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<P class=topstoryTitle>Cliché ‘bloody good entertainment’</P>
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<P><STRONG>1/22/2009 - <EM>West Side Leader</EM></STRONG><BR><A
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border=0></A> </P><EM>By David Ritchey</EM><BR><BR>
<H3><EM>Weathervane stages fun production of ‘Bloody Murder’</EM></H3>
<P></P>MERRIMAN VALLEY — Never underestimate the power of a cliché.
<P>“Bloody Murder,” now playing at Weathervane Community Playhouse, is the
ultimate cliché. It is a spoof of the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie and
others of her ilk.</P>
<P>The setting is the drawing room of Lady Somerset’s estate in rural England.
Somerset (Linda Ryan) has invited a few guests to her home for the weekend.</P>
<P>Fans of this genre will know the types of characters invited to the party.
The first guest is the beautiful countess (Dede Klein), a mysterious woman who
speaks in a thick accent and has a past. The countess describes herself as “a
fantasy woman.”</P>
<P>The second guest is Emma Reese (Tess Burgler), the ingénue with a future and
past.</P>
<P>The Major (Henry Bishop) has more stories about his military achievements
than should be permitted on any stage. He, also, has plenty of lies in his
life.</P>
<P>Devon Tremaine (Tom Stephan) is a formerly handsome and formerly famous
actor.</P>
<P>Charles (Scott Shriner) is the ne’er-do-well nephew of Lady Somerset.</P>
<P>Lady Somerset has one maid, Jane (Karen Wood), who knows too much for her own
good.</P>
<P>Of course, all of these characters are dressed as elegantly as any costume
shop can provide. Jasen Smith (costume designer) has provided visual puns in the
costumes, and that makes the show all the more fun. With a white wig and flowing
black gowns, Ryan looks like Barbara Bush at a White House tea party.</P>
<P>Stephen Moushey and Eileen Moushey (sound co-designers) have one of the
toughest jobs in this production. A door repeatedly squeaks; a piano plays; and
a record player broadcasts dance music into the theater.</P>
<P>But as the characters settle down for their first conversation, they realize
they’re in yet another murder mystery by some inept writer. Lady Somerset
comments that the writer produces “tawdry filth ... plots he can steal ... and
work that is uninspired ... all low brow.” The characters make references to
other stories this author has written and what happened to them in those
stories.</P>
<P>Two women indicate they know the playwright rather well. We pick up two clues
— the author always writes in the first person and sometimes the writer is a man
and sometimes a woman.</P>
<P>Somerset pulls the telephone cord out of the wall — now no one can call for
help.</P>
<P>Let the bloody murders begin. And they do. Drinks are poisoned. The lights go
out and then on to reveal another murder. A young woman gets lost and stops by
the house for help — and is murdered. A thief with a Spanish name and a French
accent enters through the window only to be gunned down.</P>
<P>Ed Sala (playwright) has a good time with one of the conventions of the
British murder mystery. The door swings open; a character on stage looks at the
door and says, “It’s you.” But the on-stage character doesn’t reveal who is
standing in the door and out of the sight of the audience. Then the on-stage
character is shot.</P>
<P>Fans of local community theater will enjoy the final scene when the
characters discover they’re not in a book but in a theater and, perhaps, a
community theater and, perhaps, in Ohio. With each discovery morale drops even
more for this first-rate group of British characters. When Lady Somerset
suggests that one of the actors might be a retired schoolteacher, Stephan, a
retired schoolteacher, puts his head down on the desk and bellows a cry of
anguish.</P>
<P>The audience should enjoy watching the characters make discoveries. The story
is a comedy, and under the guidance of Nancy Cates (director), the cast goes for
most of the laughs Sala wrote for them.</P>
<P>What a joy to see a new play, but I hope Sala had an opportunity to see this
production. If he did, he would have noted he needs to make massive cuts in the
first act. The exposition is much too long and tedious. In addition, the ending
takes much too long.</P>
<P>Also, Sala should remember Christie wrote that in a good murder mystery,
“suspicion should fall on each character in his or her turn.” Sala lets some of
these characters get away with murder without enough suspicion.</P>
<P>Cates manages in most of her directing assignments to create an ensemble
cast. Once again, everyone seems to work together well.</P>
<P>Near the end of the play, the playwright, who has become a character,
describes his murders as “character assassinations.”</P>
<P>By the end of the play, some actors might suggest playwright assassination,
too.</P>
<P>Despite my few negative comments, “Bloody Murder” is bloody good
entertainment.</P>
<P>“Bloody Murder” continues through Feb. 1 at Weathervane Community Playhouse.
For ticket information, call (330) 836-2626.</P>
<P> </P>
<P><EM>David Ritchey has a Ph.D. in communications and is a professor of
communications at The University of Akron. He is a member of the American
Theatre Critics Association.</EM></P></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>