There’s a venerable theater critic’s line about musicals that are so indescribably awful that the writer will compliment the set and add, “but you can’t hum the scenery while you’re driving home.”
Well, maybe you can’t really hum the scenery for “Sleuth,” a terrific production that opened last night at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, but you can be aghast and agog, and stunned into admiring, open-mouthed silence by Paul Shortt’s amazing set. The drawing room of an English country house is spectacular, rich and classy and warm, with exciting colors and textures and eye-catching toys of all types. From Jack the Jolly Tar, who dominates from upstage center, to sculpted heads, a fish tank, masks and an almost endless variety of the sort of gew-gaws best described by the Yiddish word “chochkes,” it’s one of the finest of a long series of impressive sets that always have been a central part of the Rep.
Part of the credit for this achievement goes to Emily Frei, the props artisan, and part to James Sale, whose lighting makes everything richer and lovelier. And as long as credit is being passed out, some belongs to Artistic Director Steven Woolf, who went along with this big budget item.
And yes, there was a play. . . .
Anthony Shaffer’s mystery drama, with dashes of humor here and there, begins when Milo Tindle (Michael Gabriel Goodfriend) accepts an invitation to the home of author Andrew Wyke (Munson Hicks), who has read us the closing paragraphs of his latest mystery novel. Tindle has been having an affair with Mrs. Wyke, and her husband, an upper-class, stiff-upper-lip Englishman, ostensibly wants to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. Mrs. Wyke, conveniently, is out of town. With another lover, perhaps? Better not to ask. There’s some brittle conversation between the men, with Wyke holding the upper hand. He’s a successful author; Tindle, the son of an Italian immigrant and part Jewish as well, is a small-time travel agent.
“You’re disparaging my love,” says Tindle after Wyke levels a nasty blast at Mrs. Wyke, something about her love-making, perhaps, or her taste in jewelry.
“No,” snaps Wyke, “I’m reminiscing about my wife.”
And suddenly, things change. The upper crust turns lower class, and we’re off on a merry chase, kind of like Tom after Jerry in the movie cartoons. Both Hicks and Goodfriend are excellent, inhabiting their roles to perfection, though Hicks had a few stumbles in the early going. Michael Evan Haney’s direction is first-class all the way.
“Sleuth” is an excellent, dramatic, highly entertaining play. Just don’t believe anything you see or hear, and remember that for the first time in its history, the Rep has opened its season with plays by brothers-Anthony’s sibling, Peter, wrote “Amadeus”-undoubtedly in an effort to create the sort of arcane statistic that sports writers love.
A Repertory Theatre of St. Louis production, at the Loretto-Hilton Center through Nov. 8
–Joe
Comments
One response
Which wine goes best with football?
Thought your readers might find this interesting to ponder:
http://winepreneur.blogspot.com/2009/10/which-wine-goes-with-football.html
Best Regards,
Mike Clifford
Winepreneur Web
http://winepreneur.blogspot.com