Deathtrap took the stage for Student & Press Night on Thursday, April 18th. Local critic Ben Sharp penned a review jut in time for Opening Night:

Of all the productions that have come and gone over the years, it’s clear that the Wharton Plaza Theatre’s Deathtrap is the one I will never forget.

Set to run from April 19 to April 28 with shows at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays, Deathtrap is a rollercoaster ride of a play, featuring components of humor, mystery, romance and thriller. Brilliantly written by Ira Levin, the show at times is almost too smart for its own good, leaving the audience in momentary shock as it searches for the right emotion to feel at the right time. Humorous lines, for instance, are often met by silence, with muffled chuckles echoing out moments later as individual viewers catch on a bit too late.

Lauren Machelle, an accomplished Plaza Theatre actress, makes her directorial debut with Deathtrap, and it’s a safe bet that she has a long and impressive future ahead of her in the director’s chair. Assisted by Karis Meek, who pulls double duty as costumer, Machelle is fully dedicated to making the production the best it can be, noting in the playbill that she is “enthralled with the thrill of the journey” and that her primary goal as a director is to “lead the audience on the same journey I had experienced.”

Suffice it to say that Machelle reaches that goal, and then some. Not only does she set the stage for an unforgettable show, she adds her own significant acting abilities to the mix in the role of Helga Ten Dorp, a brash and scatterbrained psychic. Dressed in a sparkly shawl and laying on the thickest of Hungarian accents, Machelle spins around the set in the style of a whirling dervish, hot on the “scent” of psychic energy that foretells future misadventure.

Only four other actors share the stage with Machelle, yet it feels in some ways as if the cast is much larger. That seems to be the result of the intricate story, which contains more twists and turns than a Monte Carlo speedway. The plot centers on Sidney Bruhl, an aging and irrelevant playwright, and the escapades he orchestrates in an attempt to restore relevance – and financial solvency – to his life. Long-time Plaza veteran Reagan Wrench tackles the lead role with the poise, maturity and confidence of a Broadway actor, interfacing smoothly with his fellow performers while expressing a smorgasbord of emotions ranging from anger to sarcasm to despair.

Sara Marie Berrett plays Bruhl’s wife, Myra, and her rapport with Wrench is near perfection. The pair is entirely believable as a married couple who has drifted apart over the years, victims of failed dreams, differing viewpoints and a shared depravity. Myra is a complex character, containing elements of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, and Berrett does an admirable job of expressing these nuances to the audience. The emotive quality of her performance – most evident during a particularly brutal garroting scene – was enough to send chills up the spine.

Speaking of the strangling scene, the play contains several scenarios that are especially graphic in nature. Coupled with mature sexual themes, these scenes make the play appropriate for an adult audience only. Viewer discretion is advised.

Wrench and actor Rodrigo Gutierrez – brilliant in the role of Clifford Anderson – team up to present most of the more mature scenes. Their combined energy is enough to take the breath away. That neither actor suffers real-life injury in the portrayal of their violent clashes is miraculous, and both must be commended for such dedication. Gutierrez, one of the Plaza’s rising stars, is known for the physicality of his performances, and his powerful portrayal here only cements that reputation. He is perfectly cast as a young and aspiring playwright, one devious enough to capitalize upon the aging Bruhl’s success.

Rounding out the cast is Matthew Graff, in the role of lawyer Porter Milgrim. Graff is a pleasant addition to the group, his vocal projection a perfect example of the Goldilocks effect – not too loud and not too soft, but just right.

The set is marvelous, and set designers Burke Wilkins and Sarah Wilkins should win an award for their efforts. From wood-paneled walls to French doors to an elaborate stone fireplace, the ambience is that of a cozy, archaic living room and study, like something that might be found in an old Sherlock Holmes movie. The props – including a wall of medieval weapons – add to the mysterious atmosphere.

Speaking of props, there were a couple of faux pas that could not be ignored. In a particularly pivotal scene involving Wrench and Gutierrez, a set of antique handcuffs comes loose accidentally. The malfunction was so conspicuous that Gutierrez, Wrench and Berrett had a difficult time composing themselves and keeping from bursting into laughter. Later, a button unexpectedly launches off Graff’s coat, clinking against the stage’s wooden floor. Although it’s a safe bet that this, too, was a costume malfunction, Graff did such a good job of ad-libbing a line to explain the situation that it was difficult to determine whether the mishap was truly accidental or simply part of the script.

Production credits include Kylee Bates as stage manager; Aiden Tarango as assistant stage manager; crew members Lisette Vargas, Dante Hancock and Jordan Kubicek; Al Folmar on props; Kenny Socha on lighting; Leeanna Shimek on sound; Jazlyn Rutherford on concessions management; Jami Hughes on box office and house management; Russell Kacer on communications; and Sharon Joines on photography.

The show is presented by Socha Enterprises Inc. and VonDerAu Ford of El Campo.

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ABOUT BEN SHARP: Ben Sharp is is Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Wharton County Junior College and spends his days writing press releases, photographing a wide variety of college activities and publishing the college’s e-Newsletter. He previously spent 14 years as a reporter at the Wharton Journal-Spectator and also operated a photography business. He holds an English degree from the University of Houston. He lives in Wharton with his wife, Kristen, and their three kids, Madalyn, Andrew and Matthew.