The Brazosport Center Stages production of Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap” opened Friday night in the Dow Arena Theater. Director Susan Moss and her company and crew played all the plot twists with skill and plenty of dry humor for an appreciative opening night crowd. The veteran cast of Craig Fritz, Roxanne Strobel, Devon Smith, Becky Gore LaRoche, and Phil Partridge communicated an intricate plot and a word heavy script with clarity and even physical dexterity when it was called for. And that was often.
No snoring at this play, gentlemen. You will be wide awake waiting to see who dies next and to see if they stay dead. Is that a plot spoiler? I don’t think so. But maybe it’s a clue that this one is not to be taken too seriously. Just enjoy the fine acting of some community theater pros who just keep on doing it for free. And what a gift it is.
You will also see a beautifully designed and executed set (thank you, Keith Plowman, for the design), period perfect costumes by Tina Gray, and combat (!) scenes choreographed by Wes Copeland. And the light! Near perfection by Lisa Chapa. Give her a budget and a few new instruments and it would be perfect. And there were also lots of eerie sound courtesy of Barry Dunn. And the script calls for props galore, always a challenge for a small community theater. And resourceful Callie Ayers is always up to the job.
This is theater for fun. Come out and enjoy a brutally funny murder mystery tonight. It runs through next weekend, Sept. 16. Tickets and reservations are available at The Center ticketing web site.
