Theater Review Part 2: Pegasus Theatre’s A Critical Case of Murder!

by John Garcia of John Garcia's The Column

Another review of the black-and-white production.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s Pegasus Theatre created bold, innovative, and interesting theater from its home on Main Street here in Dallas. But where Pegasus made its mark in DFW Theater was the jaw dropping re-creations of those black-and-white films live on stage. However, due to a major increase in rent where Pegasus was housed, the company was sadly forced to close, but not gone. Since then they have produced at least one production a year at other spaces around the city.

Personally, I had never seen a Pegasus black-and-white production. I did see ICT Mainstage do one of these plays for their season last year, but A Critical Case of Murder! would be my first ever viewing of a Pegasus-produced production.

All of these plays center on absent-minded detective and struggling actor Harry Hunsacker, who is played by Kurt Kleinmann. Kleinmann also happens to be the playwright for all of these plays that pay homage to those 30s & 40s black-and-white films. This time around the plot deals with the deaths of theater critics, and those associated with theater are the leading suspects. It is up to Hunsacker and his trusty assistant Nigel Grouse to discover who the real killer is.

The evening launches off beautifully with a marvelous mini-film. We have a festive film that shows off Pegasus's logo (like in the movies), and then we are shown how three theater critics are killed off, one by one.

The problem lays in the script. Sadly the piece seems to stay stuck in neutral, never really blasting off into hysterical laughter or spine tingling terror. There is so much exposition and not enough character development. There are scenes in which the other characters are all pushed upstage with nothing to say for several pages of dialogue. There could have been some really hilarious set ups concerning critics, theater, and actors, but the script never grabs a strong, firm hold on these themes and explores them on stage. I am not saying it was not good, because the script did have some funny moments, but the piece never got off the floor to be truly hilarious.

Physically the piece is smashing! The curtain rises to reveal a truly amazing visual set designed by Wade Giampa that was constructed by Wolf Studios. The set is a police station that truly resembles those old 30s detective noir films. I expected at any moment for Joan Crawford's character, Mildred Pierce, to burst onto the set and confess to the murder. From the frosted glass to the pipe lined walls, Giampa's set is brilliant in its design and detail. Giampa's set is lit to perfection by Sam Nance, giving the production that veil of smoky celluloid.

Finally, Aaron Patrick Turner's costumes are ravishing, elegant, and tailored to amazing confections of cloth. The women are dressed in period detailed dresses, topped off with fantastic hats. The men wear slick suits, vests, and even an angora sweater (all in black-n-white) that fit perfectly in the film noir approach of this piece. Turner's costumes really do help in taking us into that long gone world of classic Hollywood.

Major kudos to the director, Coy Covington, for giving the piece rapid pace and energy. That cast moves at great speed to keep the exposition quickly moving along, all with solid energy. Covington's staging is terrific. It is as though he watched 24 hours of non-stop old Edward G. Robertson or Robert Ladd detective films on AMC. Everything in movement and speech drips in delicious old, campy, Hollywood glamour. For example, watch how the women stand or take their seat centerstage to be interviewed by Hunsacker and Lt. Foster. The ladies do this very funny, yet elegant seated posture that generated solid laughs from the audience. Another very funny staging moment involved the quick, snapping movement of heads and bodies in unison to add that button of hilarity. It is a really creative staging piece that adds a wonderful layer thanks to Covington. His blocking and direction of the actors is both organic and highly creative. When they are not the focus of the scene, the actors are directed to be in constant movement, discussion with others, or plotting away.

The entire cast delivers wonderfully entertaining performances: A. Raymond Banda as Lt. Foster, Timothy Honnoll as Nigel Grouse (although he seemed to stumble a few times over his dialogue), and Greg Pugh as Duncan Van Dine. Stand outs within the cast include Leslie Patrick as the sexy ingénue Kate Peabody, Joel McDonald as the playwright Carter Thorndyke, and Sheila Rose as the snooty theater critic Dorothy Whiteside.

Which leaves three performances that were smashing and scene-stealing: Chad Gowen Spear as holier-than-thou theater critic Alexander Nathan is an amalgamation of SnagglePuss, Sideshow Bob, and George Sanders (Addison Dewitt from All About Eve). Nathan is catty, bitchy, campy, and thinks he is better than anyone in the room. It is a wonderful performance that never dims on stage.

Carrie Slaughter is another stand out, as the producer, Beryl Drake. Slaughter has some of the funniest facial expressions of the night. Watch her reactions and takes upstage as the evening progresses. Slaughter also walks like a sexy, slithering, panther as she glides across the stage. She is hilarious and marvelous in this production.

Finally, what a rare and fun treat it was to finally see the man who created Hunsacker in the role that made him famous. Kurt Kleinmann's combination of facial expressions and comic delivery is perfection from beginning to end. You truly want Harry to win and become a star by the time the curtain drops, thanks primarily to Kleinmann's sweet, endearing performance. Normally these characters become irritating, but not under Kleinmann's masterful approach to characterize. His performance is fantastic to watch unfold on stage.

While the script is not up to par, the mixture of solid design elements, terrific direction, and a great cast of thespians makes this evening of theater still worth attending. If you've never seen one of these black-and-white productions, then you have to see this production!

GRADE: B

The show runs until January 28, and you can purchase tickets online by clicking here.