Review: DEATHTRAP at Kansas City Actors Theatre

Kansas City Actors Theatre invites audiences into a labyrinth of laughter and murder with Ira Levin’s celebrated comedy-thriller Deathtrap, running September 10–28, 2025, at the intimate City Stage at Union Station.

Deathtrap is definitely worth your time. Long hailed as Broadway’s longest-running comedy-thriller, Deathtrap masterfully blends sinister suspense with biting wit—truly “two-thirds a thriller and one-third a devilishly clever comedy” from Kansas City Actors Theatre+1.

Deathtrap is one of my all-time favorite play scripts.  I remember reading it in manuscript form shortly after it premiered on Broadway in 1978 and long before I ever saw it performed on stage.  Twenty pages into the action, I remember being hooked and playwright Ira Levin never let up. 

This show is a mystery, a thriller, and so unexpected that it will make you roar with laughter.   Deathtrap is so surprising that I can’t tell you much about the plot because I don’t want to spoil it for you.  I will share that this show is so twisty even I continue to be surprised, and I know the twists are coming.

Ile Haggins returns to KCAT as director, joined by a talented ensemble of designers—including Selena Gonzalez-Lopez (set), Daniella Toscano (costumes), Zoe Spangler (lighting), Gianna Agostino (sound), Lacey Pacheco (properties), and Tyler Lindquist as Technical & Fight Director Kansas City Actors Theatre. Expect a staging where design is as suspenseful as the script itself.

A slender but dynamic cast carries the night:

• Brian Paulette (Sidney Bruhl) and Christina Schafer (Myra Bruhl) are noted KCAT Ensemble Members Kansas City Actors Theatre—their familiarity with the company’s DNA primes audiences for deeply layered performances. 
• Sydney is a playwright who is experiencing writer’s block. It has been a while since his last hit.  He will kill for a golden idea. Brian Paulette makes you believe in Sydney and displays Ira Levin’s dry throughout.
• Myra is his less concerned (about money) wife. As Myra, Christine Schafer is a little frenetic.  She is less concerned about Sydney’s next play and more concerned about keeping the household calm (she has a weak heart).
• Sam Cordes (Clifford Anderson), makes his KCAT debut, brings fresh energy into Sydney’s morally ambiguous world.  Sam is the conflict character.  He makes an excellent counterpoint to Brian’s Sydney.
• Val Fagan (Helga ten Dorp) adds offbeat flair as the eccentric psychic, and Logan Black (Porter Milgrim) offers a calm foil as the family attorney Kansas City Actors Theatre.
• Val Fagan - Helga (the Psychic) is the comedy relief.  She is sufficiently effective that she receives a round of applause as she leaves the stage mid-scene in Act .
• Not much to say about Logan Black, but then he is the lawyer.  Well done Logan.

Deathtrap is set entirely within Sidney Bruhl’s eccentric writers’ study. Hanging on the walls is Sydney Bruhl’s odd collection of murder weapons and militaria through the ages.  This two hour fifteen minute (including intermission) production promises electric pacing and tightly choreographed tension.  Expect gothic atmosphere—antique weaponry lining the walls, sudden gunshots, and the creeping doubt that “the next line could be your last.”

The show does not shy away from its darker side; audiences are advised of stage violence, gunshots, and blood Kansas City Actors Theatre.  If you have a sense of humor, you will be entertained.

KCAT thrives on actor-driven storytelling, presenting classics with emotional honesty and theatrical precision. Deathtrap thrives in this environment—its sparse staging, psychological games, and quicksilver humor are tailor-made for these kinds of spaces.

With timing as critical as breath, the creative team’s sound and lighting choices will amplify every gasp, every fierce glance, every comedic snap.

Performances take place at the City Stage in Union Station, with performances available across two weekends and weekday evenings through September 28. Tickets can be purchased via KCAT’s website (kcactors.org) or by telephone at 816.361.5228. The 200 seat venue promises a fully accessible experience—making every audience member as close to the action as possible.

Photos courtesy of Kansas City Actors Theatre and Dean Davison.