Pure excitement

Deathtrap a Winner

By Mike Levil

A great evening of theatre begins with a great script. Ira Levil has cre­ated a masterwork with Deathtrap that, indeed, goes within the ranks of classic thrillers such as Sleuth, Dial M for Murder, and Mousetrap.

Theatrikos' latest offering will have you on the edge of your seat, ques­tioning what is real and what is not. The play centers around Sidney Bruhl, a playwright who had a couple of hits and is in a long-running dry spell. A young playwright, Cliford Anderson, has attended a seminar of Bruhl's and sends Bruhl a script entitled Death­trap. Therein begins a script of per­fect blend of twists, turns, humor, and intrigue.

The play has a "what's around the corner" appeal. Just when you think you understand what's going on — or think you have guessed what may be going on — you haven't any idea. I found myself more than usual watch­ing the characters who weren't speak­ing, to try to see what they were think­ing. And this is a sign of true acting because whether acting, reacting, or listening, all the actors on stage were in the moment. I also enjoyed watch­ing the audience as revelations were made; their reactions — both group and individually — were extremely funny.

Director Dewey Douglas has done a magnificent job in having the actors stay true to the intention of the play and designing a beautiful set. The set was a character in itself with nooks and crannies which proved not only aesthetically pleasing, but functional.

Dan Ruch has done a convincing job in the fight choreography. Enough so to get gasps from a few members of the au­dience during the combat scenes.

Delightful performances were turned in by all the actors. They do justice to the script in not over- or under-acting, but hitting their characters and lines right on the mark. I did need to sink into Vandewater's performance; she began as ex­tremely "stagey". Also, Ward seemed to miss many of the funny moments of Ten Dorp by playing her as natural. Ten Dorp is written as an eccentric and Ward just didn't push her far enough for me.

Particular mention must go to David Allison and Merritt Corless, who play Bruhl and Anderson. Allison's aging play­wright is quick, witty, and played extreme­ly natural. I was thoroughly convinced with his quiet fabulous performance. Cor­less has showed a sweeping versatility in his last several shows and in Deathtrap, he gets to play more of his cards. He is an actor who is very exciting to watch. The two combined develop a relationship which gives the play momentum.

Theatrikos is having an amazing sea­son, having produced the hits Jake's Women and Norman, Is That You? And now Deathtrap. The last several produc­tions which I have attended have been sold out and it's so redeeming to see Flag­staff supporting great theatre. So, hats off to Jonathan Beller and the production companies of the season thus far.

Deathtrap runs Friday through Sunday, July 9—31 at Theatrikos. The curtain goes up at 8 p.m. with additional 2 p.m. mat­inees on July 17th and 24th. For infor­mation, call the box office at 774-1662.

83. In the article there are a lot of words and word combinations describing the success of the play. Make a list of such words and phrases. Compare it with those of your groupmates. Use a dictionary to check the meaning of the unknown words.

84. Say what contributed to the success of the play. Make use of the items on your list.

85. Answer the following questions:

1. What classic thrillers are mentioned in the article?

2. What does the author of the article think about the script of Deathtrap?

3. What is Sidney Bruhl's occupation?

4. What appeal does the play have?

5. Why does the author of the article call Director Dewey Douglas' job magnificent?

6. Are the combat scenes convincing?

7. Who played the leads?

8. What is the author's opinion of their performances?

9. Whose performances caused the author's criticism?

10. What can the success of Deathtrap with the public prove?

86. What do you think?

1. Do you like thrillers?

2. What makes thrillers attractive?

87. Role-play the following situations. Divide into groups of three. Two of you should discuss which Broadway play you would like to see. Decide where you would like to go. Have a second choice in mind, just in case your first pick is sold out. When you have made these deci­sions, call the theatre box office for tickets. The third person in the group is the ticket agent.

THE SOUNDS OF MUSIC romantic musical about the Von Trapp family and their unusual governess. Kentucky Thutrt 555-9370 Tues.- Sat. at 1:00, Wei. Ы Sat. at 2:00, Jim. at 3:00 $35-$55 (2 hrs. 30 Bins.)

A Streetcar Named Desire A Pulitzer Prize winning play about moral tensions in the South. Martin Buck Theatre 555-0102 Mon. -Sat. at 8:00, Wed. and Sat. at 2:00 $37.50-$50 (2 hrs.)

Oh Kay!

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