"Cahoots," by Rick Johnston, has been called "a diverting comedy with murder" by the NY Times. It shows the dangers of a simple dinner party among four friends when long- suppressed secrets and hatreds suddenly emerge. SPOILER ALERT: the murderer is "Ken in the Living Room with a Pepper Mill!" But since everyone including the audience knows that, the real mystery is how and why Al had to die.
Al and Lois had come for an early dinner with friends Ken and Jan before they all go to a block parry where Al (Adobe regular Michael Girlamo) was to hold forth on his obsession with "street crime" in New York. The men have never liked one another and soon there is an argument leading to violence. What to do next? Each of the survivors has a different idea. Ken (Stephen Zamora, recently seen in "Angel Street") wants to dispose of Al's body and perhaps to accuse Lois (Taunya Crilly, the blind Susy Hendrix in "Wait Until Dark") of the crime since Al was about to run off with their assets.. Jan (Teresa Kizziah, the tormented wife in "Angel Street") may have been sleeping with Al but wants nothing to do with his death. When a possible witness, (Celina Igwe, new to the Adobe) comes to the apartment with ideas about blackmail, everyone panics and the farce begins.
Director Kenneth Bennington (who recently appeared as H.C. Curry in "The Rainmaker") keeps the action moving so the silliness quickly passes and the audience gets pleasure from the farce. Who will take the blame? Will the police ever arrive? And who cares?
Cahoots, by Rick Johnston, opens at The ADOBE Theater on January 11 and plays through February 3, 2013. Fri. and Sat. at 8pm and Sun. at 2pm. Tickets are $15 general, $13 for seniors and students. Group sales and SelecTickets available. For reservations call 505-898-9222 weekdays, or anytime at www.adobetheater.org.
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