BWW Reviews: Township Theatre Group's CATCH ME IF YOU CAN Mystifies & Delights

With Halloween just a few days away, it's the perfect time for a good murder mystery, don't you think?

You're in luck.

Township Theatre Group, the longest-running community theater on Long Island, is presenting Catch Me if You Can - no relation to the new Broadway musical that recently closed or the Leonardo DiCaprio movie - for seven performances at their new home at the Helen Butler Hall at Dominican Village in Amityville.

Based on a French play, Catch Me if You Can opens with Daniel (Joseph Cavagnet), a husband pacing his honeymoon getaway in the Catskill mountains waiting to hear news on his missing wife, Elizabeth. Soon he is joined by Inspector Levine (Bob Chanin) who doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb, a priest (Bryan Mayer) who has a fondness for throwing back drinks, and an imposter "Elizabeth" (Stacey Portmore-Davies), a woman pretending to be Daniel's wife.

As you can see, things get a little crazy from there.

Daniel doesn't know who "Elizabeth" is. The priest and Inspector Levine wonder why he won't admit that "Elizabeth" is his wife, and in private, "Elizabeth" admits she is planning on getting rid of David once and for all and obtaining his insurance money (and a bloated inheritance). Everyone thinks he's completely lost it. You are left to wonder what is really going on, who is telling the truth, and just where the heck is the real Elizabeth. Some honeymoon.

Catch Me if You Can, written by Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, is by no means a perfectly written play, but this cast, directed by John F. Ermo, does a fine job of keeping the audience intrigued and the comedy well-paced. Even though the first act moves more swiftly than the second, the sluggishness of the last hour is worth it when the surprising resolution is finally revealed.

Before the end of the play is even reached (and adds another layer of complexity to their roles), the cast connects very well with one another and their surroundings (a favorite part of the set was the deer head and the speech bubble underneath it). Cavagnet's portrayal of Daniel only strengthens as the show goes on, and Portmore-Davies as the duplicitous "Elizabeth" comfortably see-saws between her identities with a perfectly timed flip of the hair. Mayer exudes great enthusiasm as the neighborhood pastor, as Chanin takes commands of the stage and emerges the leader of this talented pack. David Gordon makes an adorable sandwich shop owner in his acting debut.

Funny quips, crazy misunderstandings, and a good amount of suspense embody Catch Me if You Can. For a solidly entertaining evening, this show is the ticket and if it is any indication of how the remainder of the Township Theatre Group's season will proceed, it's safe to say they have theatrical flair (and a few tricks) up their sleeves.

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Catch Me if You Can will be playing October 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, and 30. Friday and Saturday performances are held at 8pm, while Sunday performances are held at 2pm at the Helen Butler Hall at Dominican Village in Amityville, NY. For tickets, directions, and more information, please visit their website or find them on Facebook.

Photo Credit: Township Theater Group. From left to right: Bryan Mayer, Stacey Portmore-Davies, Bob Chanin, and Joseph Cavagnet.

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