Agatha Christie Classic Puts Theatregoers in the Mood for a Mystery
Horrendous fires in Los Angeles, bone-chilling cold across the nation, an economy in disarray, and the inauguration of a felony-convicted president who vows to restore American pride and power.
If you need a timeout from these and other January milestones, the Stockton Civic Theatre offers you an opportunity to return to the golden age of detective fiction and engage your mind in a marvelous mystery.
The theatre has made skillful use of artistry and technology to mount an Agatha Christie masterpiece on its stage. “Murder on the Orient Express” presents one of the foremost sleuths of the whodunnit genre as he investigates the problem of murder aboard a snowbound luxury train with a passenger list of suspects.
How the compartments and components of a snowbound train can possibly be depicted on a stage is part of the fun here. So is trying to outguess master detective Hercule Poirot in this Ken Ludwig adaptation of Christie’s 1934 novel.
Even if you know the novel well enough to seize the solution before Poirot does, the pacing of this production and interplay of its cast offer a beguiling interpretation of the Christie classic. Ludwig’s adaptation injects unexpected humor in the detective’s search for a murderer who appears to have come and gone in phantomlike fashion from the train. Or then again, would even a murderer get off a train stranded in the middle of a frozen nowhere? is it possible the murderer has remained on board and eluded detection?
Played with a jovial twinkle and steadfast seriousness by James Kusy, whose finesse recalls that of television actor David Suchet’s inimitable Poirot, the sleuth is an accessible personality. He steps out of the curtain at the beginning to tell you what you can expect in the story to come. At the end of the play, he offers a final word, reflecting on the problem he has had deciding on the correct course of justice. Surprise ending? Indeed.
After the detective’s introduction, we soon find ourselves in a trackside cafe set with tables for two and bathed in a suspiciously crimson light. Here, we begin to meet passengers and get a sense of the divergent personalities with whom the sleuth will be dealing. Also arriving is Poirot’s good friend Constantine Bouc, a train executive (stylishly played by Paul Andrews) who will prove a useful ally in the investigation.
Although Poirot is rightfully the center of our interest and attention, the show is at times stolen by Helen Hubbard, a brash, no-holds-barred, husband-hunting American woman whom actress Judy Williamson plays with such comic flair that we in the audience could hardly wait for her next wisecrack. Wait until you hear her reply to a gent who wants to know why he reminds Helen of one of her husbands. Hubbard is a free-talking, sometimes singing, fast-moving little wonder who seems destined to collide with the snobbery of such entitled personalities as Princess Natalya Dragomiroff (Sherry Dumos) and Countess Andrenyi (Dani Loera).
Despite the inherent limitations of a stage setting, director Jon Patick Selover, stage manager Jeanine Michael Kiley, set designers Dennis Beasley and Val Cichocki and the rest of the SCT crew have concocted a convincing facsimile of a train interior, with suspects in every compartment. The storm which has halted the train’s journey is suggested on a rear screen’s images of briskly falling snow. The set design, lighting and transitions bring the story alive and work well enough to convince theatregoers that they too have come on board the Orient Express.
The play has its share of surprises, not the least of which is the gunshot and scream that end act one with a lights-out fright and a worrisome wonder. Has a second murder been committed? Is there more work for Poirot? Isn’t one murder enough? Who else is at risk?
If you need a shot (the liquid kind, that is) of courage to rekindle your own detective instincts, wander down to the concessions booth in the theatre lobby for a nip of invigoration. Coffee, beer, wine, soda? Or take a step further with the signature cocktail for “Murder on the Orient Express.” Aptly named “Blood on the Tracks,” the cocktail formula consists of blood orange soda, cran-blood orange juice, tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Here’s a toast to Monsieur Hercule!
Hurry back to act two of the case and—thanks to Poirot—the beginning of a solution to its seemingly unsolvable puzzles. Who killed American businessman Samuel Ratchett and why? Where is the invisible assailant suspected of the crime hiding himself (or herself) ? And why, despite the undeniable success of his detective work, does Poirot have professional misgivings about the outcome?
Whether you’re a Christie fan eager to see the novel come to life, in the mood to match wits and interpret clues with Poirot, or simply curious about how to credibly render a snowbound train on a stage, “Murder on the Orient Express” has something for everyone. And judging by the sellout crowd around me at a Sunday matinee, SCT’s initial offering of the new year leaves no mystery as to what it is: a hot ticket.
If you wish to play detective and become a colleague of Hercule Poirot In the search for an elusive killer, you can join the investigation by learning how to properly pronounce the name of the celebrated Belgian sleuth. Try this: er-kyool pwah-row. Please do not make the mistake of one enthusiastic Stockton theatregoer who referred to Poirot as Hercules Parrot.
“Murder on the Orient Express”
Where: Stockton Civic Theatre, 2312 Rosemarie Lane
When: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: Adults, $35. Seniors, $30. Students, $20.
Box Office: (209) 473-2424. Business Office: (209) 473-2400.
A retired reporter and editor, Stockton resident Howard Lachtman has written Delta-centered detective stories, Stockton Civic Theatre reviews and a variety of baseball tales for Soundings. In 2006. he was honored by the Stockton Arts Commission for “24 years of superior review and commentary on the performing and literary arts in Stockton.” He was recently surprised to learn that San Francisco’s Lowell High School has ranked him among its notable twentieth century alumni for his achievements as an American literary critic. Howard’s reaction to the news: “Now maybe I can get a date to the prom.”
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I agree, something for everyone! What a set! Love this detective story and SCT! Great acting, humor, & costumes. Thanks for writing about such a wonderful asset we have in our community😃👏