By James V. Ruocco
In typical whodunit fashion, the identity of the murderer in Agatha Christie's 1952 play "The Mousetrap" isn't revealed until nearly the very end of the play. Otherwise, there actually would be no point to the ensuing mystery and the list of suspects ranging from Mollie Ralston, the smartly dressed proprietor of Monkswell Manor to her concerned husband Giles Ralston.
Other possible culprits in the unsolved sleight-of-hand include Miss Casewell, an odd, aloof woman with a secret past and Christopher Wren, a loud, peculiar homosexual who admits to running away from something but refuses to tell anyone what it is.
This being a whodunit, the audience is asked not to reveal the name of the killer to anyone outside the theater so as not to spoil the actual game of murder to anyone who buys a ticket to future performances.
A quintessential English murder mystery designed for macabre amusement, the Hartford Stage mounting of Christie's celebrated play unfolds with false clues, veiled expressions, overplayed histrionics, giggly coincidences, connected revelations, guessing game interrogations and plenty of tick tock chatter.
It is partly fun.
It is partly cheeky.
It is somewhat alert.
It is also springy.
But 70 years on, this "Mousetrap" is often dated, dull, uneventful and only mildly comforting.
Whereas the London production had class, style, allure and a steadfast sense of eerie accomplishment, "The Mousetrap" at Hartford Stage - though stunning to look at and suitable for framing - is way too idiotic to be taken seriously. Yes, the creaky material - penned by Christie herself - needed a face lift - but this is not English farce. Nor it is meant to be played entirely for laughs with characters amped up to the point of Oscar Wilde hysteria to connect with a 2022 audience and not one from forty, fifty or sixty years ago.
You still get your money's worth, but the interpretation - though enjoyable and snappy to a degree - is marred by wackadoodle updates and "The Play That Goes Wrong" silliness that openly exposes the creaks and dust of the play itself.
There's suspense, yes.
But it's not chilling.
It's not even remotely edgy.
Still, Hartford Stage has spent a fortune on the show's scenic and costume trappings, which indeed are the real stars of the show.
Riw Rakkulchon's period set design of Monkswell Manor, complete with a huge back window that reveals falling snow and mounting snow drifts is Rolls-Royce stunning, replete with a large chandelier hanging high above the stage, an impeccably detailed atmospheric interior, meticulously shaped velvet draperies and assorted books and props that celebrate its period magnificence. Krista Smith's lush, moody lighting heightens the mood as does Fabian Fidel Aguilar's handsomely designed costumes, all of which are uncannily couture and period appropriate for the cast of eight who are asked to wear them.
This edition of "The Mousetrap" is directed by Jackson Gay whose directorial credits include "August: Osage County," "Make Believe," "Woman in Mind," "Grand Horizons" and "The Taming of the Shew." Given the fact that "The Mousetrap" has been running in London's West End forever - 70 years and moving on to another 70 years - Gay's decision to add more laughter than thrills to the material gives the play an amusing, sometimes, disconcerting vibe.
This overly eccentric conceit is fine for the play's first fifteen to twenty minutes or so, but as "The Mousetrap" continues, there's far too much of it for this type of murder mystery genre. However, when Gay makes the decision to play it straight, the cast-and-mouse game that is "The Mousetrap" is efficient, melodramatic, confident and perfectly in sync with Christie's evolving narrative.
"The Mousetrap" stars Sam Morales as Mollie Ralston, Tobias Segal as Giles Ralston, Christopher Geary as Christopher Wren, Ali Skamangas as Miss Casewell, Brendan Dalton as Detective Sergeant Trotter, Jason O'Connell as Mr. Paravicini, Yvette Ganier as Mrs. Boyle and Greg Stuhr as Major Metcalf.
All eight performers are physically right for their respective characters and costumed to perfection by Aguilar. They have fun with the play text and do their best to keep everyone in the audience guessing until the big reveal. The acting, in turn, is passable to some degree until Gay asks them to ham it up and cut loose with over-the-top theatrics that suggest "Clue Meets The Play That Goes Wrong" instead of the murderous trauma that is "The Mousetrap."
Photos of "The Mousetrap" courtesy of T. Charles Erickson
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