The Mousetrap at OPPA

Last night I went to On Pitch Performing Arts to see Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap and I can't think of a better play to see in October! Mollie Ralston (Rachel Pullan) and her husband Giles (Tyler Probasco) have converted their large estate, Monkswell Manor, into a guesthouse and are nervously awaiting their first paying customers during a severe snowstorm. News of a grisly murder with ties to a neighboring village reaches the manor just as the guests, including Christopher Wren (Peter Davis), Mrs. Boyle (Wendy Ottmanns), Major Metcalf (Ken Hadlock), and Miss Casewell (Megan Chase), arrive one by one. An unexpected guest, Mr. Paravacini (Joey Engh), arrives rather suspiciously a few hours later after his car is overturned in a snowdrift and Detective Sergeant Trotter (Donovan Crane) skis his way to the snowbound manor to investigate a clue about the aforementioned murder. When one of the guests, who has a mysterious connection to the murder victim, is found dead it seems that everyone has a secret and it is up to Sergeant Trotter to solve the crime before another murder occurs. Information about each character's backstory is revealed very slowly and strict attention must be paid in order to discover the solution. I loved watching a young boy sitting across the stage from me because his eyes would light up whenever he made an important connection (I think he even figured out the big twist before it happened). Some of the acting is a little bit stilted but I really enjoyed Davis as the eccentric Wren because he has a nervous energy that is palpable and Engh as Paravacini because he is so flamboyant (I loved his ruffled shirt, cravat, and fur coat) and his facial expressions are hilarious (I found myself watching him even when the attention was on someone else because he is always in character and his reactions and bits of business are so over the top). The elaborate set, along with the one for Next to Normal, is one of my favorites at OPPA and I particularly loved the large picture window through which you can see falling snow (and through which Sergeant Trotter makes his entrance), the wood paneling and wallpaper, the Victorian-era furniture, the many doors, and the staircase. I also liked the attention to detail with all of the props, especially the old-fashioned radio and telephone. The pacing was sometimes sluggish but it was opening night so it will probably tighten up. My only other criticism is that the cast didn't give the traditional admonition to keep the ending a secret from future audiences at the end of the show! Nevertheless, I did thoroughly enjoy this murder mystery and I recommend it for a fun night out this spooky season. It runs Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through November 16 (go here for tickets).