The Best Laid Schemes

Tony Wendice has plotted the perfect murder.  His meticulous plan will allow him to gain revenge on his wife for cuckolding him and continue to live off her wealth with nothing to connect him to her death.  But he is about to learn that the best laid schemes gang aft agley.  This is Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott and is currently playing at Bellevue Little Theatre.

I was actually very disappointed by Knott’s script.  The general idea is a massive winner, but the construction of his script actually dilutes the idea.  Knott takes way too long to get where he’s going as the first act is nothing but exposition to set up the story and the murder.  Things heat up nicely in the second act with the actual commission of the crime and the fallout thereof, but the third act takes a nose dive with a somewhat unsatisfying denouement as Knott couldn’t decide whether to let the police inspector or the talented amateur have the credit for unraveling the case.

Todd Uhrmacher’s direction does an admirable job of getting the most out of the script.  He emphasizes the script’s strengths and buoys up its shortcomings, especially in the uber talky first act as his actors were constantly animated which helped maintain interest through the heaps of dialogue.  He has some delightfully tense moments in the second act, but I thought there was room for the tension to be ratcheted up a bit more at key points.  The show is nicely staged and Joey Lorincz’s beautiful luxury apartment lends itself well to creepy moments with its numerous hiding places.

Laureen Pickle is very credible as Margot Wendice.  Her Margot is a good person who made a poor choice when she had her affair, though the script implies she was driven to it by her husband’s callous behavior.  Her regret and penitence are genuine and her near catatonia in the third act is spot on.  I do think she had the space to be a bit more hysterical in the immediate aftermath of the murder scene.

Jonathan Berger has set a very solid foundation in his interpretation of Tony Wendice.  He brings a real intelligence to the character and oozes a slimy charm.  I also admired his pantomime as he tampered with the scene of the crime.  Now he just needs to take what he’s doing and amplify it by a few degrees.  He seemed a little too controlled and there was a great deal of fun for him to have with his reactions and fast thinking when Wendice’s plan begins to go off the rails.

Gene Hinkle is clever as Max Halliday.  Hinkle brings a real decency to the TV writer who also regrets the affair with Margot and wants to confess it to Tony so they can have a clean slate.  I also liked his facility for deduction as he begins to piece together the truth of the sordid affair, though I would’ve liked to see him really dig the needle into Tony in the third act as his pointed questions show that he nearly has the puzzle sussed out. 

I think I caught the show on an off night as it felt more like a rehearsal.  Energy was down.  Cue pickups were lax.  Volume was too soft at a few moments. There were some line struggles and there was stiff acting at certain points.  The murder scene also needed a massive dose of intensity to help its believability.  The foundation of the show is assuredly there, it just needed more oomph.

Along with his always superb sets, Joey Lorincz’s lighting was a tremendous asset to this show, especially the use of darkness and shadow during the show’s most intense moments.  Todd Uhrmacher has also well costumed his performers from the elegant suits of the two leading men to the pretty dresses of Pickle’s Margot.

The story is a bit meh, but Uhrmacher’s capable direction combined with some more juice from the performers can make the show a perfectly adequate thriller.

Dial M for Murder plays at the Bellevue Little Theatre through Mar 21.  Showtimes are Fri-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets cost $20 ($18 for seniors, $10 for students) and reservations can be made at http://bellevuelittletheatre.weebly.com/reservations.html.  Bellevue Little Theatre is located at 203 W Mission Ave in Bellevue, NE.

When Darkness Falls

Three con men are trying to get hold of a doll stuffed with $50K worth of heroin.  They believe the doll to be in the possession of a photographer and his blind wife and believe the wife will be an easy touch.  But they’re about to discover how blind that assumption is.  This is Frederick Knotts’ Wait Until Dark and it is currently playing at the Slightly Off Broadway Theatre.

Knotts has a real gift for crime drama.  His scripts tend to build slowly to create delicious tension as the plot works its way up brick by brick and then having the hammer drop when the tension is at its peak.  This play is no exception to that rule, but it also has a terrific thrust and parry as the three con men trade off control of the situation with the blind woman until the final, epic confrontation where only one will win.

Jean Meachum’s direction is quite admirable.  Due to the con game, this play is quite talky, but Ms Meachum prevents the play from being static by having the actors constantly moving about the stage, physically representing the ever present tension of the situation.  She has also guided her thespians to solid performances and I loved the staging of the piece, especially the fact that the three con men tend to always be in the room with their blind target as their facial expressions and actions show how easy they think their victory will be.

Strong supporting performances are given by Ryan Drew as “Sgt. Carlino” and Libby Matthews as Gloria.  Drew is so natural and extemporaneous as the not so mentally swift con man who constantly wipes off his fingerprints.  Ms Matthews is perfectly bratty as the obnoxious child who lives upstairs, but proves she’s got a good heart when real danger threatens.

Colonsay Selby gives a stunning performance as the blind Suzy Hendrix.  Ms Selby excellently conveys Suzy’s blindness with a thousand yard stare and never making eye contact with the other cast members.  She also does it physically as her movements show that she is familiar with her apartment, but not overly so.

Ms Selby’s acting is also top quality as she well communicates the helplessness Suzy feels as she is still not used to her blindness, but also summons the grit, courage, and brains needed to survive this dangerous game with these 3 criminals.

David Shewell brings intelligence and smoothness to his portrayal of “Mike Talman”.  This is a man who knows how to get what he wants from his marks and prides himself that he doesn’t need to resort to violence to get it.  Shewell’s velvety rich baritone makes it easy to see how women (his usual targets) are taken in by him.  But Shewell also gives a kernel of decency to his con man as he relents from using his obvious physical advantage over Suzy when she is at his mercy.

Joe Caronia is downright terrifying as “Mr. Roat”.  Caronia’s “Roat” brims with confidence and you always have the sense that he is one step ahead of everybody else which allows him to take control of any situation.  But what’s so spooky about him is how soft-spoken he is.  All of his quiet words are tinged with an edge of menace that should put anyone he speaks to on guard.  Justifiably so, as Caronia is such an awesome physical specimen that there is little doubt that his “Roat” could inflict great damage when the whim strikes.  I also enjoyed Caronia’s versatility as he plays a couple of characters as part of the con who are night and day different from the menacing “Roat”.

The program lacked a credit for set design, but it was a splendid construct which had the look and feel of a basement apartment.  The props of Sarah Oldham and Ernie Snyder really made the set seem like a real home.

There were a few line bobbles in the night’s performance and pacing and cue pickups needed stepping up to add to the play’s crucial tension.  That being said, it didn’t put a damper on this thriller especially in the electrifying finale.

Wait Until Dark is an exciting nailbiter and it will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Get a box of popcorn and ready your spine for tingling.

Wait Until Dark plays at the Slightly Off Broadway Theatre through Oct 1.  Performances are Fri-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 5pm.  Tickets cost $12 for adults and $6 for children.  For tickets, contact the theatre at 816-637-3728 or visit www.sobtheatre.org.  Parental discretion is advised for this show.  The Slightly Off Broadway Theatre is located at 114 N Marietta St in Excelsior Springs, MO.