The Game's Afoot is a new murder mystery by Ken Ludwig. The main character in the play is loosely based on William Gillette, an actor who wrote and starred in the first play about Sherlock Holmes. The murder itself it pure fabrication.
The play opens with the end of a production of the play Sherlock Holmes in a New York theatre. At the end of the production, a man walks up the aisle of the theater and shoots William Gillette, the man playing Holmes, wounding him in the shoulder.
Two weeks later, Gillette has invited his actor friends to his house for Christmas Eve. He has also invited Daria, a gossip columnist and theatre critic, to perform a seance for entertainment.
Daria has not been kind to these actors in her reviews, but she also knows many of their secrets; and they don't want those secrets known. So, obviously, these actors do not like Daria very well. This all leads to a murder most fowl. And it was all too obvious who the murder victim would be. I like my murder mysteries a little more subtle.
Is the murder and the shooting in the theatre linked somehow? Only a man with the brains of Sherlock Holmes could solve the mystery, and Gillette thinks he is that man.
Personal note: I was going to audition for the show, but callbacks were the Monday I was leaving on a cruise, and not knowing the director, I didn't think he would be willing to cast me on my first audition alone, so I missed out on the chance of playing the female inspector. I was more disappointed I wasn't able to audition when I saw what a fun part it would have been, and the actress did a great job. But I had a great time on my cruise, so I can't really be too disappointed.
Back to the show...
The first act had some funny moments, and the premise really has promise. However, the first act is really more for theatre buffs than for lovers of Sherlock Holmes. There are many quotes from and references to Shakespeare plays. And of course the first act is to set up the murder, which occurs right before the intermission.
The second act is where all of the real fun and laughs are. When the Inspector shows up - that's when the fun begins. There are characters trying to hide the body, flickering lights, lightening (although, it is in the middle of a snow storm, so I don't know where the lightening would come from), telephones out-of -order, secret passages, secret rooms, and secrets revealed.
The reveal of the murderer was truly a surprise, and that doesn't really happen very often in murder mysteries. You usually think, "I saw that one coming." However, in The Game's Afoot, when we realize we've been duped just like the characters, there's a real "Aha!" moment.
And in the end there are even more quotes from Shakespeare.
You would think that all actors do when they get together is quote Shakespeare. I don't know about all actors, but my fellow-actors and I certainly don't.
My only question is: Who killed the stage doorman?
No comments:
Post a Comment