Review: MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S at Live Theatre Workshop

MURDER AT THE Howard Johnson'S is now playing at Live Theatre Workshop through March 23. Written by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick and gleefully directed by Leslie J. Miller, this dark comedy packs a punch. The premise is in the title. But does a murder actually take place? You'll have to come see the show to find out! When you do, you will be treated to an uproarious crowd-pleaser stuffed to the brim with infidelity, intrigue, and lots and lots of laughs! The audience clearly enjoyed the antics that took place onstage, and all three actors delivered.

Jodi Ajanovic plays Arlene, Stephen Frankenfield is Mitchell, and Steve McKee plays Paul. This deadly love triangle managed to hold  everyone's attention for the entire runtime of the play. Ajanovic is mysterious and convincing in her role. She could have projected a little more, but overall I found her performance engaging. Frankenfield plays the slimy Mitchell to perfection and is clearly having a great time. His portrayal reminded me of Orin Scrivello from LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. McKee chews the scenery as Paul. His comedic chops are very strong and accounted for a large portion of audience chuckles during the performance. Each scene featuring this trio was well-directed by Miller.

The cohesiveness of a play like MURDER AT THE Howard Johnson'S depends primarily on the strength of its actors. The off-the-wall script worked because all three actors were fully committed to the unpredictable and at times cartoony choices of their characters. My only gripe with the script would be that there was a lot of switching of allegiances, and at times the characters would make decisions that seemed out-of-character. However, these characters are three deeply flawed and unpredictable people, and the actors sold their performances, so it worked.

Richard Gremel put in a lot of work for this show. He designed the set and lighting while also being the technical director. I enjoyed the lighting effects for MURDER AT THE Howard Johnson'S. They perfectly conveyed the passage of time throughout the show. I also enjoyed the rotating windows on the motor inn wall. Speaking of the set, let's address the door frame. There was a door frame that came a little loose during the show, and this quickly became my favorite thing about the show. Every time an actor passed by it, they kicked it back in, often during a moment of frustration for their character. These organic moments of hilarity and creativity are exactly why I love live theatre. 

Other technical elements were very strong as well. Sound by Michael Zimmerman was well-executed. Dominick Basso produced excellent construction work, costumes by Christine Ralston fit the characters perfectly, and props by Karin Hupp were tonally perfect. The scene transitions flowed smoothly and the musical choices were suitable. The space of the thrust was used to its fullest potential. There was a great deal of physical comedy throughout the story. The technical elements served as an efficient backdrop for the action that transpired onstage.

To post a comment, you must register and login.