Murder, laughs keep audience on tight ‘Rope’
Boredom, intelligence, arrogance all play parts as students kill
for thrills
By Jeana Blackman
A pianist is playing delightful tunes on an elegant piano that
fits nicely with the chandelier and classy decor. It’s the perfect
set for murder.
Yes murder. The kind where boredom, intelligence and arrogance
all play their parts.
In "Rope," the Neurotic Young Urbanites latest production, two
well-to-do college kids decide to kill off one of their peers just
to see if they can get away with it. To further add to their
adventure, they’ve invited the boy’s family and a few other guests
to a dinner party the evening of the crime. Thus the excitement
begins.
When the lights go down, we hear a recording of the murder in
complete darkness that lasts a little too long. However, once the
two conspirators take the stage things really begin to move
forward. Brandon (Paul Wittenburg) is trying to get Granillo (John
Barba) to calm down before the guests begin arriving. They
establish the pattern of quick timing and humorous exchanges that
sets the tone for the rest of the play.
The guests enter rapidly and the pacing is absolutely
hysterical.
The best scenes happen when all eight actors are in the room.
The quips fly back and forth as each character takes part in every
conversation.
The humor specifically attacks the superficiality of society and
a society’s fascination with murder. (O.J., anyone?)
The characters balance each other: the mature father figure, the
absent-minded aunt, the nerd, the socialite and a few others that
are just as stereotypical. Yet most of the actors are wonderfully
adept giving them a human quality that keeps them from going
overboard.
The eccentric characters are backed by mature, intelligent
writing that allows their portrayals to expand.
The comedy is subtle and the actors, especially Bierbaum and
Glen Porter as Raglan, accentuate the words with great expressions
and tone.
Unfortunately, the play loses a little steam during two small
scenes in which Rupert (Patrick Fischler), the intellectual of the
bunch, attempts to figure out the real reason behind the dinner
party.
On their own, the scenes might have worked well. The only
problem is that they follow an energized, upbeat, comical scene.
Fischler seems alternately flat then melodramatic as he puts
together clue after clue. It seemed as if he was bordering between
comic and serious and not committing to either one, therefore
failing at both.
However, director Hope Wurdack does make a smooth transition
from the comic scenes to the more serious confrontation of the
morality issue at stake. She, and the actors, straddle the line
well and keep from becoming too preachy.
The lighting design, by Dawn Terry, is the biggest technical
drawback to the show, though part of the blame must fall on
Wurdack. There are a couple of times when there are large portions
of action in which there is little or no light. Any dramatic effect
is lost because it becomes too tiring trying to figure out what’s
going on.
The few negatives, however, are greatly outweighed by the chance
opportunity to watch a murder from the killer’s point of view.
THEATER: "Rope" by Patrick Hamilton. Directed by Hope Wurdack.
Zephyr Theater at 7456 Melrose Ave. Performances are Thursday
through Sunday at 8 p.m. Show runs until May 7. TIX: $15 general.
Discounts for students with ID. For more info call (213)
660-8587.