With their current mounting of "Arsenic and Old Lace," Center Rep pulls off a type of theater that often proves elusive: the Style Piece, a heightened reality in which every member of the acting company is on the same page.
Joseph Kesselring's spiked chestnut has been continuously produced in smaller theatres since it's 1941 premiere, with a single, unsuccessful stab at a Broadway revival in 1986. A tale of murders and manners, originally conceived as a thriller, the first production quickly changed tactics and embraced the comedic subtext.
Here, it is reflected through a decidedly queer prism, with most of the roles played by gender-swapping actors. From the alpha auntie through the last supporting player, there isn't a weak link. A potentially burdensome concept resulted in simply excellent casting. There is no self-aware winking going on, the characters are embodied, not commented upon.
Broad comedy is served up, replete with sight gags, prop comedy and pronounced regional dialects, without ever neglecting those essential ingredients: high stakes and commitment.
In their directorial debut for the company, artistic director Matt M. Morrow proves a thoughtful chef. A few deft edits have been made to the script, with some streamlining of all those clattering dishes, which serves to keep things moving. Pace, pace, pace. Now this test kitchen is cooking with gas.
Details, demure drag
Brooke Kesler's costuming is traditional in silhouette, precise in the details. Yi-Chien Lee's set is higher concept, with a color palette skewing to purples, emerald green, black and white domino; a very Tim Burton mood. The period accurate furnishings are framed by a proscenium that has melted askew.
Most stylized are the bold lighting effects by Kurt Landisman, who garnishes the proceedings with glowing neon accents within the set, which could upstage the storytelling, were they not so strategically applied. That and James Ard's playful sound design, bonk audiences on the head to announce the arrival of new characters and underline plot points. It becomes a framing device that divides the play into neat vignettes. The overall effect is a beloved classic viewed on a pinball machine.
Presiding over this parlour is Danny Scheie, whose Aunt Abby has the teeth to run the Brewster family and wrings laughs out of nearly every line she utters. Subversive and sly, sarcastic and confrontational, she frequently tests the threshold of the fourth wall, yet remains a proper little old lady. Alternating between piercing vocalizations and smartly underplayed line readings, she keeps you guessing what she'll do next.
Michael Patrick Gaffney as sister Martha, proves you should never underestimate the demure. Wielding a massive ruffled bosom and the moral high ground, she is the perfect partner in crime.
Wit and backbone
The reveal of the sisters' peculiar hobby is complicated by the return of their long-absent, nefarious nephew, Johnathan, who is required to resemble Boris Karloff and intimidate every character in his path. In this role, DeAnna Driscoll, a comic bulldozer, nails both. (Kudos to wig designer Emily Haynes, who transforms Driscoll's dome into a squared blockhead.)
The other nephew and his fiancé are the straight couple of the piece, both literal and figurative. Carla Gallardo's Elaine is no shrinking violet, she has the wit and backbone to prevail among this eccentric melange. Cody Sloan as Mortimer juries the situation with exasperated befuddlement and ultimately, charms. Much comedy is made of his position as a theater critic, an undignified undertaking, but someone has to do it.
The buffet of character actors who round out the cast clearly relish their roles. Skyler Sullivan as Dr. Einstein and Catherine Leudtke as Uncle Teddy are chucklesome. Drag king performances are chronically underrated. In this production they also represent the world outside the Brewster house, mainly the scrutinizing eye of law enforcement. Here Brenda Arellano, and Taniko Baptiste in particular, earn their badges. This creates an even playing field, where nothing should be taken at face value, and everyone can be more than they seem.
Lizzie Borden was acquitted largely because no jury would believe a woman capable of the acts she was accused of. "Arsenic" operates on the same principle, easily likened to the practice of queer "coding," hiding in plain sight under the guise of normalcy. But, judge a book by its cover at your peril.
In the perpetual quest to appeal to both older subscribers and modern sensibilities, this production should achieve both. It's neither a starchy museum piece nor an avantgarde besmirchment. Rather, it's a reimagining that serves the material and delivers big laughs.
Full disclosure: I have worked with this company and some of these folks are colleagues, so bias could be claimed. Fuller disclosure: I'm so envious of this cast that I arrived smelling of sour elderberries. Turns out, the production is so well realized and entertaining, I put the poison pen away. I am compelled instead to give it my highest recommendation and plan to return for a second helping.
'Arsenic and Old Lace' at Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek. $49 and up, thru Sept. 29, 1601 Civic Drive. www.lesherartscenter.org
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