Review: THE MOUSETRAP At Desert Theatreworks Still Delights After All These Years

[Amended to add a photo and a paragraph about the "snarling" canines.]

I had a great time attending Desert Theatreworks' (DTW's) terrific production of Agatha Christie's THE MOUSETRAP. DTW has such a deep bench, including several new faces, that I am unsurprised that the directing, acting, and technical aspects of the show are fabulous. However, I didn't know what to expect from the script. Specifically, I worried about excess wordiness, which was endemic to many mid-century British plays. Fortunately, in this script, the playwright eschewed excess verbiage in favor of humor and surprise.

The West End production of THE MOUSETRAP is the longest running play in history. It has played in London ever since October 6, 1953, except for the Covid closures that affected all West End and Broadway theaters. That means that a baby born the day THE MOUSETRAP premiered would have been almost exactly 32 years old when LES MISERABLES opened on October 8, 1985 and 33 when THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA debuted a year later, on October 9, 1986.

THE MOUSETRAP has a tradition of having the audience members swear not to reveal who the murderer is, a tradition that DTW followed. If you think that I've thrown a hint in this review, please note that it may be deliberate misdirection, just as the play itself misdirects the audience on numerous occasions. Furthermore, the play does not end as soon as the murderer is revealed; surprises follow. In other words, even if you guess correctly whodunit, you probably won't figure out the ending.

THE MOUSETRAP, which takes place in 1952, refers to the attempt to catch a murderer who may have taken refuge in Monkswell Manor, a newly opened guest house about thirty miles from London, owned by Giles and Mollie Ralston. The Ralstons, a young married couple about to celebrate their first anniversary, are inexperienced hosts who are left to cope with their eccentric guests in a blizzard, with the servants unable to come to work. To make matters worse, the nearby murder has everyone on edge. A police detective sergeant arrives on skis both to investigate the murder and to protect the Ralstons and their guests, any one of whom could be a victim or turn out to be the culprit. He becomes especially concerned when someone steals his skis and someone (the same person or someone else?) cuts the phone wire, leaving him unable to seek reinforcements.

Agatha Christie was certainly one of the best mystery writers of all time. To mix metaphors, the plot is richly layered, doubling back on itself in corkscrews and s-curves. However, one complaint that I have about her work is that, in my opinion, she does not "play fair" with her readers. In a traditional mystery, such as Christie's, the clues are supposed to be visible to alert readers or playgoers - in other words, no bringing a long-lost twin home from India who turns out to be the murderer, UNLESS the writer leaves clues for the reader ahead of time that there is a long-lost twin in India. Fortunately, THE MOUSETRAP is so entertaining and well-acted that the audience probably will forgive the playwright for not leaving clues in plain sight.

My second complaint about Agatha Christie is far more serious: She was rabidly racist and anti-Semitic, and much of her writing reflects those forms of bigotry. Her novel, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, was previously TEN LITTLE INDIANS, but many readers do not know is that there was an even earlier name used for English serial publication. That title was "TEN LITTLE" N-words, but the title was changed for American publication. In other words, even in 1939, when segregation was riding high in the United States, Agatha Christie chose or agreed to such an appallingly racist title that Americans would likely have rejected the novel. Fortunately, there is nothing particularly racist in THE MOUSETRAP, except for one word used to describe the enemy in World War II - a word that DTW excised.

As far as the production itself, director Michael Pacas, as usual, deserves kudos for the pacing and his blocking. There is a great deal of movement by the actors, every bit of which furthers the plot or characterizations. I especially liked the contrast between the way the tightly-wound characters sat and moved compared to those who at least affected nonchalance, even if that nonchalance was a red herring.

The entire ensemble cast is great in their parts, despite an ill-timed case of flu that caused lead actor Lee Rice to bow out of the role of Mollie for the first weekend's performances. DTW veteran Tessa Gregory-Walker stepped in, book in hand and did a bang-up job as the nervous newlywed who has reason to suspect her husband is a murderer.

Among the permanent cast members, Anthony Nannini's hilarious portrayal of an architect named Christopher Wren takes the anti-gay bigotry of the era and turns it on his head against close-minded people who couldn't even bring themselves to utter the word "homosexual," which was still a permissible term in 1952. Thanks to Mr. Nannini's comedic talent, I was rooting for Christopher to drive Suzie Thomas Wourms' Mrs. Boyle - a 1950's, British Karen - completely out of her mind. Ms. Wourms serves as Mr. Nannini's perfect foil. Her character's dignity is so extreme that she herself generates laughs with her bitchy, entitled demands and fierce facial expressions.

Kevin Mann, performing his second role with the company, puts on a terrific Italian accent as the macabre Mr. Paravincini. He, too, milks his over-the-top comic role for all it is worth. I don't know if he does his own makeup, but he certainly looks like he belongs in Disney's Haunted Mansion. Katrina Dixon, too, generates laughs with her portrayal of a mysterious, sourpuss apparent lesbian, Miss Casewell. At one point, Ms. Dixon gets to show her dramatic chops. She is brilliant in that scene. Last, but by no means least among the DTW veterans, the dignified Eddie Stephens plays Major Metcalf as a perfectly normal individual. In my opinion, it is often harder to act the part of an ordinary person, especially in a comedy, than to portray a goofball, but Mr. Stephens, who is a master of facial expressions, is fabulous. I found myself wondering if his normality was designed to hide his involvement in the crime, but don't take this comment as a plot hint, either way.

In addition to those who have previously performed with the company, two fine actors are making their DTW debuts in this play, both in primarily dramatic roles: Alex Price, as the no-nonsense newlywed husband, Giles Ralston, uses his facial expressions to move from tenderness to annoyance to menace. Jason Reale, as the police sergeant who is trapped in Monkswell Manor when his skis disappear and the telephone wire is cut, knows just when to remain calm and when to act nervous. He makes the most of a meaty scene in the second act. I hope that we will be seeing more of these two actors in future DTW productions.

The play's action takes place in the manor house's living room, with various openings leading to the dining room, kitchen, drawing room, upstairs, and outside. In any show such as this one, which has elements of a thriller and a horror tale, as well as being a whodunit, atmosphere becomes an additional character. DTW's artistic director Lance Phillips, who designed the set, with Cristian Valenzuela providing the decorating and construction, have indeed made the mansion come alive - I could almost smell the mustiness. An electric fire burns invitingly as the characters talk about the chill - the only part of the set that appears haimish. A huge picture window (which figures heavily in some of the action) lets in more cold than light. Two ceramic dogs, or perhaps wolves, sit on the mantel, one of them baring its teeth and preparing to pounce. I almost felt the characters shivering, both because of the cold and the menace in the room.

[Added paragraph] Interestingly, after I originally posted the review, director Michael Pacas sent me a closeup photo of the "menacing" canines. They turned out to be adorable corgis, one of whom appears to be leaping joyously. Although I feel a little silly having mistaken them for vicious wolves, I'll chalk it up to the atmosphere of the set - something like a five-year-old thinking that the Grogu stuffy in the closet has transformed in the dark to Chuckie.

The spooky lighting (designed by Duke Core) also helps build the tension. When an on-stage attack takes place, there is just enough lighting for the audience to see what is happening, and to rule out a few people as possible culprits based on their clothing and build. The sound (designed by director Michael Pacas and Adriana Reyes) is also fabulous. I especially liked the radio broadcasts, which played music of the era and news about the nearby murder.

The other members of the technical team are Jana Baumann, who designed the costumes. Mr. Paravincini's Halloween-style getup is a hoot, as is the severe pantsuit that Miss Casewell wears that, in the early 1950's would probably say "lesbian" without anyone's ever uttering the word. Conversely, Mrs. Boyle's ultra-dignified dress broadcasts her snobbery. I also love Steven Richardson's wig designs, especially for Mrs. Boyle and Miss Casewell. The rest of the team consists of Ron Phillips, the company CEO; stage manager Adriana Reyes (who also designed the props); alternate stage manager Cecilia De La Torre (who also operates the light board); assistant stage manager Jeremiah Garcia Woods; and sound board operator Ricardo Mendoza.

THE MOUSETRAP will run through Sunday, March 5, 2023, with performances Thursdays through Sundays. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. except for those on Sundays, which take place at 2:00 p.m. Check the ticket purchase information at www.dtworks.org for prices or call (760) 980-1455. All performances take place at the Indio Performing Arts Center, 45175 Fargo Street, Indio, CA 92201. In partnership with C4 Communication, DTW will have ASL Interpreters at the Saturday, March 4th performance.

The rest of the 2022-23 season consists of:

Jimmy Buffet's ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE (3/10/23-4/2/23)

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (4/14/23-4/30/23)

THE LAST FIVE YEARS (5/12/23-5/21/23)

PHOTO CREDIT: Sonny Von Cleveland

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