BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Finds Hilarious Absurdity in THE MURDER ROOM

One of the tricks to great satire, and great comedy in general, is the ability to play it straight. The ability, or talent, of acting as if what's happening is perfectly normal. As if the zany craziness is just another typical day, nothing out of the ordinary. There is much zaniness to be had, and a lot of playing it perfectly straight, to hilarious effect, in 2nd Story Theatre's production of The Murder Room.

2nd Story is spending the hot summer months showcasing some cold blooded murderers. The two plays they are presenting in repertory, Mousetrap and The Murder Room, are prime examples of their type. One, Mousetrap, is a taught, suspenseful whodunit, written by the master of mystery herself, Agatha Christie. The other, The Murder Room, is a spot-on spoof of murder mysteries just like the one it shares a stage with. As dark, suspenseful and tense as Mousetrap is, The Murder Room is equally hilarious and endlessly fun.

The Murder Room concerns Mavis Hollister, who has just tried to murder her brand new husband, Edgar Hollister. Things unravel very quickly for Mavis, who has apparently failed twice now at committing a homicide. As she tries to finish the job, and not get caught, her attempts are complicated by the appearance of an inspector, a constable, her stepdaughter and the stepdaughter's American fiancée. To give away any more of the plot would ruin some of the considerable entertainment offered by the play.

Jack Sharkey wrote The Murder Room and there are some clear influences. It's almost as if he sat down with Agatha Christie, Neil Simon and Christopher Durang, all of them got drunk, and they decided to write a murder mystery farce. The result is non-stop wit and wordplay, hilarious banter that flies back and forth across the stage lIke Balls in a ping-pong game. Audience members would do well to pay careful attention, some of the jokes fly so fast, if you're not focused, you might miss them completely.

Director Ed Shea keeps his cast focused as well, as they don't miss a beat during the play's quick two-hour running time. Shea doesn't dumb anything down or make it more obvious than necessary, trusting his audience to get the jokes, and for the most part, they do. He keeps the level of seriousness just right, which is to say that the characters on stage take everything seriously while the audience knows that nothing should be taken that way.

Shea's cast is a wonderful ensemble, working together like a well-oiled machine. It takes a group of actors who trust each other to play this kind of material the right way and this group definitely does. Sharon Carpentier is fantastic as Mavis Hollister, the devious and conniving woman out to kill her husband and then save herself. Capentier seems to be having a great time chewing scenery and hamming it up, taking the audience gleefully along with her.

Ashley Hunter Kenner is also fabulous as the not-too-bright stepdaughter, Susan. Kenner really brings the character to life, making her more than the boring stereotype the character could be. Playing it straight more than anyone is Jeff Church as Inspector James Crandall. Church is a scene stealer in many moments and has some of the most hilarious takes and reactions in a play full of them. While these actors stand out, each member of the cast deserves recognition and applause for their wonderfully spot-on performances.

Special mention must also be made of the costumes, designed by Ron Cesario, who designed both of the "Murder in Rep" shows at 2nd Story. While Mousetrap as very sedate and subdued in its costume design, Cesario busts loose with his outrageous costumes for The Murder Room. And I mean outrageous in the best possible way. From fabulously over-the-top dresses to the most awesomely ridiculous shoes, the actors get look as hilarious as they act.

One of the best things about shows done in repertory is seeing how different they are. Shows in rep are all the better when they are in contrast. This is a perfect example of that and 2nd Story has pulled off an excellent pair of productions, both of which are highly recommended. They've also announced at 2nd Story that a new, more intimate downstairs space will be opening next season. With two seasons running at the same time, one upstairs and another downstairs, it will be exciting to see what kind of high-quality productions the company pulls off next.

The Murder Room is at 2nd Story Theatre, 28 Market Street, Warren, RI in repertory with Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, until September 1. Tickets are $25 and under 21 for $20. 401-247-4200 or http://www.2ndstorytheatre.com/tixfaq.htm.

Pictured: (L to R) Sharon Carpentier and Ashley Hunter Kenner

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