‘Deathtrap’ is lr v
By Patrick Kelly
StaffWriter
Jealousy, revenge and murder make
for an interesting night out at the theatre.
“Deathtrap” captured all the elements
of a first rate thriller with a smartly
added a touch of humor.
Naturally, since this is a murder
mystery details regarding the story line
must be kept to a minimum. The play
centers around playwright Sydney
Bruhl, who is suffering from writers
block and feels challenged by his prodi
gious student
Bruhl invites his student Clifford
Anderson to his house conveniently
located in the secluded woods.
Predictably, the eerie sounds of a thun
derstorm provides the soundtrack. And
of course, the visit proves to be fatal. As
one can well expect, there are plot twists
a-plenty in this play.
It is never said what time period the
play is set. However, there are refer
ences to the Merv Griffin that would
place the show in either the 1970’s orthe
early 1980’s. The play has a classic
timeless element which hearkened
back to the 1930*s, especially when the
THE FACTS
Title: “Deathtrap”
Stars: George Hansen, Peg
Sheldrick, Gerrit Vooren, Leta
Powell Drake and Richard
Nielsen
Director: Ina Marlowe
Grade: A
The Skinny: A playwright
learns the hard way that
there’s no such thing as a per
fect murder.
play humorously incorporated George
Gershwin’s “Someone To Watch Over
Me” for comic relief.
The structure of Ira Levin’s play is
quite original. By the second act the
play unfolds along with the play that
Bruhl is writing.
Levin’s other major achievement in
the play is the tightly written dialogue.
While a great deal of the humorous
lines go to Sydney Bruhl, the other
characters are put in the spotlight as
well.
The characters in the play were
played with expertise and savvy by this
I NEBRASKA REPERTORY THEATRE I
Deathtrap
A Comic Thriller
by Ira Levin
June 9-12 415-19
730 pm
June 13 3:00 pm
Howell Theatre Temple Bldg. 12th & R sis
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small cast. Bruhl was played by George
Hansen. Hansen brilliantly plays the
melodramatic, pretentious, self
absorbed author.
His aristocratic East Coast accent
was most impressive, however some
what inaudible during a few quick
asides to the audience. The foil to
Hansen was provided by an enthusiastic
performance by Gerrit Vooren as
Clifford Anderson, Bruhl’s student.
Vooren’s presence onstage is charismat
ic without going over the top. Peg
Sheldrick brings a sense of realism to
the play as Myra Bruhl, Sydney’s sup
portive and practical wife.
Richard Nielsen’s supportive role as
Bruhl’s attorney is'also solid. Much of
the humor of the play comes from stage
and screen veteran Leta Powell Drake.
Drake plays the mysterious Helga Ten
Dorp a flamboyant Dutch psychic. Her
40 years of dramatic expertise shines
through quite humorously.
Not only were the actors extremely
skilled in their roles but they were well
instructed by director, Ina Marlowe.
This chemistry of the cast gave the play
a sense of cohesiveness. The actor’s
movements and actions were very nat
ural and affected only when the scene
111 ■imw ii ii mini ii •-• * mwr r
RickTownley/DN
LETA POWELL DRAKE, George Hansen and Peg Shedrick (from left) star in
the Nebraska Repertory Theater’s production of “Deathtrap,” which runs
through June 19.
required it
Another impressive element of the
production was the set design. The play
took place in Bruhl’s study at his rustic
cottage in Westport,. Conn. The walls
are decorated in window-cards to plays
and numerous swords and firearms - a
decor only Charlton Heston could love.
The props and set pieces ware attractive,
but they did not distract the audience
from die action of the play.
An enjoyable vendue that keeps the
audience thinking and laughing,
“Deathtrap” a great accomplishment
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