CARLYLE - There’s something about live theatre. The elements of script, actors, staging, set, sound and light coming together to create magic.
Cornerstone Theatre’s production of Death by Chocolate was no exception, with all the ingredients combining into a murderously splendid concoction.
The script, by Craig Sodaro, written 20 years ago when Blackberry introduced the first smart phone (an important plot conceit), was actually a delightful throwback to 1960s TV for older audience members and for all aficionados of the film noir genre.
From the opening music, borrowed from Get Smart, and as the full screen backdrop miraculously appeared revealing a depressing back alley, I could practically hear the voice of Joe Friday intoning “This is the city; these are the people.”
Then someone struck a match, and as Lane Easton emerged from the shadows, perfectly channeling Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade (via Maxwell Smart), we knew what kind of who-dunnit we were in for.
Easton’s bumbling detective, the not-so-subtly-named Nick Noir, was the linchpin of the opus, barely leaving the stage for the entire two acts, frequently breaking the fourth wall to address the audience, noir-style, while lighting tech Doug Waldner smoothly (but frantically, I’m guessing) switched lights to focus on the detective as the rest of the cast froze, switching back to normal lighting as the action continued. Kudos to all for the seamless execution.
Perfect foil for Easton was the sublimely well-cast Erica Armstrong, Agent 99 to Easton’s 86, playing a dame worthy of Shelley Winters, solving the case with the aid of her new-fangled Blackberry and a tickle-trunk of costumes, all the while letting her man think he did it on his own.
Megan McAuley was impressive as usual, with her strong voice and expressive face, rattling off a hilarious list of coffee choices ridiculously long enough to remind any of us of a certain age why we never want to go into a Starbucks.
Solid performances all round were given by Cornerstone stalwarts Bertha Isliefson, David Slykhuis and Debbie Sorensen, with relative newcomers Korrin Lawrence, Foster Warriner, Corina Kuntz and Wendy Marcotte more than holding their own, as they rolled out a cornucopia of quirky characters who kept the audience guessing as to who did it right to the end.
Much credit goes to Colleen Easton, who continues to ramp up her directorial chops, raising the bar each year for exquisite staging, exemplified this year by the black-and-white motif of the set and costumes, always with a splash of red, right down to Juniper Berry’s (Marcotte’s) red hair.
Rounding out the crew were assistant director Anita Warriner, stage manager Fred Perry, prompter Jessica Shirley, videographer Jesse Twietmeyer, and light and sound worker Haley Fargreen. Don and Marylin Carter were responsible for box-office and advertising.
A delicious supper for the April 26 and 27 dinner theatre performances was provided by the Carlyle branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, while Craig Saville co-ordinated the bar.
Director Colleen Easton dedicated the weekend’s performance to long-time Cornerstone member Al Mossing, who passed away recently.
Cornerstone Theatre extends its gratitude to all those who attended and all who helped in any way, and hopes to see you again at their next performance in December.
