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© St. Petersburg Times, published April 13, 2002
Mysteries are, arguably, the most difficult genre for community theaters to do well. In musicals, a rousing song and dance can cover a multitude of sins. In comedies, a little mugging does the trick.
With mysteries (and to some extent, dramas), it's all out there, stilted delivery, awkward pauses, fake screams and all. Besides, most audiences have seen the classic mysteries so beloved by community theater play selection committees, so, many times, even the mystery is gone.
That's why it's a double pleasure to see the fine, rarely performed mystery Night Watch performed by an excellent, confident cast at Richey Suncoast Theater.
Director Bob Reece's well-chosen players and nimble direction give the audience two hours of intriguing theater enjoyment.
Night Watch is a murder mystery, but playwright Lucille Fletcher's characters aren't all bad or all good. Like real people, they're a mix, which makes the conclusion troubling but strangely satisfying.
Jennie Ashley is outstanding as Elaine Wheeler, a wealthy insomniac who sees two dead people that nobody else can see in the house across the way from her classy Manhattan townhouse. Elaine seems fixated on the late father who left her rich and the dead first husband who disappointed her.
Ms. Ashley plays Ellie with a clinging desperation that saturates the stage with the tension of unresolved conflicts. Her pauses are deliberate and fraught with meaning. Her screams are chilling.
Ellie's visions seem to confound her stockbroker husband, John, played with a mix of exasperation and convincing devotion by award-winning actor Sam Petricone.
But, wait. Is John really all that devoted?
What about the Wheelers' house guest, Blanche Cook (Hilary Caron)? Is Blanche really Ellie's best friend, or is she Ellie's worst enemy? Ms. Caron plays Blanche with flouncing poutiness, switching from cloying concern to brittle indifference, giving no clear signal either way.
The cop Vanelli (Drew Lundquist) and police lieutenant Walker (Robert Harrison) dismiss Ellie's terrors. Vanelli is more interested in the Wheelers' artwork than the dead bodies Ellie says she sees. Walker thinks Ellie is just another neurotic housewife trying to get attention.
Dr. Tracey Lake (Gloria J. Searle), an insomnia specialist John calls in, and Sam Hoke (Manfred A. Link), the delicatessen owner, may be red herrings -- or maybe not.
Character actors Bobbie Valentine, as the nosey German maid Helga, and Clifton Bonney as the fey newspaper gossip writer Curtis Appleby, are superb, giving the play just the right touch of comic relief.
Charlie Skelton's set design is classy, as befits an upscale New York townhouse, and the sizable construction crew made it solid. The work of the large production staff who assembled attractive costumes and upscale properties and provide sound and sound effects shows in every detail.
Night Watch is a fun show, especially for people who like mysteries and appreciate a well-crafted production.
Night Watch, a mystery, weekends through April 28 at Richey Suncoast Theatre, 6237 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $10. The box office is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and an hour before each show. Call (727) 842-6777.