Review: ON MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY THE 13TH at Ensemble Theatre

Sometimes, it’s fun to watch a theatre company let their hair down and have fun. And with ON MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH, the Ensemble Theatre does just that. This is a giggle-filled, fast-paced murder thriller in the vein of Agatha Christie being spoofed at every turn. It is high-energy, camp, and perfect if you want an evening watching a talented cast having a blast going through a farce. The Ensemble Company originally produced the show in 1983, and here we are over forty years later, with them taking another stab at it. Co-directors Eileen J. Morris and Rachel Hemphill Dickson know exactly what to do with this material, and they deliver a side-splitting “who dunnit” with a glorious cast. 

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The play’s author, Roger Furman, was a major force in Harlem Theatre throughout his life. He founded the New Heritage Repertory Theatre and taught about Black Drama History at NYU. ON MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH is one of his lighter plays and reminds me a great deal of Neil Simon’s 1976 film script for MURDER BY DEATH, which also inspired the movie and play CLUE from the ‘80s. The work takes all of the recognizable tropes of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries and inverts them to be hilariously off-kilter. But where Christie’s world was often the English upper class, Furman injects his Harlem community into the roles. It is AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, but done with a decidedly more urban cast. 

As the play opens in 1979, several people are invited to the reading of the last will and testament of Angus Black, a wealthy curmudgeon who nobody seems to mind has recently passed. But they all want to be at the will reading, hoping that he leaves them some of his substantial fortune in his wake. Never mind that the creepy instructions direct them to a spooky mansion in Amityville on a rainy night, and the event will occur at midnight on an unlucky Friday. One by one, the guests begin to be knocked off, and suddenly, you wonder if anyone will be alive to benefit from the benefactor who has invited them all to their doom. 

If you are a Wayans Brothers’ SCARY MOVIE franchise fan, you know what you are in for here. Plenty of broad characters fighting for their lives as they get picked off one by one by the killer. The cast puts their tongue firmly in cheek and lets loose as the bodies begin to hit the floor. They scream, flail, drink whiskey, and wheel around in chairs and on skates, trying to survive the night. Some of them are packing pistols, and all of them have a secret they would rather not have come to light. 

This troop is fierce, and they deliver zippy dialogue at a breakneck pace and excel at physical comedy throughout the nearly two hours the show runs. They never seem to breathe, and they keep the laughs and tension coming. This cast is stacked with some of the best actors in Houston. Agnes “Aggie B” Balka plays Lula White, a woman with mob ties. She’s a hoot to watch as she takes nothing from nobody and seems the most in control. The actress brings a street-smart earthiness to the role. Jason Carmichael plays O.J. Stillwell, a disabled military veteran with poor hearing and wandering hands. He is both delightful and diabolical. Denise Dubolle plays a histrionic maid who can’t seem to calm her always-exposed nerves even with a healthy amount of sherry. Her dance background with Alvin Ailey seems to inform her stunning mastery of physical comedy. I hope the Ensemble finds many more roles for her to throw herself into; she’s a gem of an actress. Tyne Jenae deftly plays Olivia Green, a roller skating girl with a large funky afro puff and an even bigger attitude. The fabulous Wykesha King is the larger-than-life superstar La Grandessa, an actress who literally changes clothes every five minutes throughout the proceedings. Nicholas Lewis provides the “from beyond” voice of the dearly departed Angus Black; his portrait centerstage is the only visual we get of him. The always dependable Brandon Morgan is a hilariously suspicious butler who loves banging gongs and chasing rats while dryly announcing events. And finally, there is Joyce Anastasia Murray, the psychic grand dame named Madame Birdsong. She brings a kooky Madeline Khan meets Nell Carter delivery that is a joy to watch. The ensemble here works all together, matching each other’s perfect pacing and comedic timing. 

If I am not mistaken, set designer James V. Thomas directed the original production of this show for the Ensemble in 1983. He creates the perfect creepy mansion with plenty of hidden surprises, such as locking windows, barred doors, and spaces for the servants to pop up out of the blue for a sight gag. Adrian Washington creates spooky sounds and haunting projections to fill out a seance sequence that is wonderfully effective. The costumes by Melissa Greggs are perfect 1979 glam, and her handling of the La Grandessa quick changes makes the show that much better. 

In the last few months in Houston, I have seen some very artistically challenging theatre that asks much of its audience. Is ON MIDNIGHT FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH that kind of show? No, it’s a blast. The play is a solid comedy, and it has enough surprises up its sleeve to keep you engaged and entertained. True to the Ensemble Theatre, the production values are high, and the cast is a wonderful mix of some of the best talent in the community. I can dig it, and you probably will, too. Just go, have fun, and do "THE FREAK" with the cast. 

ON MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY THE 13th runs through June 2nd and is the perfect “summer chiller comedy” to kick off the season. The Ensemble Theatre is located in Midtown and has plenty of parking around its facility and several restaurants within walking distance. They suggest this work is appropriate for audiences over the age of thirteen. 

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