Weathervane Playhouse’s ‘Deathtrap’ is engaging but slightly flawed

“Deathtrap” is a 48 year old chestnut written in 1978 by Ira Levin that is written in two acts with one stage set and five characters. Surprisingly it holds the record for longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway and was actually nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Play. It is a perennial favorite of community theaters across America.

In the early days of his career, Sidney Bruhl (Alex Nine) was a successful playwright with a series of crime thrillers successes on Broadway but that was then. These days he is found in his comfortable Connecticut home with his wife Myra (Sue Jeromson) who supports them from her inheritance.

It has been years since Sidney has written a hit. Fact is all of his latest plays have been dismal flops and on top of that he is experiencing writers block. Things are so bad that Sidney is forced to conduct play writing seminars which he hates (referring to his “students” as twerps). It is from one of these seminars that he receives a manuscript from Clifford Anderson (Dimitri Giorgiadis) that is a play Sidney wishes he could still write as it appears to be a sure hit called “Deathtrap”.

Kiddingly, Sidney tells Myra that he plans to invite Clifford to their home, kill him and steal his play. This frightens Myra who already suffers from a heart ailment. Sidney telephones Clifford with an invitation in order to give suggestions on how to improve the play.

The two men return from the train station and as they chat Sidney finds that the only carbon copies, xeroxes and originals of the play are now in his house. At this point if you wish to know what happens next you must attend a performance. I will reveal that two more characters are involved. Helga ten Dorp (Jennifer Matas) a self proclaimed psychic with mixed success and Porter Milgrim (Mike Writtenberry) as Sidney’s attorney.

As for the show, the real star is the stage scene designed by Micah Harvey. It is loaded with all kinds of wonderful ephemera and props as one would find in a murder mystery writer’s lair. Richard Morris, Jr. designed the excellent lighting that sets the mood throughout. Christopher Pepe is in charge of the sound design that is crisp and clean with each character as well as the multitude of atmospheric noises that are so vital. Jasen J. Smith did the costuming with mixed success (more on that later) and Adam C. Alderson was the dialect coach which added a fresh element.

As for the actors I have to say it was uneven at best. Alex Nine as Sidney Bruhl is bombastic to a fault at times seeming to be shouting his lines. Sue Jeromson played true to her role of the nervous and sickly wife, Myra. Dimitri Giorgiadis as Clifford Anderson seemed to under play the part leaving no lasting impression on me which is probably the way the character was originally written. Jennifer Matas flits around as Helga ten Dorp with her accented hit and miss predictions and is the comic relief so necessary for this show. Lastly, Mike Writtenberry as Porter Milgrim is the consummate portrayal of an attorney except that his suit was five and a half sizes too large complete with large safety pins adjusting the jacket size in the back.

One thing going for this show is the convoluted “everything but the kitchen sink” writing that challenges our senses with more twist and turns than a crooked corkscrew. Minor problems aside it is a pleasant evening of mystery and crime theater.

The Weathervane Playhouse production of “Deathtrap” will be on stage at 1301 Weathervane Lane in Akron, Ohio through November 1, 2026. For more information and to order tickets go to https://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/ or call (330) 836-2626.