On or about 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, young, forthright Leonard Vole (Christopher Kelly) either did or did not murder one Emily French, a middle-aged woman whom he either had or had not hoodwinked into naming him as inheritor of her considerable estate. Did he?
At Vole's trial, his German wife, Romaine (Deanne Lorette), either did or did not perjure herself when speaking against his interests as a Witness for the Prosecution. Did she? To what end?
Cincinnati Playhouse answers these questions and more in a production of Dame Agatha Christie's mystery that's every bit as slick and tricky as her plotting, no more of which can be revealed here.
The production's success comes from crafty performances by the 18-member cast and from Associate Artistic Director Michael Evan Haney's impeccable direction. He paces the piece well, emphasizing red herrings that mask plot twists, building suspense toward the satisfying moment of revelation. And how clever of him to cast powerhouse performers Julian Gamble and Joneal Joplin as the opposing counselors who battle over Vole's innocence.
It doesn't hurt that the mystery untangles itself on splendidly atmospheric sets designed by Paul Shortt and lit by Phil Monat. As Act II begins, a richly-paneled barrister's office turntables away to reveal an Old Bailey courtroom that reeks of traditional British jurisprudence. Opening night the audience greeted the set with the burst of applause it deserved.
Witness for the Prosecution (which Christie adapted from an earlier short story) came to the London stage in 1953, only one season after her Mousetrap began the extraordinary run that continues, now in its 54th year. Both scripts exhibit Christie's absolute mastery of her genre. Plotting is paramount. Each detail is selected and organized to mystify even as it reveals. And she peoples her plots with persons who are more bundles of characteristics than characters. There's enough to her people for actors to bring them to life, but not so much that characterization gets in the way of the plot, which is everything.
Christie wrote entertainments, and the Playhouse is making this one very entertaining. Grade: A
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, continues through June 4.
