Sidney Bruhl is a celebrity detective novelist, though his work hasn’t been altogether absorbing lately. None of his recent books are flops, but not all they might have been. As Deathrap opens, Sidney is ruminating to his wife Myra that a fan sent him a full manuscript, asking for advice. It’s so much better than his current project, that Sidney bemoans the cruel irony. An acolyte has outshined him. His wife Myra is appalled to hear Sidney’s ghoulish solution. As opposed to, say, pushing harder on his craft, or trying a fresh approach.
What follows is a series of surprises, supposed to send us reeling. They are interesting, but not what we’d say are convincing. If your husband showed up in a bear costume, claiming a grizzly had murdered your uncle, no one would blame you for finding this intriguing. But you would still know it was your husband. Whatever you might think of Agatha Christie, her daring turns and red herrings, she always considered credibility. She never expected points for cleverness.
The hub of this mystery is a guilty party that’s never concealed. Suspense pivots on the perpetrator. Will he be caught? I would never say we must like Sidney (or any other character) but the fact is, he’s the protagonist. If we don’t care what happens to him, then what’s to hold our interest? We might be amused by his craftiness and cantankerous cynicism. If not, the story has nothing to fall back on, but plot. So, one incident leads to another, and another, but they don’t stand up to much scrutiny.
Deathtrap was written by Ira Levin. As you probably know, some of Mr. Levin’s captivating writing includes: Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives, A Kiss before Dying, Veronica’s Room. He is meticulous and brilliant, the recipient of numerous awards. The entire time I was watching Deathtrap I got the feeling we were watching a spoof (or perhaps a riff) on murder mystery tropes. Expectations confounded. Familiar devices eliminated. Playful deception. Ira Levin delivers a shoulder to our ribs, while he makes fun of a tired genre. Perhaps Levin congenially modeled Sidney on himself.
Robyn Mead, has managed to do well by Levin’s script. He couldn’t have asked for a better director. The characters are well conceived, colorful and quirky. Mead has definitely made the most of her dedicated, intelligent cast: Alex Rain (Sidney Bruhl) Heather Walker Shin (Myra Bruhl) Logan Gaconnier (Clifford Anderson) Kelly Moore Clarkson (Helga Ten Dorp) and Kenneth Fullenwider (Porter Milgrim). It was a pleasure and delight to see these performers at the top of their game. They gave the drama energy, zeal and bounce.
I want to thank ACT for permitting me to see Deathtrap on closing weekend.
Allen Contemporary Theatre presented Deathtrap, playing March 18th-April 3rd, 2022. 1210 East Main Street # 300, Allen, Texas 75002. (844) 822-8849. allencontemporarytheatre.net