Review: UNMURDERED at JKV Community Theatre At The Pavillion, Lee's Summit, MO

JKV Community Theatre in Lee's Summit, MO performs Edith Weiss play "Unmurdered" under the direction of Pat Clement at the John Knox Village Pavillion .

In Weiss dramatic comedy, novelist Dashiel (Ron Clement) escapes to a remote artists retreat seeking inspiration to break his writers block. The eccentric writer arrives at the snowy mountain retreat to find an eclectic group of "artistic" residents including poets, dancers, and even the long lost Romanov Princess. The colorful band finds their peaceful enclave interrupted by the disappearance/murder of Anna Maria. They quickly begin jumping to conclusions, based on rather circumstantial evidence, about who among them may be a murderer. Detective Binnix (Bill Dahlquist) arrives and begins to piece together what has happened and whom it is that has something to hide. Evidence begins to point to the frustrated writer Dash who cannot believe his misfortune. By process of elimination the others are found to be innocent, but not Dash. However, before Detective Binnix can solve the mystery he is also found dead. With several twists and turns the plot finds the evidence piling up against Dash who has a lot of explaining to do.

Ron Clement (Dash) as the blocked mystery novel writer gives his character enough charm to love him, and enough arrogance to hate him, too. The owner of the Retreat Euphemia (played by Donna Dilsaver) who is a "not one to mess with" business proprietor, her affable sister Bettina (Martha Wood) along with the no nonsense cook Amelia (Myrtle Hintze) , emotionally fragile widowed maid Addalinda (Shirley Kennedy), and a rather mirthless Butler Eustace (John Atkinson) do their best to run a professional establishment in spite of some rather kooky inhabitants. A rather suspicious and seemingly cranky old woman Anna Maria (Jean Neff) refuses to yield her room to the guest author which casts suspicion against him when she turns up dead. A rather frazzled Madelyn (Judy Krabbe) is caretaker to her sister who claims to be the Princess Anastasia (Virgene Lanier). Flitting in and out of the scene is a scarf wielding dancing ensemble that provides some of the more juicy comedic relief. Antelope (Suzi Glotstein) professes to be the poet laureate of Wyoming though her well spoken , yet content lacking, recitations don't seem to support her claim. Astrid (Margo Aldridge) is an interpretive new age dancer who choreographs the scarf waiving giggling gaggle made up of sisters Viola Vaz (Diane Helmuth), Veronica Vaz (Janet Kral), and brother Victor Vaz (Don Wood). Together the passionate dance troupe taps, twists, twirls, and tiptoes in and out of scenes with a hippie vibe the others seem to find a bit extreme. Along with some other "Happy Feet" the show finds the dancers puttin' on the Ritz while the earnstwhile detective works to solve the case. The simple and seemingly undereducated Lurvy (Dick Erickson) the axe wielding handyman shows up ready to solve things the old fashioned way as the mystery, laughs, and surprises come to a screeching conclusion!

Unmurdered runs Wednesday, October 18th at 3pm, Thursday at 7pm and a dinner show on Friday 19th at 6:30. Call "JK Village" at (816) 251-8000 for ticket information on this fun show cast with local talent.

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