PicksInSix Review: THE MOUSETRAP Court Theatre
“A lot of things could be.”
The deliciously macabre, Sean Graney-directed production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” which opened Saturday at Court Theatre, sports a top-tier Chicago-based company whose considerable talents come to life in the deeply chiseled characters and expertly paced drama that’s brimming with suspense. Lots of suspense.
So, it’s no wonder a production of Christie’s masterwork has been running continuously in London since November 1952. Everything about this show grabs for that part of us where deep-seeded curiosity nestles with insecurity and doesn’t let go. Distrust and anxiety run rampant with the fear and panic that come with being “snowed-up” for days with no ties to the outside world. And it’s all frightfully fun! Pile on layers of intrigue—yes, shockingly, there is a death and a blood-curdling scream—and Court’s “The Mousetrap” will keep you guessing right up to the end.
You need to know that the mystery unfolds over the course of two days at Monkswell Manor, a converted guesthouse that has been left to Mollie Ralston (the resplendent Kate Fry at her best) and her dutiful husband Giles (a fine performance by Allen Gilmore). The couple is preparing for its first official overnight guests. The snow mounts, the roads turn impassable and reports come of a grisly murder in London.
As the guests begin to arrive, things become curiouser and curiouser.
Among the suspected “suspects”: the impetuous Christopher Wren (a delightfully exuberant Alex Goodrich, to whom “macabre” is a four-syllable word), the boorish Mrs. Boyle (adeptly played by Carolyn Ann Hoerdemann), the staunch Major Metcalf (a finely tuned Lyonel Reneau), the macho Miss Casewell (Tina Muñoz Pandya shines), and a European interloper, Mr. Paravicini (a role that has David Cerda balancing precariously on a ledge). Everyone withholds a secret past when the inquisitive Detective Sergeant Trotter (a steady and sure Erik Hellman) arrives on the scene to sort things out to the somber melody of “Three Blind Mice.” And, as one guest says, “A lot of things could be.”
The richly appointed Great Hall of Monkswell Manor—an elegant two-story interior that allows multiple-entrance access inside and out—is the creation of scenic designer Arnel Sancianco, accented by Claire Chrzan’s superb lighting design and Kevin O’Donnell’s chilling sound. Alison Siple’s over-the-top costumes add the perfect flare to another runaway hit for Court Theatre’s 65th season—a show that will be a very difficult ticket to get in the days ahead.
PHOTOS|Michael Brosilow
COURT THEATRE
Presents
Agatha Christie’s
THE MOUSETRAP
through February 16
5535 S. ELLIS AVE.
CHICAGO
(773) 753-4472
WEBSITE
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