Regional Reviews: Albuquerque/Santa Fe Regional ReviewsALT Offers a Classic Who-Done-It
Plenty of ground has been covered in murder mysteries since 1947 when The Mousetrap made its first appearance as the radio play Three Blind Mice (when it changed names and switched to a stage play, it kept the running reference to the nursery rhyme). By comparison to contemporary murder dramasthe genre has morphed into high-tension thrillersThe Mousetrap is quaint. Yet quaint is good in the hands of a writer as skilled as Christie. Christie's mysteries are a brand. She rarely deviated from the classic set-up of a drawing room filled with murder suspects, each with sufficient motive and each without a convincing alibi. Each suspect is picked apart as a detective pushes deeper and deeper for the truth. As the probe progresses, underlying relationships are revealed that deepen the motives of each suspect. In the end, all of the tension is satisfied as the last piece of the puzzle is put into place with a flourish of surprise, and the final picture of truth appears. All the loose ends fall into place with a crafty twist. It's always satisfying, even if our jaded modern brains figure out the twist ahead of time. The Albuquerque Little Theatre's production succeeds in staying true to the genre, playing up the pure Englishness of the setting. It works as an ensemble piece, and for the most part, the performances are on an even keel. This keeps the story from tilting too much toward one character. There is one (appropriate) exception, and that's with the character Christopher Wren, played marvelously by Matthew Van Wettering in his first ALT performance. The character is a comic delight, a total mess in pre-out gay cliché. Van Wettering is in perfect pitch, drawing every squeak of comedy out of the character. The other star of this sturdy production is the set by Colby Martin Landers. As the common living room of an English Inn, I wanted to crawl onstage, grab one of the ancient leather bound books from the deep brown wooden shelves and sink into an overstuffed chair in front of the fireplace. Director Vic Browder didn't forget the detail of having the actors add wood to the fire throughout this winter-time dramaa small but essential detail. Details hold this play together in fine stitching. Altogether, it's a charming production where old fashioned quaint is comfy. The Mousetrap will run at Albuquerque Little Theatre, 224 San Pasquale SW, through February 24. The show starts at 7:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:00 pm on Sundays. There will be special performances at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 6, and at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors (65 and above), $18 for students (13 and above), and $10 for children (12 and under). You can buy tickets online at albuquerquelittletheatre.org or by phone at 242-4750, ext. 2.
--Rob Spiegel |