‘Rehearsal for a Murder’ Cleverly Twists The Idea of a ‘Whodunit’
Do liars have a “tell?” It’s an idea that’s eluded generations of detectives, law enforcement and mystery lovers. Is there a way to actually confirm if someone is hiding their guilt? The cast of Rehearsal for a Murder, now playing at the Sunset Playhouse, is trying to find out.
The murder mystery unfolds like a classic “whodunit.” Alex Dennison (played by Jason Peregoy) is a playwright who’s lead actress and fiancee, Monica Welles (Alicia Rice) dies under cryptic circumstances.
After the opening night of a new play, the entire cast and crew returned to Welles’ apartment to celebrate. The reviews start to roll in, and they’re not exactly positive. The party screeches to a halt. After everyone leaves, including Dennison, Welles is found on the sidewalk after being pushed (or perhaps jumping) to her death off the balcony of her high-rise New York apartment.
A year later, Dennison brings all the possible suspects, including her co-stars Karen Daniels (Brigid O’Brien), Leo Gibbs (Tyler Peters) and David Matthers (DJ Slater), the director Lloyd Andrews (William Molitor), and the producer Bella Lamb (Antoinette Stikl) together at the theater where they performed a fateful show a year prior.
Backed with the aid of an unusual detective (Jacob R. Regenfelder), the playwright forces the accused to act out a scene that mimics their possible motivations in order to sniff out who committed the murder based on their reactions.
This concept may sound familiar. The “play within a play” idea is quite old. Some scholars believe the idea was first employed by Thomas Kyd in his play The Spanish Tragedy in 1587. However, Skakespeare popularized it, using the “mise en abyme” device in dozens of his plays. Whether you’re a classic literature reader or lover of the theater, the idea is recognizable, and made especially famous in Hamlet.
“[They] have, by the very cunning of the scene… proclaimed their malefactions for murder,” Hamlet says in Act II Scene II of the titular play. “l have these players play something like the murder of my father before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks… if he do blench, I know my course. The play’s the thing… wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.
This well-worn idea is at the heart of the story. When confronted with their own horrific actions, will the guilty person make themselves known? The heartbroken playwright was determined to find out.
Dennison knew each suspect had their own motive. The director and David Matthews, one of the co-stars, tried to make moves on Welles and she rejected them. Two of the co-stars, Leo Gibbss and Karen Daniels, tried to get Welles sick so they could have better roles. The producer put her own money on the line to bring the production for life, just for it to tank. If there was a reason for the failure, for example the death of the lead actress, insurance would return her funding.
After a major 11th hour twist, the story turns itself around. The real ruse is not in fact the play within the play. Rather, the twist is on the audience, a perfect subversion of expectation that heightens the story and delights the audience.
Peregoy was a believable grieving man on the hunt to avenge the murder of his beloved. Rice was a charming and complex leading lady whose story (luckily for us) didn’t end with her death. All of the supporting characters, including Kristen Leong (who played Dennison’s new assistant) and Jim Feeley (who played the theater manager Ernie) brought their characters to life to offer all the quirks, charisma and intrigue that rounded out such a strong story.
The production in the Furlan Auditorium is a great reminder of why community theater is so important. You don’t need complex sets or actors snatched off of Broadway to have an entertaining, successful and well received production.
Audiences who can’t (or don’t want to) travel to big cities like Chicago or New York are still worthy of a stellar performance. There are talented actors, producers and directors across the country who contribute greatly to their communities’ cultural tapestry.
In Milwaukee and surrounding towns, small theaters like Sunset Playhouse put on local productions that take advantage of the wealth of talent right here in southeastern Wisconsin. Supporting local productions helps to keep the magic of live theater alive and well.
Rehearsal for a Murder runs through June 16 at Sunset Playhouse. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone or in-person during box office hours.
