Great Local Shows - Theatrical Reviews
| Title | The Mousetrap |
| Organization | Sierra College Drama Dept. |
| Date(s) of show | October 26 - November 4, 2012 |
| Reviewer | Dick Frantzreb |
| Review | An Agatha Christie murder mystery provides great raw material for good theatre, and this production by the Drama Department at Sierra College crafts that raw material into not just good, but excellent theatre. The experience begins with ominous music playing as the audience enters. Waiting for the play to begin gives ample time to scan the well-designed, elaborate set – an English guest house in the 1950s. As with any Agatha Christie mystery, the question is, who is the murderer? And this well-written, sophisticated play makes nearly every character a plausible suspect. But what makes the suspicion work is the quality of the acting. Some of the players are students, some are clearly older non-students, but they all do a remarkable job of fashioning their character and displaying a wide emotional range. The dialog, complete with credible British accents, is crisp, and the timing of their interplay with each other is precise. Much of this can, no doubt, be traced to the skill of the veteran Director, Michael Hunter. His hand can also be seen in details like the continuous falling snow visible behind the French doors, the howling wind when the doors are opened, and so many other touches that are subtly and inextricably bound into the audience’s experience. At last night’s opening night, I found myself thinking “This is good drama.” I think that will be your conclusion, as well. |
