Town & Gown Theatre invites audiences to sharpen their deductive skills for the first show of its 65th season, “Deathtrap.”
This delightful thriller, written by Ira Levin, who also penned “Rosemary's Baby” and “The Boys from Brazil,” offers laughs, chills, and plot twists that will keep the audience on the edge of its seat.
The story begins in the Connecticut home of a successful writer of Broadway thrillers who is struggling to overcome a dry spell, which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in fortunes occurs when she receives a script from a student in the seminar she has been conducting at a nearby college—a thriller which she recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway hit. Sydney's plan, which she devises with her husband's help, is to offer collaboration to the student, an idea which the younger woman quickly accepts. Thereafter suspense mounts steadily as the plot begins to twist and turn with devilish cleverness, and with such an abundance of thrills and laughter, that audiences will be held enthralled until the final, startling moments of the play.
Director Glynna Worley has added a twist of her own to this production - she switched genders of the three leading actors. Dawn Wilson stars as the struggling writer, Sydney Bruhl, with Shane O’Mealey portraying her wealthy husband, Myron Bruhl, and Bonnie Cain-Wood as the talented writing student, Claire Anderson. Bunny Stanphill appears as the mystic neighbor, Helga ten Dorp, and Jack Hodgson is Sydney’s attorney, Porter Milgrim.
"There isn't a short way to describe Deathtrap, like life, there are too many twists and turns to sum up in a few words,” Worley said. “We've had fun exploring the minds and lives of the characters, if not necessarily understanding them."
“Deathtrap”will run for eight performances October 1-4 and 8-11, with Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets will go on sale Monday, Sept. 28, and can be reserved by calling the box office at 405372-9122 or purchasing online tickets at www.townandgown.org. Ticket prices are Adult, $14; Students, $12; and Seniors, $10 (available for Sunday matinees only).
For more information about “Deathtrap,” visit www.townandgown.org or find us on Facebook.
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