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Reflections: The Masque of Death
By A. S. Waterman, Directed by Joe Monroe
Reviewed
by Craig Nolan Highley
Entire
contents are copyright © 2013, Craig Nolan Highley. All rights reserved.
Serial
killers, courtroom histrionics, and Yankee pot roast. Now there’s a combination
you don’t see often! But there is plenty of each in Whodunnit’s latest original
offering, now playing at the Hyatt.
As
the audience, we get to be the jury for the second in a trilogy of cases
prosecuted by the bumbling but true-hearted Morgan Farewell (Jane Mattingly)
and defended by sarcastic but sincere Dante Andino (Brian Kennedy), an odd but
effective mystery-solving team created by playwright and Whodunnit alum A. S.
Waterman.
We
discover early on that the fellow Andino has been defending and Farewell has
been prosecuting is, quite possibly, the wrong person; it turns out that thanks
to identity theft, the defendant may not be who he claims to be. That’s just
the first twist in a clever mystery involving a serial killer who has been
targeting successful, affluent women.
The
story plays out over a couple of days and mostly in the courtroom of
no-nonsense judge Lincoln Dougherty (Robert Thompson) as we are introduced to a
colorful array of witnesses and suspects: Detective Coletta Scott (Erica
Goldsmith), a tomboyish, literature-quoting gumshoe with an almost obsessive
interest in the case; Victor Norman (John Lina), husband of one of the victims
who seems strangely unmoved by his wife’s passing; Ellen Owen (Shelly Marquardt
Reid), the killer’s physically and mentally scarred sole survivor; and Kate
Wheeler (Beth Olliges), who seems to be enjoying the attention a bit too much
as the sister of the final victim.
As
a mystery, the story definitely held my interest even if the killer’s identity
seemed a bit more obvious than usual; but clever dialogue and a genuinely
creepy reveal at the end really work to sell the piece. Great performances are
had by all, in one of the best ensembles ever to grace a WhoDunnit
production. Mattingly and Kennedy
are a particular joy to watch, as they have a chemistry reminiscent of the
classic Tracy/Hepburn pairings, and Goldsmith is a riot in a role that allows
her to break from the usual cleavage-heaving ingénues that have become her
forte.
Director
Joe Monroe has managed to keep the action moving and visually interesting
despite the small space afforded in a meeting room at the Hyatt, and other
technical aspects are also spot-on. Really nice work here all around.
As
far as the meal choices, both my companion and I had the Yankee pot roast, and
it was wonderful. The gravy was so good I even ate the broccoli! My mother
would be so proud.
Add
to that a cash bar and free parking in the Fifth Street Garage, and this is the
perfect date night. Check it out; it really does make for a fun evening!
Starring Erica Goldsmith, Brian Kennedy, John Lina, Jane
Mattingly, Beth Olliges, Shelly Marquardt Reid, and Robert Thompson.
Reflections: The Masque of Death
Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, Mar. 2, 9, and 16 at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $45.50. Book in advance (highly recommended as these shows do sell out).
WhoDunnit Murder Mystery Theatre
Tickets: $45.50. Book in advance (highly recommended as these shows do sell out).
WhoDunnit Murder Mystery Theatre
At
The Hyatt Downtown
320
West Jefferson Street
Louisville,
KY 40202
Tickets:
502-426-7100
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