The 1929 play Rope, which was adapted into a 1948 film by Alfred Hitchcock, is now receiving fine treatment on the Gremlin Theatre stage. Written by English playwright Patrick Hamilton (who also wrote
Gas Light, which was also adapted into a film, and later become a term for psychological manipulation), it was inspired by the
real life case of two college students who murdered a child in 1920s Chicago as an intellectual pursuit. In this version of the story, two university students murder a fellow student, put his body in a chest, and then hold a dinner party with food served on top of the chest, just to prove they could get away with murder. It's sickening really, but also makes for a riveting and suspenseful tale, because - spoiler alert - they don't get away with it. Watching their carefully plotted plan unravel like so much frayed rope is a thrill. A fantastic cast and spot on design chillingly bring this story to life.
See it at Gremlin Theatre in Vandalia Tower in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood now through August 4.
Brandon and Granillo are the two students in question, and we meet them shortly after they've committed the crime. Brandon is cocky and confident about what they've done, but Granillo is nervous and shaky, continually more so as the evening goes on. Their guests soon arrive, including some college friends and, sadistically, the murdered young man's father and aunt. Somehow the dinner party conversation turns to the ethics of murder, with the murderer's friend and former professor Rupert Cadell, a war veteran, arguing that murder is seen as a good thing when in the context of a war (an argument made by Clarence Darrow, defense attorney in
the real case). Without spoiling anything, some of the party guests have a good time, oblivious to what's going on, while others suspect that something nefarious is right under their nose, and don't stop until the truth comes out.
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Brandon (Coleson Eldredge) and Granillo (Jeremy Bode)
(Photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography) |
The script beautifully lays out the increasing tension of the story, which is amplified by the sound and lighting design. The play begins with ominous music foreshadowing something evil, which quickly changes to utter silence as we listen to something happening in the dark. The entire first scene continues in the dark, as the murderers discuss what they've just done and their plans for the evening. Light plays an important part in the story, from dim lamplight to bright glaring light to streetlights streaming in the window. Cracks of thunder come in at just the right moment to create some jump scares. This all plays out in the ornate drawing room, with period furniture, lush drapes, and one large chest. Characters are dressed in period appropriate party wear, from neat three-piece suits to tuxes and flapper dresses. (Set and lighting design by resident Technical Director Carl Schoenborn, sound design by Aaron Newman, costume design by A. Emily Heaney.)
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what a fun dinner party (Mira Davis, Jeremy Bode, Coleson Eldredge,
and Craig Johnson, photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography) |
The direction by Peter Christian Hansen also adds to the building tension. I particularly love the use of long pauses and awkward silences, as we nervously wait for what's to come. Everyone in the eight-person cast is great, playing their specific knowing or not knowing of the events.
Once again, current or recent U of M/Guthrie BFA students continue to impress. Specifically Coleson Eldredge as the cocky Brandon, ever more desperate, and Jeremy Bode as the nervous Granillo, eventually reduced to a literal heap on the floor. They have a great push-and-pull chemistry between them. Also great are Craig Johnson as the elegant Sir Kentley, his performance on one end of a phone call bringing home the tragedy of the situation; Katherine Kupiecki with the fewest lines as the taciturn aunt, but the most fun to watch as she delicately eats a sandwich, or avoids answering a question or looking anyone in the eye; Matthew Saxe in the small but important role of the servant Sabot, serving more than just food; and George Kleven and Mira Davis as a couple of charmingly oblivious party guests. Last but not least is Jeffrey Nolan as Rupert, who turns out to be the smartest one in the room. He performs the role with a wry humor and specific physicality - a limp from a war injury, hand twitching in emphasis.
On one level Rope is a well written and perfectly executed crime thriller of a play, that's engaging and suspenseful and fun to watch. But on another level, it deals with some scarily relevant themes. One hundred years after this cruel murder, the culture of violence in which we live, with its constant desensitization to murder, has only gotten worse. If witnessing WWI made people more violent, what have video games, graphic movies, almost daily mass shootings, and countless more wars done to us?
