Twists, terror and titillating tension dominated the members of the Bakersfield Community Theater on April 30 in their rendition of “Deathtrap.”
Written by Ira Levin in 1978, “Deathtrap” is the longest running thriller on Broadway, and it translated well to the Bakersfield Community Theatre. It is essentially a play about a playwright, and the events that transpire on the stage become good material for the playwright’s new play.
The play begins with the introduction of burnout playwright Sidney Bruhl, portrayed by David Lollar. He has come upon hard times with writers block and is unable to generate ideas for a new script. When an old student of his, Clifford, comes by for advice about a thrilling script he has written, plot twists, thrills and hilarity inevitably follow.
Once you think you have a handle on the story, it changes direction, making it difficult to follow at times. The many twists and turns in the plot keep the audience on their toes and wanting more.
The cast dealt well with the themes of homosexuality present in the production. They did not cross appropriate boundaries, which may make an audience uncomfortable, but they still got the message across enough so the audience knew what was happening. It was subtle, which did not distract from the overall plot.
The acting was pretty good for a small local theater. The connection the cast members had with one another was convincing. You could tell by the way they spoke, moved and interacted that they knew their roles well and worked well with each other. The actors had a way of drawing you into the story.
The best performance was given by Chelsea Brewer, who played psychic neighbor Helga ten Dorp, who suspects something is going on with the Bruhl family and reveals little bits of the plot to come with her wild predictions. She had an accent that was strange but not unintelligible, and she played the part a little crazy but not overwhelmingly so.
It was a five character, one-set, two-act play, and in that sense, it was very simplistic. There was no huge diversity in characters, and it all takes place in the same room: Sidney’s study.
The lighting was basically the same the entire time except when they shut them off as part of the action. The costumes fit well with the type of play and the time period it was written for, and it was apparent that the homosexual character wore a slightly more flamboyant costume than the others at some points.
The sound system was buzzing most noticeably during the first act of the play, whenever sound effects were used, it was constantly in the background. Toward the end, though, my ear filtered out this buzzing and I was able to easily ignore it.
The worst thing about this play was not even the cast’s, director’s or stage manager’s fault. It was the dismal audience. The theater seats possibly over 100 people and there were 12 total people there for the performance that night, including myself and an actor’s daughter.
Nobody clapped between scenes, and when intermission began, an usher had to tell everyone what was happening. For a weekend show, this is a tragedy; and since the cast reacts to the feedback of its audience, it’s safe to guess the performance would have been better with a bigger and more responsive audience.