BWW Reviews: World premiere of 'REAR WIDOW' at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre

Dietz Osborne and Nate Eppler have quickly gained a reputation as Nashville's most accomplished playwriting team and, thanks to their latest effort - the winkingly titled Rear Widow, now onstage at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre - the talented duo have scored their biggest success to date.

Rear Widow is a fast-paced and completely entertaining salute to the film noir genre, brought winningly and charmingly to life by director Lauren Shouse and her superb cast of actors (which includes Martha Wilkinson, Jennifer Richmond and B.J. Rowell in addition to the two playwrights themselves).

Certainly, Osborne and Eppler have consistently written good dialogue and situations in their previous collaborations, but Rear Widow finds them at the zenith of their teamwork, crafting a plot and creating characters that are definitely inspired by legendary films. Yet while Rear Widow is a valentine to the genre that the playwrights so obviously understand and comprehend, it's also highly original and imaginative. Frankly, if you don't find yourself completely drawn into the tale of "the black widow" suspected of doing in all the men in her life, you might need professional help.

Shouse's direction is impeccable, propelling the action along its merry way at a dizzying pace and presenting the play's action with a deft skill that ensures the audience's rapt attention. Paired with the sharp wit and crackling dialogue written by Osborne and Eppler, Shouse's take on the script results in one of the season's strongest comic delights that begs for repeated viewings. By effectively capturing the play's cinematic possibilities onstage, the creative team has brought a bonafide hit to the stage of Chaffin's Barn and theater companies across the nation should be asking for perusal copies of this wonderfully written comic mystery.

With a good script in hand and an good director in charge of the proceedings, the production is on even firmer ground, thanks to the design capabilities of its creative team, particularly David Compton's cleverly realized set and moody lighting design and Billy Ditty's remarkable costume, hair and wig design that allows the actors to drape themselves in period glamour and authentic styling. The attention to detail in the production is noteworthy and kudos to Shouse and Bobby Wyckoff for their sound design that includes a terrific musical score to augment the onstage goings-on.

Shouse probably thanks her lucky stars daily for the quintet of actors doing her bidding onstage. Eppler's exceptional acting skills are on a par with his splendid writing talents and he breathes life into the role of Judd Cain, the insurance company investigator, who sets out to ferret out fraud in the case of Barb Snyder and her dear, departed husband, only to find himself ensnared in Barb's fiendishly decadent web of desire and intrigue. Martha Wilkinson is perfect as the nightclub chanteuse, sexy and flirtatious at one turn, wounded and vulnerable at the next - yet always in complete control of her every move. One of the finest actresses anywhere, Wilkinson attacks her role with great zeal and is having the time of her life onstage with her equally impressive cohorts.

B.J. Rowell displays a range heretofore untapped or unseen on the Chaffin's Barn stage, showing the true depths of his talents in his comic role as Ace Carlos, yet another of Barb's romantic conquests. Jennifer Richmond and Osborne, each assaying a plethora of denizens who populate the seedy, smoky environs and dives of Los Angeles in 1944, show their versatility with a confidence that other actors should copy. With each successive characterization, Richmond and Osborne add shading and color to the roles, employing every option in their individual bags of tricks to create more memorable moments in a show full of them.

Anyone familiar with film noir will recognize the various cinematic archetypes employed by the playwrights in their script, but it is their respect for the source material is apparent throughout the play. Their razor-sharp repartee and keen ear for dialogue that actually works - when enacted by a cast that so very clearly reveres the genre that they are sending up - provides a completely satisfying night of theatrical intrigue and inventiveness that audiences simply can't afford to miss.

- Rear Widow. By Dietz Osborne and Nate Eppler. Directed by Lauren Shouse. Produced by Janie and John Chaffin. At Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Nashville. Through October 9. For reservations, call (615) 646-9977; for further details, visit the company website at www.dinnertheatre.com.

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