Branch River Theatre will open its 36th season with the long-running Broadway comedy-thriller hit “Deathtrap”, written by Ira Levin and directed by CJ Cummings.
“Deathtrap” gathers all the best genre elements together, from startling plot twists and comic characters to shockers that wring gasps from the audience. The play begins as a tale about writer Sidney Bruhl (Paul Teitelman), who was once a highly successful thriller writer. But his last four plays have flopped, and he’s been reduced to living off his wealthy wife Myra (Grace Marie Johnson). When Sidney receives a script from young writer and former student Clifford Anderson (Ezra Fradkin) he’s surprised to discover that it’s a near perfect suspenseful drama, with all the necessary ingredients for a rousing commercial success. He immediately begins to plot how to steal the play and present it as his own, leading Myra to fear that he is about to murder the young man. But when Clifford arrives on the scene, he isn’t quite the naive youngster that he first seemed to be, and he has a few tricks of his own up his sleeve.
Joining in the fun are Porter Milgrim (Grant Love), Sidney’s lawyer and himself a would-be playwright, and Helga ten Dorp (Heidi Schwieger), an eccentric Dutch psychic with a knack for ferreting out things some people would rather have remain hidden. As suspense builds and the body count rises, audiences will be shocked with startling revelations, reversals, and laughs right through the play’s astonishing climax.
Performances will be Nov. 1, 2, 8 and 9 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 3 and 10 at 2 p.m. at the Marlborough Community House, 160 Main St., Marlborough
Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors and students. To reserve tickets, call (603) 876-6131, email tickets@branchrivertheatre.org or visit branchrivertheatre.org/tickets.