Barker Delivers Shocks, Laughter and … Murder

Ira Levin’s Deathtrap boasts the title of longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway. Granted, there are only a handful of works that fall into such an oxymoronic category, so perhaps this isn’t as impressive an accomplishment as it may sound. It’s not difficult to imagine why so few plays like this exist; it’s a genre that is certainly not for everyone, though with a four-year run on Broadway and a film adaptation, clearly the right audience is out there. The mismatch of moods can leave audiences uncertain of how to feel when the curtain closes. That said, the twists and turns along the way leave everyone guessing.

In addition to opening Barker Playhouse’s 110th season, this production is also the first time Alan Hawkridge has directed at Barker.

The play is small in scope, with only one set (designed by Dan Clement) and five characters. The plot is the real spectacle with its many plot twists and tensions escalating to the point of violence. There are plenty of shocks, but also some laughs sprinkled throughout – and, naturally, more than its share of murder.

All six scenes take place in a living room with a collection of various weapons on display, including guns, axes, a mace and a crossbow. You might think it’s the kind of place a serial killer would live. You’d be close — it’s actually a playwright. The weapons are mostly props from the plays of Sidney Bruhl (Terry Shea), a once successful thriller writer who’s out of ideas and nearly out of money. At this point, he would kill for another hit – perhaps literally. Enter a hit, but not his; a young writer sends Sidney his first play, and, as Sidney begrudgingly admits to his wife, Myra (Kathleen Oliverio), it could be the next big thing. Sidney invites young Clifford (Kirk Vanda) over to discuss his play, but gee, wouldn’t it be a shame if something happened to the aspiring playwright, who conveniently lives alone and wouldn’t be missed, leaving the only copies of the script in Sidney’s possession?

In addition to Sidney’s dry quips on the theater industry – this is very much a metaplay – he delivers sinister puns with the all of the offhandedness of a cynical starving writer. The comedy comes in the form of Helga Ten Dorp (Sharon Carpentier), an eccentric Dutch psychic who specializes in solving murders. The cast is rounded out by Walter Cotter as Porter, the Bruhls’ lawyer.

As Sidney, Shea achieves a perfect balance between the comedic and sinister aspects of the character. Vanda’s Clifford comes across as naive and hopeful, thrilled to be in the presence of his hero. Myra acts as a sort of audience surrogate, on the edge of her seat with nerves over whether her husband actually is capable of murder. Her reactions to the violence that ensues take the tension in the room to extreme heights.

The suspense throughout the play is assisted in part by foreboding scene-change music, and Andrew Iacovelli’s stage combat makes the moments where the tensions erupt thrilling, especially with the various unusual weapons at hand.

This one is certainly not for all audiences: There is a good deal of violence, as you might expect with a title like Deathtrap. But for those who don’t mind a few gunshots and a little fake blood, the unexpected turns make for an experience in which nothing is as it seems.

Deathtrap runs through Oct 21 at the Barker Playhouse. For tickets, visit playersri.org or call the box office at 401-273-0590.