Murder in Green Meadows
By Douglas Post
Directed by Jamie Lentz
Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley
Entire contents copyright © 2013 by Craig Nolan Highley. All rights
reserved.
The Little Colonel Playhouse, known for their mostly family-friendly
fare, has been taking some chances with their material of late. Case in point: their current production, Murder in Green
Meadows.
To say the show is not what I expected is putting it mildly. The title
suggests an Agatha Christie-style whodunit murder mystery. And while there is a
murder or two to be had, there is no real mystery about what occurs in the
quiet of the suburbs in this twisted little tale.
It starts off innocently enough. In the 1950s-era subdivision of Green
Meadows, some new neighbors have moved in. Joan and Thomas Devereaux (Tracy
Bond Bird and John Hess) seem nice enough, and they waste no time becoming
close friends with their next-door neighbors, Jeff and Carolyn Symons (Jeff
Mangum and Candy Thomas). The first few scenes do have a "sitcommy" feel to
them. But we learn pretty quickly via a very dark monologue that this is no
episode of Ozzie and Harriet.
Dark secrets are revealed, and the whole thing spirals down a very dark
path indeed. To say much more would give away the plot twists; suffice it to
say you’ll see some of the twists coming, but not all of them.
First-time director Jamie Lentz has gathered a very solid cast and keeps
things moving at a nice pace. All four actors give great performances, but
again, it's impossible to go into the details of their characters without giving too
much away.
I question the wisdom of listing the scene changes on bright, happy
advertisements on either side of the stage; they really belong listed in the
program, and they set the completely wrong tone for the show. On the other hand, use
of vintage radio commercials to cover the scene changes was quite clever.
On the technical side, Jane Benner’s set was quite authentic and Jeff
Mangum’s lighting design set the mood. Unfortunately, on the performance I
attended, there were several tragic lighting mistakes that killed the suspense
and had the audience laughing at the errors. Hopefully this won’t be repeated.
On the whole, however, this was a fun play, well done and full of
surprises. If the idea of an I Love Lucy episode
reconceived by David Lynch appeals to you, this show should be right up your
alley.
Featuring Tracy Bond Bird, John Hess, Jeff Mangum and Candy Thomas.
Murder in Green Meadows
April 18-27, 2013
Little Colonel Playhouse
302 Mt. Mercy Drive
Crestwood, KY 40014
502-588-1557
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