Berkshire on Stage

Who doesn’t like a good old murder mystery? They tease the mind and offer endless possibilities for entertainment. The latest summer fare from the Lake George Dinner Theatre is funny, diverting, and perfectly suited to the audience in this summer resort area. 

In case you are wondering if the Butler did it, this light-hearted romp of a play by Nick Hall, gives us two butlers: Polly and Paul Butler are mystery writers who have long collaborated on a series of reasonably successful mysteries featuring their popular character, Charlotte Hayawkawa. However, at the start of the comedy, the couple has divorced. Polly has left the unfaithful Paul to go to Los Angeles and write for film. Paul is left in New York with his typist/paramour, struggling to survive in his cluttered and shabby apartment. The split up happened 18 months earlier, but Polly’s agent has insisted she renew her collaboration with Paul to write another book featuring the intriguing detective, Charlotte. 

The style of the piece is perfectly apparent as Polly lets herself into the apartment and pulls out a fake (retractable) dagger, which she demonstrates by stabbing herself with glee. As she stows her suitcase in the bedroom, Paul arrives and gets a call from his mistress, leaving no doubt about the nature of their relationship. Polly sneaks in and overhears the conversation and soon has viciously stabbed Paul with the fake dagger, giving him a shock in more ways than one. 

Polly soon explains she is there to collaborate with Paul on the new book, but not to restore their broken relationship. The problem is that the couple hold joint rights to the character of Charlotte and their technique for working out the intricate plots is to act out the scenes to determine what is possible in committing murder. So, they need to work together. Paul resists, insisting he is too busy writing his novel, which he titles A DEADLY COHERENCE. Besides, he has not forgiven Polly for taking his vintage 1965 yellow Mustang in the divorce settlement. Nevertheless, Polly prevails, and the rest of the plot involves their antics in trying to do each other in. The audience is left guessing whether they really are trying to kill one another – after all, if one of them dies, the other one inherits all the rights and profit from their popular novels – or are they renewing their relationship doing what they do best.

Hall’s play is filled with references to old mysteries, which delights the crowd: Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot, Sam Spade, and even “A Scrap of Paper.” For all you theatre history fans, that is the title of an 1860 play by Victorien Sardou and was the model of a play that relied heavily on theatrical devices to create what seemed to be real life – what came to be known as “the well-made play. The form relied on mechanically contrived plots and two-dimensional characters and was derided by the great George Bernard Shaw as “Sardoodledum.” Hall’s play is itself a great example of Sardoodledum. The expectation of who will survive in the novel and in the marriage is reversed from one minute to the next. In other words, it is diverting and full of surprises, but in the end totally predictable.

Brenny Campbell is a charmer as Polly Butler. She easily slips from charming to nefarious and successfully navigates the twists and turns of the plot with exuberance and glee. Michael Irvin Pollard as Paul Butler is less effective lacking vocal variety and verve – perhaps taking too seriously the character’s depression evident in his doleful autobiographical novel. A very clever setting by Steve Moulton and Bridget O’Neill and lots of props by Sarabeth Mason serve the play extremely well. Director Jarel Davidow keeps the action moving and uses the little jewel-box stage extremely well.

So, let there be no doubt, the nearly sold-out MARRIAGE IS MURDER delighted its audience. After a surprising good meal (this is dinner theatre, after all) and a drink or two or three, all that mayhem and mystery proved to be a great deal of fun and a good time was had by all.

Credits

Playwright: Nick Hall

Director: Jarel Davidow

Set Design: Steve Moulton and Bridget O’Neill

Lighting Design: Rachel Budin

Costumes: Frieda Toth

Props & Set Dressing: Sarabeth Mason

Cast:  Brenny Campbell as Polly Butler and Michael Irvin Pollard as Paul Butler

Information

MARRIAGE IS MURDER runs Tuesday through Saturday, September 14 through October 14. Lunch shows are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (lunch at 11:30 am and Curtain at 1 pm)

Dinner shows are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (dinner at 6:00 pm and Curtain at 7:30 pm) For tickets, phone: (518) 668-5762 x 411

Running time: 2 hours with one intermission

Theatre: Lake George Dinner Theatre in residence at the Holiday Inn Resort, 2223 Canada Street, Lake George, NY 12845

Closing date is October 14th

Website: LakeGeorgeDinnerTheatre.org