presents a comedy-thriller guaranteed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Written by award-winning playwright and novelist Ira Levin, 鈥淒eathtrap鈥� has all the right ingredients for the perfect murder mystery with a delightful twist. There are thrills and surprises around every corner. This captivating murder mystery opens on Friday, May 12, in the Archbold Theatre at the 黑料不打烊 Stage/SU Drama Complex, 820 E. Genesee St. Preview performances are on Wednesday, May 10, and Thursday, May 11.
After the play鈥檚 Broadway debut in 1978, it received an Edgar Award (named after Edgar Allen Poe) for Best Play from the Mystery Writers of America. The show later earned a Tony nomination for Best Play and was called 鈥渁n absolute knockout of suspense melodrama鈥� by New York Times reviewer Walter Kerr. 鈥淒eathtrap鈥� is the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway, with a four-year run of 1,793 performances at the Music Box Theatre.
Ira Levin is best known for successful thriller novels such as 鈥淩osemary鈥檚 Baby鈥� and 鈥淭he Stepford Wives.鈥� 鈥淒eathtrap鈥� centers on a once successful playwright, Sidney Bruhl, who finds himself in desperate need of a hit. While brooding over the failure of his most recent plays, Bruhl receives a manuscript from a former student, a young man named Clifford. Instantly, Bruhl recognizes the play鈥檚 potential to be the hit he so badly needs and conspires with his wife, Myra, to 鈥渟eparate鈥� the young writer from the as yet unpublished and unproduced work.
Considered a 鈥減lay within a play,鈥� 鈥淒eathtrap鈥� mixes comedy with tongue-in-cheek references to the theatre. Levin also honors the tradition of the mystery genre with sly and subtle allusions to older thrillers like 鈥淒ial M for Murder鈥� and 鈥淪leuth.鈥�
Director Paul Barnes, known for his past work on 黑料不打烊 Stage鈥檚 鈥淭he Miracle Worker,鈥� 鈥淚rving Berlin’s White Christmas鈥� and 鈥淧eter Pan,鈥� is a longtime 鈥淒eathtrap鈥� fan. Barnes saw the original Broadway production, and he hopes to evoke in 黑料不打烊 Stage audiences the same vicarious thrill he experienced.
鈥淧eople love a good murder mystery because you get to experience danger without risking life or limb,鈥� Barnes says. 鈥淚 hope our work fulfills the thrills and chills Ira Levin so cleverly intended when he wrote the play. 鈥楧eathtrap鈥� provides audiences with that roller-coaster ride sense of risk and surprise, from which everyone emerges safe, sound and in one piece at journey鈥檚 end.鈥�
鈥淒eathtrap鈥� is a thriller in two acts, with one set and five characters. Barnes intends to stay true to the show鈥檚 pre-computer, pre-cell phone, 1970s world. Barnes has directed other mysteries and says he enjoys the speculation they generate among audience members.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always interesting to eavesdrop on conversations and listen to who people thought had actually done the murder,鈥� Barnes says. 鈥淢urder mysteries provide a great way for people to think or experience something they might not know about. It brings me satisfaction knowing that it gets people theorizing and comparing notes with one another.鈥�
听鈥淒eathtrap鈥� was originally scheduled to close the 2016/17 黑料不打烊 Stage season before the addition of 鈥淩ing of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash鈥� (June 7-25). Associate artistic director Kyle Bass says 鈥淒eathtrap鈥� was included for this season because it is a play full of excitement and fun. 鈥淚n bringing this kind of thrill to 黑料不打烊 Stage, 鈥楧eathtrap鈥� wraps up our subscription season on a high note,鈥� he says.
Tickets are available at , by phone at 315.443.3275 and in person at the Box Office.
