Deathtrap Resurrected at Mask & Mirror

Picture (by Michael Martinez) shows Diana LoVerso, Blaine Vincent III,
Jeff Ekdahl, Patricia Alston, and Bud Reece

 

By Tina Arth

Almost two years ago, I attended Mask & Mirror’s opening-night performance of Deathtrap, playwright Ira Levin’s classic dark comedy of deception. A few short days later (and before I had submitted a review), Covid-19 tore across the planet, and much of the world as we knew it, (including this particular production), immediately shut down. In a truly epic demonstration of the “show must go on” principle, Mask & Mirror has brought Deathtrap back to life. In some ways the show is virtually unchanged - it’s got the same director (Tony Broom), four of five original cast members, and essentially the same set – other than some new curtains and a bit of paint, I could almost have been at the original 2000 opening. However, in the ways that count, the current production is markedly more enjoyable – so even if you saw one of the original two performances, you should definitely plan to go back.

For Deathtrap virgins, a bit of background is in order. Playwright Sydney Bruhl, author of several popular murder mysteries, is in the depths of a prolonged slump. He’s been living off the faded glory of past hits and the gradually shrinking bank account of his wife, Myra, when he receives an unsolicited script from Clifford Anderson, a student from one of Sydney’s writing workshops. The script is maddeningly good – a sure smash, so good that Sydney and Myra concoct a devious scheme. They will resurrect Sydney’s career by tricking Clifford into “collaborating” (i.e., giving Sydney partial credit) for the finished product. From here, the plot begins a rapid-fire series of twists and turns, some diabolical and some simply ludicrous, as we meet young Clifford, a bizarre psychic neighbor named Helga Ten Dorp, and Sydney’s seemingly dingy but sharp-eyed lawyer, Porter Milgram.

The performances of the two women in the cast, Patricia Alston (as Myra) and Diana LoVerso (as Helga), can be credited with a significant share of the show’s improvement. Where their previous performances were solidly competent, both women now strive for and achieve real comic heights, using timing and physical comedy to ensure that every one of Levin’s farcical moments gets its due – and they are irresistible when they play off each other.

I must not dismiss the impact of Blaine Vincent III, the one new cast member, in his portrayal of Clifford Anderson. I can’t really describe his best moments without giving away too much of the plot, especially in some intense interactions with Jeff Ekdahl (Sydney) - leave it that he brings a solid and believable physicality to a demanding role. Ekdahl also delivers a strong performance – in a play filled with deception, he displays a chameleon-like ability to deceive both the audience and his cast-mates. Bud Reece (Porter Milgrim) has less opportunity to shine in a smaller role, but he still manages to surprise us a few times!

Just as in 2000, I was less impressed by the set design – for me, the story has maximum effect in a somewhat darker and more intimate space, with an abundance of macabre décor.  The spacious Rise Church Main Stage, often an asset, allows for cast members to be too far apart in some key scenes – there are times that Myra’s physical reactions to Clifford and Sydney are difficult to track because of the distance between the stimulus and the response.

Costume designers Kelcey Weaver and Jodi Johnson have done a great job of capturing the questionable fashion choices of the era – in particular, both Ekdahl and Vincent are imbued with late-seventies kitsch.

The timing of this production is perfect – thing are opening up rapidly, we are all ready for an undemanding evening of live theater, and the Mask & Mirror production provides a great place for the theater-hesitant to jump back in (with the comfort of knowing that they won’t even let you go upstairs to the lobby without proof of vaccination and a mask!).

Mask & Mirror’s Deathtrap runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm through March 20 at “The Stage” at Rise Church, 10445 SW Canterbury Lane, Tigard, 97224.