THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 2, 1995 TAG: 9506010187
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Theater Review
SOURCE: BY MONTAGUE GAMMON III, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The suspense drama ``Murder by Misadventure'' is fitted out with the full complement of plot twists expected of its genre, and makes some reasonably successful attempts to surprise its audience. The script is actually pretty standard fare, with reversals of plot that are rarely unpredictable, though the Little Theatre of Virginia Beach production benefits from a couple of good performances.
Edward Taylor has written a murder play about two authors who themselves write that very sort of story. It thus follows in a well-trodden path, where the footsteps of ``Deathtrap'' and a host of imitators are thoroughly muddied together.
The script and the production both gloss over more than a few points where realism calls into question some basic premises. For one example, no apartment developer with the most fundamental understanding of liability would equip a balcony door with an automatic lock unless there were a way to open it from the outside. The first resident stranded on a 10th-floor ledge would negotiate himself rent-free lodgings in less time than it takes to say ``lawsuit.''
For another, neither soundproof glass nor any lock on a sliding door would be likely to withstand a few rounds from even a small caliber pistol.
Nor does the show make clear why anyone who is cool enough to plan an undetectable murder would get rattled and talkative when plans go awry. If an alibi is unshakeable, then you simply say to the police, ``I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I just got here. What can you tell me?'' Then you sit down and you shut up and if there's any talking to be done, you let your lawyer do it.
James McDaniel plays one of the authors, Megan Jones his wife, with Phil Whitehead in the role of the other writer. Nathan Mitchell appears in the guise of a police inspector.
McDaniel's notably relaxed, calm and realistic performance during the lengthy exposition of the first act, has much to do with the play's strong start.
Jones gives a performance that combines finesse and force most effectively. The subtlety of her acting only becomes apparent late in the show, when all the double-crosses and charades in which the characters have been engaged are finally resolved. Then one recognizes how well she has played the part of a woman who is herself playing not just one, but several roles at different levels.
Actor Bob Scott makes his directorial debut with this show, and certainly should be encouraged to direct again. Kimberly G. Hood served as assistant director; Scott also designed the set.
On opening night the production did not produce all the tension and suspense one might have expected. It became embarrassingly obvious, late in the play, that there were troubles with line memorization.
It is just about impossible for an actor to concentrate on the finer points of performance, such as pacing, tone, mood and the like, when bending every effort to remember what to say or when worried about fellow actors' memories.
It is safe to assume that the second and third weekends of ``Murder by Misadventure'' will not be so afflicted with forgetfulness. Thus it is only fair to predict that the audience will feel some of the suspense the playwright intended, rather than that felt, while waiting for someone to bail out a foundering cast. ILLUSTRATION: WHEN & WHERE
What: ``Murder by Misadventure,'' by Edward Taylor.
When: 8 p.m. today and Saturday and June 9 and 10; and 3 p.m.
Sunday and June 11.
Where: Little Theatre of Virginia Beach.
Tickets: 428-
by CNB