Mystery Story served in Dinner Theatre ‘08
By Nicki Crisci, Opinion Editor
A triple helping of mystery, spies and love problems was served up in the University of Indianapolis’ dinner theatre production of “Red Herring,” which took place in the Schwitzer Student Center Feb. 22-24, Feb. 29 and Mar. 1.
The voiceover of a narrator in the beginning of the play, along with the fadeouts and old-time spy music, set the stage for the night. With a cast consisting of Chelsea Anderson, Andrew Gouty, Chelsey Wood, Alex Oberheide, Lucas Souder and Stephanie Kucsera, the play’s amount of talent was endless.
The play focuses on the lives of six people each with his or her own secrets to hide. Accurately called “Red Herring” because a red herring is something that is misleading, it didn’t lack thickening, interwoven plots and was packed with sporadic scene changes to match them.
To make a long story short, a couple, Anderson and Gouty, investigate a murder and try to identity a murderer and a Soviet spy. They assume that the dead man is the spy, but Anderson is not so sure. They go on to find clues and interview another couple, Kucsera and Souder, about the dead man who was a tenant at Kucsera’s apartment. The twist is that the dead man was Kucsera’s real husband and the murderer Anderson and Gouty are seeking. However, she is playing off her lover, the spy Souder, as her husband so that she is not apprehended for the murder of her husband. Meanwhile, a newly engaged woman (Wood) has to deal with the fact that her fiancée (Oberheide) is a soviet spy who has the plans for a fusion bomb, and she has to help him deliver a package to Souder.
In the end, Anderson does some digging into the evidence and can identify the dead man for two reasons: He went by many names and his last used name was one of the murderers, and the other reason was that the corpse was her dead husband. She grabs a shoe from evidence and tries it out on the dead man, and the shoe doesn’t fit, giving new meaning to the phrase “if the shoe fits.” He is not the spy they are looking for. Anderson arrives just in time to stop Gouty from arresting the caught Wood, Oberheide, Kucsera and Souder and tells of her findings. She pleads to let them go, and Gouty releases the couples. They then initiate an impromptu Quaker wedding and the play ends on a high note. Although all of this sounds confusing, it was pulled off quite effortlessly by the actors.
Most of the actors took on multiple roles in this fast-paced drama that showcased their acting abilities. They were able to portray memorable and funny characters that had the audience laughing.
For instance, when Oberheide takes on the role of the doctor (Harry), his mannerisms coupled with his accent makes the character, which is very different from his main character James Appel, come to life in a hysterical way. The other roles Oberheide took on were a photographer, Woody, with a James Cagney accent and a bartender who was wise to his patrons.
As for Oberheide’s role of James Appel, a Soviet spy working in America and engaged to the daughter of Joseph McCarthy (a perfectly twisted problem), he pulled off the role effortlessly. Everything in his acting was natural and believable. He showed great character development as a spy who wants to let off the fusion bomb and as one who literally sees the light and just wants to settle down and marry Lynn McCarthy.
Souder also took on multiple parts, but the most memorable was his talented portrayal of Andrei Borchevsky. His Russian accent was perfect and added to the comedic aspect of the play, not to mention his great “sign language”—his stomping and flailing around went perfectly with the dumbfoundedness of the character. He brought in some gentle moments, however, in his conversations with Anderson about finding love.
His other role as Herbert, the subservient husband of the dressmaker Mrs. Van Nostrand (Kuscera), also gained some laughs with his running about at her whim and getting his spineless self beaten up.
UIndy theatre also welcomed a new face to the stage in senior Andrew Gouty. His main role of Frank Keller was believable. His detective demeanor was on par, and his acting style could throw you back into the days of the old spy thrillers. He was able to bring out the dramatic, funny and angry emotions that his character shows throughout the play.
As for the women of the play, their performances were flawless. Anderson, who took on the role of Maggie Pelletier, was able to focus on the character and delve into her personality. Her emotions were apparent in her conversations and mannerisms; she was quite believable as a female detective, diving into her work to forget past mistakes and regrets.
Wood, who played Lynn McCarthy, truly was an interesting character. She was a bubbly, bumbling character at whom you couldn’t help rolling your eyes. The naivety and personality of the character, coupled with Wood’s acting, was reminiscent of a young Lucille Ball. At any moment, I expected her to bust out a “but, Ricky, I want to be in the show.” This resemblance, however, worked for the character and brought out the innocent, comedic and mischievous nature of the play.
Speaking of mischief, who could forget the skills of Kucsera who played Mrs. Kravitz. Her accent was perfect as she portrayed the ever-thinking wife of the dead spy and lover to Borchevsky (Souder). She was able to move the plot along with her ideas and the orders she gave to the men. In the same way, her character of the dressmaker, Mrs. Van Nostrand, was also memorable for her busybody ways and demanding demeanor toward her husband.
Overall, the characters’ relationships of the characters were not forced. There was a definite connection in the air. Gouty and Anderson’s relationship threw me back to scenes of “Casablanca” with their somewhat unyielding attitude and eventual tenderness. Oberheide and Wood reminded me of a newlywed couple, whereas Souder and Kucsera reminded me of those old stubborn couples. The whole cast meshed well.
All-in-all, “Red Herring” was a success for the theatre department and possibly the best performance of the season. Everything down to the blocking and lighting worked cohesively and the audience was very responsive and alert. You can’t go wrong with a play that has spies, murder, fusion bombs and prop guns. “Red Herring” certainly was a good catch.
