Review of "Busman's Honeymoon" at Taproot Theatre—A Murder Mystery With Something to Say

Terry Edward Moore and Alyson Scadron Branner in Busman’s Honeymoon at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Even the most carefully planned honeymoon can have a few unpleasant surprises. For the newlyweds in Dorothy L. Sayers' play Busman's Honeymoon, at Taproot Theatre in Seattle through June 24, 2017, the biggest surprise is the discovery of a corpse. As horrifying as this would be for anyone, it causes complications for the couple as they negotiate their respective roles, goals, and priorities in their new marriage. He is the aristocratic Lord Peter Wimsey (Terry Edward Moore), a veteran of World War I and sometimes detective. His bride, the former Harriet Vane, now Lady Peter Wimsey (Alyson Scadron Branner) writes detective novels. Although far more interested in each other than yet another case, they cannot avoid becoming involved in solving the crime that has occurred in their own newly purchased English country house.

Robert Gallaher, Reginald André Jackson & Jenny Cross in Busman’s Honeymoon at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Any fantasies they have of a romantic honeymoon vanish as soon as they arrive, even before the body is found. In spite of prior arrangements, the house is not ready. In fact, on their first night there, we come to learn, the neglected fireplace chimneys smoke so badly a chimney sweep, Mr. Puffett (Reginald André Jackson) is called in to help. The play opens to a realistic scene in the living room of the country estate with the soot-covered Mr. Puffett at work with his broom inside the fireplace and all the furniture draped with sheets. The entertaining Puffett approaches his work with pride and professionalism. He also has plenty of opinions.

The cleaning lady and neighbor, Mrs. Ruddle (Pam Nolte), whose character and honestly could possibly be questioned, attends to her chores while gossiping non stop. The resentful gardener and mechanic Frank Crutchley (Kevin Pitman) wants money to open his own garage, and the butler Bunter (Nolan Palmer) tries his best to maintain order. In the midst of the chaos, Miss Twitterton (Jenny Cross), the niece of the home's former owner, arrives to introduce herself and pay her respects. She, like everyone else, is shocked to learn her uncle has sold his house. To add to the confusion, no one has seen him for days. When the butler heads to basement to retrieve some beer, the discovery of the uncle's body explains his absence.  

Brad Walker, Frank Lawler &Terry Edward Moore in Busman’s Honeymoonat Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Additional characters are the policemen, Superintendent Kirk (Frank Lawler), Constable Sellon (Brad Walker), as well as The Reverend Simon Goodacre (Robert Gallaher) and Scotsman Mr. MacBride (Keith Dahlgren), a debt collector. Like all the characters, they contribute to the drama and intrigue of a many-faceted mystery involving various relationships, personal problems, motivations, and other forces that drive the narrative and keep the audience wondering. Producing Artistic Director Scott Nolte makes it all work beautifully. 

From a visual standpoint, Mark Lund has designed yet another great set, and the amazingly talented Sarah Burch Gordon's costumes could not have been better. I especially loved Harriet Wimsey's stunning red and black ensemble. The entire production team deserves praise.

In spite of the play's more serious aspects, such as its look at class distinctions, gender roles, cultural expectations, it is full of delightfully lighthearted moments and good humor. All characters have strong and memorable personalities, sometimes complimenting each other, sometimes clashing, sometimes sparkling with energy and liveliness. The chemistry between Lord and Lady Wimsey feels especially genuine, flirtatious, and fun, but not without some push and pull. I would love to see these two actors perform as a couple again. On the side of less fun, the angst of young Constable Sellon and heartbreak of the spinster Miss Twitterton are palpable. 

Kevin Pitman & Jenny Cross in Busman’s Honeymoon at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Dorothy L. Sayers first wrote Busman's Honeymoon as a play, in 1936, before publishing it as a novel in 1937. Beyond writing a mere a detective story, Sayers examined the actual consequences, to both the accusers and the criminal, of establishing guilt and enacting justice. These serious concerns probably reflected her thoughts on the aftermath of World War I and warfare's lasting effect on soldiers. Lord Wimsey cannot possibly approach the investigation with business-like detachment. He is all too aware of how his conclusions can literally mean life or death for the accused.

Just as these characters are caught up in their circumstances, allow yourself to be caught up in this engaging play. Unlike them, you can be entertained and still walk away with your life unchanged, except perhaps having gained some material for deeper thought about the struggle between what we want and what duty requires us to do. You will also enjoy playing detective yourself as you ponder the clues in this clever "who done it" tale.

Terry Edward Moore & Alyson Scadron Branner in Busman’s Honeymoon at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

"Evidence of Things Unseen" at Taproot Theatre Poignantly Mirrors Real Life — A Review

 No matter who you are, the play Evidence of Things Unseen, at Seattle's Taproot Theatre now through April 29, will feel personal to you. Life is complicated, for all of us. This finely crafted drama by Seattle native Katie Forgette takes the raw clay of that simple truth and sculpts a story filled with the pain of grief and the release of humor, tension and tenderness, the desire for revenge and the need to let go. Forgette's complex characters will remind you of friends, family members, or even yourself. Their conversations sound natural and believable, spiced with wittiness. Above all, this beautifully acted play is a story of finding grace.

Michael Winters, Christine Marie Brown and Jenny Vaughn Hall in Evidence of Things Unseen at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Two very different sisters each love their elderly father and want to help him deal with a tragedy even as they struggle to do so themselves. Jane (Jenny Vaughn Hall, who impressed me before in Best of Enemies) turns to her Christian beliefs while her sister Abigail (Christine Marie Brown) has little patience with all of that. Their opposing views create seemingly irreconcilable conflicts. In spite of their obvious love for each other, jealousies and insecurities surface. Choosing action over passivity, Abigail seeks justice above all, but will find that it is not a simple or satisfying matter. Their most lovable father, Jack (Michael Winters), a former academic, is living in a care facility, where bird watching remains his only joy. Their three-partner dance involves fluid shifts of protectiveness, parent/child dynamics, and personal power. They perform this dance to the music of genuine love and concern for each other, even while not always quite in step.

The fourth character, Daniel (Chip Wood), seems to be the axis of guilt and regret, from which fateful consequences swirl outward to envelope other lives. Yet he has his own story too. The script raises seriously questions about responsibility and accountability when personal pain leads to choices that affect others.

Then there are the ghosts who also dwell on the edges of this expanding universe, beyond reach, but forever a part of it. We all have those. 

Christine Marie Brown, Michael Winters and Jenny Vaughn Hall in Evidence of Things Unseen at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Another kind of loss examined, if lightly, in this play is the very real loss of personal power over one's bodily capabilities, range of choices, and living circumstances, as aging occurs. Jack's sense of losing his significance to society feels painfully real, thinking of our own parents and what lies ahead for each of us. What he must face reminds me of a sad observation. No matter how well life is lived, or how many decades people have faithfully "paid their dues," they never seem to reach the point where the work is done and they can simply, happily, coast along. Even to the very end, most of us will continue to be called upon to face and adjust to loss and change.

We all have families. We all experience loss. We all struggle, at times, to understand why things happen the way they do. And that goes for even the most religiously devout among us. At one point, the frustrated Jane looks heavenward and says, "You can step in any time now!" Is there really a grand plan behind the way lives intersect as they do, or do events happen randomly? Can we love and  work together for a greater good, even we disagree? These questions and more, make the play relatable to every person in the audience.

Beautifully spare in terms of props, actors, and explanations, the play manages in only about 80 minutes, and with a storyline covering only a few days, to give us the sense of decades of marriage, misunderstandings, mistakes, and personal journeys of growth.  Scott Nolte's excellent direction draws the best from these fine actors and a powerful script that also includes many very funny lines. I have seen so much great acting at Taproot, and this is some of the best. 

Michael Winters and Jenny Vaughn Hall in Evidence of Things Unseen at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Through the use of sound effects—singing birds and flowing water—we immerse ourselves in the peacefulness of nature. In contrast to these imagined bucolic scenes, however, is the background to this stage set, which, frankly, detracted. I have always loved the sets at Taproot, and expect to again, but not this one. I would describe it as a tangled, thorny-looking, and slightly disturbing frame at the back of the stage that seemed incongruent with the story, although dramaturg Sonja Lowe would disagree. In an article in the program titled Fragmented Wholeness, she explains how the abstract structures Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira creates from found scraps of wood, refuse of the streets, inspired scenic designer Amanda Sweger. Meant to represent "brokenness and wholeness," its symbolism was apparently too subtle for my mind. Instead, it merely distracted from a beautiful, although painful, story. At times, I felt the same way about the music, although the sound design in general was well done.

Those were the only two slight negatives in this most worthwhile and moving production. As usual, Sarah Burch Gordon's costume design is pure perfection. The way she dressed these characters said as much about their personalities and tastes as any lines spoken.

This intense and beautifully acted play brings memories of our own moments of family drama, sibling tensions, and questions that remain unanswered. The tenderness I felt toward the father, Jack, clearly came from my own experiences at the end of my own father's life. In the case of this particular family in Evidence of Things Unseen, the things unseen, the "truths," can only be viewed from a distance, by stepping back far enough from ourselves and our own perceptions to see the greater whole, the biggest of the big pictures. The evidence that meaning does exist must be, simply, the existence of love. Reconnect with yours at Taproot. I highly recommend this play.

For tickets, see http://taproottheatre.org  or call (206) 781-9708. 

CATCH TAPROOT THEATRE'S "BIG FISH" INSTEAD OF THE EVENING NEWS

Chris Ensweiler and Zeb Kovell in Big Fish at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

If you need a break from politics or horrible news of the terrorist attack or shooting of the day, I have a suggestion. Go see a delightful new adaptation of the Broadway musical Big Fish at Taproot Theatre, in Seattle. It's a worthy way to celebrate the 40th Anniversary Season of one of Seattle's best theaters. You might remember the novel, by Daniel Wallace, or the Columbia Motion Picture (book written by John August, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, as in the case of this adaptation as well). However, if you haven't seen this version, well, you haven't seen it and might be sorry if you don't. This talent filled production, under Scott Nolte's fine direction, is waiting for you in Taproot's Jewell Mainstage Theatre now through August 13, 2016. Beyond the light-hearted entertainment to be had, this musical will take you on a more profound and touching journey than you expect. 

Sarah Russell and Margaret Lamb in Big Fish at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Too many musicals I've seen have great songs and dances wrapped around a shallow plot. You won't find that in Big Fish, in spite of its fanciful set of characters. They include a giant (Nick Watson), a mermaid (Carly Squires Hutchison), a witch (Sarah Russell), and other fun personalities who appear in the stories traveling salesman father, protagonist Edward Bloom (Chris Ensweiler) tells his young son, Will Bloom (Zeb Kovell on the night I was there, but also played by Teigun Pesce). In all of them, he is suspiciously the hero. He presents these stories as fact, but they sound too outlandish. Although entertained by his father's tales while still a boy, Will would trade all of them for more time spent together. The adult Will Bloom (Tyler Todd Kimmel) comes to have distain for what he believes is just his father's overactive imagination and a poor attempt to make himself impressive to the son he leaves alone too much of the time.

Nick Watson and Chris Ensweiler in Big Fish at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

When the musical opens, Will has grown up to be a rather serious and pragmatic young adult, inclined to pessimism, who worries that his father's outlandish stories will be an embarrassment at his upcoming wedding to the soon-to-be Josephine Bloom (Emily Shuel). We can sense the disconnect right away and it becomes the primary conflict of this tale. When sadness befalls the family, both must finally face head-on, and try to resolve, their differences. 

Loving them both is Edward Bloom's ever-devoted wife and mother to Will, Sandra Bloom (Chelsea LeValley) and Will's bride, Josephine Bloom (Emily Shuel). Both were charming in their roles. Unlike Will, who sees himself as misunderstood, these two women embrace Edward's personality and do their best to bring the father and son together. The fact that Josephine is pregnant introduces a whole new dynamic, with Will anticipating his own role as a father.

Chelsea LeValley and Chris Ensweiler in Big Fish at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Perfectly cast, Ensweiler's energetic and charismatic stage presence gives the show its most memorable vibe, but I was delighted to discover the talents and beautiful singing voice of LeValley in her role as his wife. This is her first production at Taproot, and I trust she will return since she did such a great job. I also especially enjoyed Kimmel's fine voice. Although there were times when I felt certain voices did not mesh well, and heard a few flat notes, overall, they were very good, as was the acting.

A simple, but well designed and flexible set served the production's needs perfectly. Colorful and clever costumes brightened the stage and gave personality to the characters. I loved the way Costume Designer Sarah Burch Gordon (whose work I have always admired), handled the challenge of having a mermaid walk around on stage and how she made Watson into a convincing giant. I also enjoyed the excellent live music under the direction of Edd Key, with the volume at just the right level. 

Big Fish has been advertised as a tale about how every father wants to be a hero to his son and how a man will be remembered for his stories. I see an equally universal message but far deeper truth—we never really, truly, know our parents. As children, and even adults, most of us are guilty of viewing those who brought us into the world only through the filter of our own vanity and as if their lives, too, began with our birth. I don't have my parents any longer. Now, through their diaries, old photos, and the words of others outside the family who knew them as young people, I try to discover the big picture of their personalities, motivations, and dreams. They really were much more than simply my mom and dad. I wish we could have stepped out of our generational roles and formed truer friendships.

Will Bloom also discovered some truths too, and surprises, both of which the love in his heart finally allowed him to see. Maybe those stories his father told weren't so outlandish after all.

Give yourself or someone else the gift of a ticket to Big Fish. Call (206) 781-9707 or click here. It's the perfect feel-good summer production.

"Best of Enemies" at Taproot Theatre, Based on a True Story, Confronts, Moves, and Inspires — a review

  Jeff Berryman and Faith Russell in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug

There exists a kind of time travel that forces a person, ready or not, through darkness and extreme discomfort on a trip as irreversible as birth. A play called Best of Enemies, at Taproot Theatre in Seattle March 25-April 25, 2015, takes audiences on this trip. It tears away the insulating comfort of group identification, the notion of “them and us,” as it examines human prejudices and commonalities. Hopefully, as in the journey of birth, the traveler ultimately reaches a place of light, joy, and a new life, or at least the potential for as much.

Written by Mark St. Germain and directed by Scott Nolte, this powerfully moving, tragic, and uplifting play is based on the book The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson, a true story of how a Ku Klux Klan member named C.P. Ellis and a female black civil rights activist named Ann Atwater ended up working together for the betterment of their communities in Durham, North Carolina, and how that connection forever changed both of them and the course of their lives. Taproot Theatre Company hopes this production will change other lives as well. 

 Faith Russell, Corey Spruill and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

The vehicle for time travel used here appears to be simple, at first, a product of Richard Lorig’s creative scenic design—a table and a few chairs on an otherwise empty stage, a wall covered with enlarged newspaper clippings, some TV screens showing black and white photographs that change, simple props like a couple of telephones, and some liquor bottles. Then you notice that the newspaper clippings are of events related to the struggle for civil rights in the years following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Images on the screens flash back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ghostly voices of radio personalities with racist agendas blare forth at times. 

The characters, too, appear simple at first. Have we not met them before? Are we not tempted to stereotype them ourselves—the bigoted Klansman, the outraged and outspoken black woman, the do-gooder civil rights worker from up north, the housewife and stay-at-home mother? Do not make that mistake. Each character, before your eyes, becomes a fully developed and deeply complex human being, each with their own pain, presumptions, and suspicions born of experience, fear, loneliness, and a lack of communication.

  Faith Russell and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

On this canvas of a stage with its sparse furnishings, I watched four fine actors paint a mural of their characters’ shared history and humanity using brushstrokes of raw feelings and excellent acting. The first stroke shocked me like a slash of blood red paint. The character of C.P. Ellis (Jeff Berryman) addressed an invisible gathering of Klan members, gleeful over the assassination of Martin Luther King. Although the theater’s size makes it feel intimate, it was also nearly full on the night I attended. Yet it seemed that during the short pauses in his highly offensive rants, Berryman managed to stare right into the eyes of everyone there, not only into mine. I could feel all of us squirm as the impact of his words hit us. Berryman had the talent to make me afraid and later make me care, as he revealed his character’s personal pain and insecurities.

Equally intimidating in her own way was the character of Ann Atwater, artfully portrayed by Faith Russell. At first Atwater gave me little more to relate to than did Ellis. Both were harsh, angry, self-righteous, stereotypical and stereotyping, both believing God was on their side. They both used words like weapons, and at first did not even seem willing to reach a middle ground. They delivered both side-splitting and heart breaking lines, Germain’s often witty script giving some balance to the heavy subject matter and helping to ease the tension as we watched two people change. Initially filled with hate, they come to terms with the uncomfortable fact that they are actually beginning to respect, understand, and even like each other, but at a price. 

Another character was Bill Riddick (Corey Spruill), a black civil rights worker from out of town who has come to help organize meetings of both sides in the hope of fostering communication and understanding. With a smile on his face and an air of eternal optimism, covering realistic worries, he deftly sets up the loom that will weave these opposing forces together. Spruill’s sensitive performance required him to walk the tightrope between humility and incredible bravery, and he never fell.

Jenny Vaughn Hall and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

Jenny Vaughn Hall played the part of Mary Ellis, wife of Klansman and gas station/garage owner C.P. Ellis was simply outstanding in this role. She gave her character a familiarity that hid a quiet strength and depth, making an ordinary woman seem extraordinary and reminding us that profound spiritual wisdom and great heart sometimes come in a package we take for granted as common. This talented actress just found a new fan, and I hope to see her on stage again soon.

Amanda Sweger’s lighting design, Sarah Burch Gordon’s perfect costumes, and Mark Lund’s clever and oh so effective sound and video design all combined for a powerful sensory experience. Stage Manager Claire Branch, Dramaturg Shelby Vander Molen and Dialect Coach Simon Pringle obviously made huge contributions as well. 

A thoughtfully chosen mix of the era’s popular music served as a soundtrack for Best of Enemies. They took me back, those lyrics of my earlier life, those tunes that made me recall where I was when I heard them, and with whom. If I could have, I would have chosen to remember those years with embarrassingly innocent nostalgia, distanced as I was from the most blatant forms of discrimination. However, the true history of those times includes ugly injustices too easily ignored or accepted, even here in the Pacific Northwest, our little paradise with it’s own dark past, and in some cases, present.

I highly recommend Best of Enemies and hope everyone reading this will go to see it. (Order tickets here.) I guarantee that you will laugh and cry, because the forces of personality and circumstance feel so real. When you think about what it took to play these uncomfortable parts, your admiration for the cast will soar. I cannot quit thinking about Russell’s comment about her role as Ann Atwater during the post play discussion.

“To make it real and valid, I allow the impact of it,” she said. 

I promise, you will see and feel that impact. Then, think about how what you have seen will change your perception of history and the emotional lives and experiences of your fellow human beings. This trip back through time is not always a fun vacation, but one you will be glad you took. If the real C.P. Ellis and Ann Atwood could work out their differences, there is hope for the rest of us.

 Faith Russell, Corey Spruill and Jeff Berryman in Best of Enemies.Photo by Erik Stuhaug.

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