Marsha Gilmore’s in a frenzy. Searching under furniture cushions, beneath tables, in drawers. She’s lost the murder mystery she borrowed from the library, and those 10-cent-a-day fines can really add up. The maid, Bianca, tries to help with her in frantic search. Marsha admits she’s forgotten where she hid the book, as her husband Tobias has forbidden such tawdry fare. Seems they “rot the brain.” Soon though, they find the murder mystery, and Marsha wants to return it, right away. Unfortunately the library’s closed on Sunday.
Persis Devore, a French Interior Decorator, arrives looking for Tobias. She is posh and attractive, and her reasons for being there seem a bit sketchy. Then Tobias arrives, somewhat uncomfortable Persis is there. Marsha has overheard Persis talking to him on the phone, and certain they’re planning her demise. They’re careful to keep the conversation vague. Marsha goes to Bianca, revealing their nefarious plot. They enlist the help of their neighbor, Virgil. By way of Marsha’s Feminine Wiles.
The comedy of errors has a fine tradition in the theatre. A series of misunderstandings that proliferate, till chaos comes crashing down. Remember the torn pillow that sends feathers sailing, irretrievably? When Marsha concludes that Tobias means to assassinate her, you wonder if his edict might not be wrong. Several elements: an unexpected visitor, a strange telephone call, a covert conversation and the Rube Goldberg train has left the station.
Director Rachael Lindley brings a precise touch to the content. She isn’t going for zany or wacky, she finds the ridiculous side of each character. (We’ve all got one.) Most are privileged class, but she doesn’t make them stuffy or insufferable. As suspicion becomes doubt and doubt becomes distrust and distrust becomes a verdict, reason evaporates like smoke. It’s mass hysteria but funnier. These actors are top of their game, shaping their characters with quirks and foibles, humming with busy nonsense.
Makenna Baker (Bianca) sparkles as the maid: practical, tactful, soldiering on with the occasional nip. The perfect balance to her frantic mistress. Kate Crawford (Persis Devore) brings verve and poise to the French decorator. She’s not some caricature of erudition or the cosmopolitan. Jeff York (Tobias) is a responsible, patient husband. He’s not crazy about Marsha’s antics, but he endures. Brian Hoffman (Virgil) has a great turn as the neighbor. He’s not worldly, but he’s got reliable virtue. Sue Goodner (Lynette) as Marsha’s mother-in-law, is the savvy dowager, viewing the world from a comfortable, skeptical distance. Julian Harris (Ben Quade) is Bianca’s cop fiance. He has a strong sense of duty, and justice. Charming and vigilant, he is one tall drink of water.
Laura Jennings as the loopy, preposterous, high-strung Marsha, is sheer heaven. The spark that ignites marvelous chaos. The rum that jump-starts the party punch. She might be Gracie Allen’s younger sister. Her inexplicable logic, her blizzard of impulses, her frenzied energy, are astonishing and delightful. She doesn’t make Marsha insipid, or dopey. She’s credulous, to a fault. Laura’s got spot-on timing and crackerjack comic chops.
Don’t miss RTC’s Let’s Murder Marsha. It will tickle your funny bone, without mercy.
Richardson Theatre Centre presents: Let’s Murder Marsha, playing from October 10th, -November 2nd, 2025. 515 West Arapaho Road, Suite 113, Richardson, Texas 75080.
972-699-1130. richardsontheatrecentre.net.