BWW Review:Crown City Theatre Delivers Agatha Christie's THE MOUSETRAP

The Mousetrap/by Dame Agatha Christie/directed by Sonny Lira/Crown City Theatre/through April 29 with likely extension

Mystery writer Dame Agatha Christie never dreamed that her little play The Mousetrap that opened in 1952 would still be playing on London's West End, making it the longest running play in history. It's a favorite in high school and college drama programs and community theatre. I myself played Christopher Wren in the 70s in Massachusetts. It's popular because murder mystery fans love to sit on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out the identity of the culprit. Now in a strong production at Crown City Theatre in NoHo, The Mousetrap, that abounds with death, is ironically alive and will be captivating audiences through April and most likely beyond.

What attracts audiences to the play is the array of eccentric characters created by master storyteller Christie. In 1953 Mollie and Giles Ralston, a newly married couple (Megan Cochran; Bobby Slaski) who are the inexperienced owners of Monskwell Manor outside London, open their boarding house to 5 guests, one completely unexpected. The Ralstons are the most normal of the characters, or at least they seem so at first glance. One can never tell in an Agatha Christie drama, and this play, we were told, has a twist ending. Getting back to the guests: Christoper Wren (Hans Obma), a young architect and very peculiar - swishy and childlike might describe him better; Mrs Boyle (Mouchette van Helsdingen), a stuffy and irritatingly righteous former magistrate of the court; Major Metcalf (Nicholas Cleland), perhaps a retired serviceman and one of the most demure and retiring of the guests; Miss Casewell (Annie Leiberman) a very manish and intriguing writer who does not reveal her reason for being there; Mr. Paravicini (Michael Mullen), the unexpected foreigner who arrives after his car has overturned in the snowstorm. Then there's Detective Sergeant Trotter (Tavis. L. Baker) who arrives on skis. Why has he come and what does he have to say as a warning to the Ralstons and their guests? There has been one murder committed nearby, but what do the guests have to do with it and do they have reason to worry about their own safety? On the fun side, murders are committed to the strains of "Three Blind Mice", the original title of the story upon which the play is based.

I will not divulge any more of the plot. Suffice to say, you should see the play, as you will thoroughly enjoy its peculiarities and the superb performances. Every character has his turn in the spotlight, even though this is a true ensemble effort where every actor is a standout. Mullen, without question, is a favorite because of his bizarre whiteface makeup and fun accent. Keep your eye as well on Obma, Helsdingen, Leiberman...and Baker who gives a stellar performance as Trotter. Director Sonny Lira keeps a fine pace and gives his actors plenty of space to strut their stuff. Joanne Lamb has designed a functional set that has a rather dark and somber appearance, and Mullen has also designed some great period costumes.

I remember the great detail of Christie's detectives like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. They are sometimes as eccentric or more so than their suspects. Think of Albert Finney as Poirot in the film Murder on the Orient Express and without doubt Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple in all of her movie appearances. I paid more attention to Detective Sergeant Trotter in this play and his thorough line of questioning; the playfulness is amazing. There's even a line in the play to allude to it. "It's all a game." Go and see The Mousetrap and savor Crown's delightfully stalwart and entertaining production!

www.crowncitytheatre.com

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