Review: DEADLINE at Norwalk Performing Arts Lab

Spread the word! Norwalk has a brand new first-rate theater company, the Norwalk Performing Arts Lab! The location is a building within Cranbury Park, a lovely park that brought back memories of Ireland when I first entered! This park is conveniently located in a residential zone, which is wonderful for people like me who prefer driving in places with less traffic. The theater itself is within a quaint building within the park, which is a perfect intimate setting, making every seat a good seat, immersing the audience in the experience without anyone feeling crowded.

On Saturday, May 23rd, I had the pleasure of seeing an exciting new show at this promising new theater, DEADLINE, a highly enjoyable modern comedic mystery by Don Zolidis. Directors Ben Brennan and Cheyenne Perez help bring out the best in this stellar ensemble cast of twelve, all of whom have an excellent Stage Presence and strong stage chemistry with each other! It is clear that this entire cast worked hard preparing for their roles and are having fun delivering them. The positive energy they bring radiates throughout the venue!

The set, brilliantly designed and built by Dom Lettera, depicts the inside of a mansion that is on an island in the North Atlantic, off of Nova Scotia.  The back wall includes secret passages, shelves with bottles of poison, a window view from which the ocean can be seen, and a panel of knives of various sizes. Stage right includes the booth for the barista. An entrance and exit door for the cast is in the front of stage right/house left. The main stage contains chairs, couches, a tank for a snake, and plenty of room for the cast members to move through, used to its maximum! Along with the sound and lighting design of Keith Henderson, the set tremendously enhances the show!

The premise of the story is that eight aspiring writers have come to the island, under the pretense that they would be participating in a contest to write a murder mystery within a twenty-four hour deadline. The winner would get his or her story published. The captain, butler, barista, and two twin brothers who were hired help there would be the only other people on the island during this time. What the eight writers would soon find out, however, is that it was not a writing contest, but a competition of who could either get away with murdering one of the others, or who could solve the murder. This horrifying sudden clarification of the rules changes the entire premise of the story. It begs the question as to how far into depravity would people be willing to sink in order to achieve their professional dreams that have thus far eluded them.

Dellacroix is the butler, wonderfully performed by Jennifer Prescott. Dellacroix introduces everyone and introduces the contest. She is very professional and direct, making some rather blunt statements with a deliberately serious tone, enhancing the humor.  

Elijah Manning is convincing in both the roles of twin brother workers, Morris and Norris, often leaving stage as one and seamlessly returning seconds later as the other, Norris having glasses and an inferior posture to Morris, while both look for comedic excuses not to do their job.

Alana Merly excels as Bella, the sassy barista who is often asked to do that which goes beyond her job description and refuses, reflecting the consistent tone of the workers on the island.

Jan Woodward rounds out the island staff, strongly performing Meyers, the captain of the ship that brings people to and from the island. Meyers is also the judge of the contest.

Anabella Nicefaro stars as Penelope, the first aspiring writer to enter the room. Penelope is obsessed with social media, wanting to film short videos during the contest. She has a younger vibe that she shows should never be mistaken for naivety.

Candice Sisbarro and Lenny Carlucci make an excellent comedic duo performing the married couple Deborah and Gregory, respectively. They constantly bicker, with Gregory revealing more information about their marriage than Deborah believes should be anyone else’s business. The tones they used when Gregory was complaining about how Deborah complains about how Greogory folds towels, and Deborah countering defending her right to complain about that were totally spot-on as if that exchange was based on a real marital conflict that the husband views as petty and the wife views as important.

Roderick Adams is hilarious as Carswell, an older gentleman with overtly chauvinistic attitudes that easily and understandable upset the women he interacts with. He serves as a narrator, but not in a soliloquy or aside to an audience across a fourth wall kind of way, but as a creepy man who is deliberately narrating events as they are happening, in a deliberately audible manner to the people he is narrating about, often throwing in his own critique of their appearance or behavior, much to their chagrin.

Erin Sullivan gives a masterful performance as Vampetta, a rather dark character comparable to Elvira or Morticia Addams, who is unapologetic about writing stories that depict witchcraft and other horror tropes, but uses comcepts that have been done before, thus getting pushback over allegations of ripping off the ideas of others.

The character Brenda likes to hide behind various furniture in the room and then suddenly appear. Amanda Armitan brings a sharp flair to this character, the person who tries to encourage the others not to partake in this murder game.

Tabz Palmer is highly entertaining as Zak, who likes to refer to himself as “Zak Attack.” Zak is a college student, substituting for his professor, in this contest. Zak chronically uses slang that is common in the younger generations, establishing himself as a sign of the times, but in a comedic way that makes the audience excited to hear what he is going to say, whenever he speaks.

Autumn Raye Arthur joyfully conveys the joyful southern character, Jennifer, complete with a consistent convincing southern drawl and mannerisms. Jennifer constantly speaks ill of her children and challenges as a mother, without reserve. Her dialogue, regarding her family, is likely a farcical mockery of what so many modern young parents post about their children on social media today, information that would mortify those children if such information remains online when those children become old enough to read.

The first act ends with one of the characters being found dead on the floor, when the lights come back on, after a blackout. Much of the second act is the theories of the different characters as to who committed the murder, why, and how, some ideas that are truly bizarre.

Who dies? Who did it? How many murders take place? Come to the show to find out!

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Sound Design - Top 3

1. Adam Fisher - The Lost Boys

30.4% of votes

2. John Shivers - Chess

15.6% of votes

3. Tony Gayle - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

8.3% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats