made director Collin’s task even more difficult. Diana Franz’ performance as the wife was wooden: Angela Pelly as the psychic over acted and shrieked; Dan Demarbre had some rare good moments but he was never convincing and he and Sidney never connected emotionally at all. The brief appearance by Gordon Walls as the lawyer was not bad but his character was not challenging. The final moment with the cross bow (which I will not divulge) looked almost like a staging accident so for people who didn’t know the play it was not clear what had happened.
That leaves Mike Heffernan’s lovely set which was a sight to behold and especially as it was lit by David Magladry’s magic lighting, it all glowed beautifully as the light transformed into the different moments of the day.
Some mention was made of a “colonial” style in the script. It was nothing of the sort but that didn’t matter because everything that was necessary for all the staging antics was there, and very solidly in place. The design caught my eye most of all. It was extremely effective because, with those curves on the roof that were set off against the changing sky, it came across as a melding of a realistic set and an explicitly theatrical set, built for a performance. Thus it become the perfect illustration of the Deathtrap space which is in fact a performance within a performance. It is the simultaneously semi-realistic staging of a text that is talking about itself and how it was written to be performed, while precisely showing us that very performance. Heffernan has the eye and the soul of an artist. No doubt about it.
The play saved the day, Heffernan and Magladry understood the play, Evenchick did what he could and the rest can be chalked up to experience and fun.
Deathtrap plays at the Ottawa Little theatre until April6.
Deathtrap by Ira Levin
Directed by John Collins
Set by Mike Heffernan
Lighting by David Magladry
Sound by Liindsay Wilson
Costumes by Jeanne Gauthier
Props by Robert Wilson
CAST:
Sidney …………………………..Lawrence Evenchick
Myra………………………………..Diana Franz
Clifford………………………………Dan DeMarbre
Helga the psychic…………………Angela Pelly
Porter Milgrim……………………..Gordon Walls
An Ottawa Little Theatre production that runs from March 19 to April 6, 2010
review coming…
see Ottawa Citizen Blog community theatre..
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