PROVO – The Covey Center for the Arts offers a night of fun and witty entertainment of Ron Bernas’ original piece. Directed by Ben Cummins, A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody is a larger than life piece of theater that leaves audiences engaged with its exceptional comedy, cast, and pace.
PLOT
The show centers around a family of rich socialites, Matthew and Julia Perry, as well as their daughter Bunny. On the night of New Year’s Eve, Matthew, after being inspired by his friend’s newfound “freedom” after the passing of his wife, vows to his better half that he will kill her in the coming year and experience the same lavish lifestyle. Julia, amused and intrigued by this resolution, vows that she will be open to this promise and entertain this crusade, vigilantly avoiding his murderous attempts throughout the following year.
The plot becomes even more heightened by the engagement of their daughter Bunny to Donald, a timid yet frantic young man who becomes more and more involved and aware of the outlandish and suspicious behavior of the Perrys. As the year continues and more and more bystanders are killed by the failed experiments of Mr. Perry, piquing the interest of Detective Plotnick, all of these characters fall into the classic farcical style of hilarious misunderstandings and scenarios. The cast is rounded out by Buttrum, the family’s butler who manages to add to the absurdity and captivation of this plot with his rich history and personality.
From the very beginning, audiences are asked and eased by the comedic and farcical nature of this piece. You are not expected to take the pursuits of these characters with any ounce of seriousness and concern, but rather indulge in the silliness of it all.
A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody plays through October 11. | Photo: Willow Becker
DIRECTING & DESIGN
Director Ben Cummins, who most recently directed a strong production of Moon Over Buffalo at the Covey, understands this piece through and through, sticking to his very playful style of directing that brings the most out of the characters and the space. Set designer Spencer Powell expertly works in the intimate, thrust black box setting. The audience immediately feels immersed in the lifestyles of these characters, seeing up close their amenities, furniture, portraits, and of course the fine scotch. Cummins does an excellent job of having the characters utilize the space and really take advantage of the physical comedy opportunities that don’t directly appear on the page.
Because the play really embraces the farcical style of comedy, the timing and specificity of people entering the room, leaving at just the right moment, looking away at the wrong time, and more is done incredibly well. The timing/setting of this play seems ambiguous. Because of the fashion and costume aesthetics from designer Jessica Moody, you are led to believe the play is set today, but are presented with verbiage and language in the script that would suggest an older, more “classic” time period. This disconnect did not bother me at all, it only highlighted how out of touch these characters are, and reminded me of some of comedy’s most hilarious and iconic upper class families, a la shows like Arrested Development, Schitt’s Creek, and more. From the aspect of design and immersion, the team does a wonderful job in letting you know exactly what kind of person you are dealing with in this show.
Photo: Willow Becker
PERFORMANCES
In terms of performance, I was incredibly impressed with the distinct characterization of the actors, but more so the unity and comradery of the ensemble work. Off the bat, Matthew, played by Matthieu C. Kohl, and Buttram, played by David Bruce, had a very quick, sharp, and witty dialogue that highlights and represents the comedy of this piece well. Julia, played by Hillary Straga, was the perfect sparring partner in every scene she was in, and was able to challenge and raise the stakes of any given scenario, comedic moment, or altercation.
Bunny, played by Autumn Bickmore, gives such a compelling example of the importance of physical comedy, boldness, and freedom in her portrayal. Her looseness, naivete, and cluelessness provides such a refreshing contrast to the uppity and well-mannered behaviors of everyone around her. Coupled with the timidity of Donald, played by Boston Angsley, their pairing is incredibly entertaining to watch as we watch Donald’s patience and composure slowly dwindle over the course of the play.
Detective Plotnick, played by Tanner Frederiksen, provides an almost film-noir, classic take on the character, encapsulating the quick-paced, hilariously phrased quirks of a detective you would expect to see in any spoof or parody. It was a great and welcome disruption to the lives of the Perrys and hit many comedic beats.
Overall, each performance was very carefully crafted, and all of these elements combined lead to great ensemble work that made the show what it was. The actors found a nice level of elevation without being too much or breaking the comedic tone of the piece. The characters in this show live in their own bubble, and it was so exciting as an audience member to see what would disrupt and ruin the homeostasis of these characters.
Recurring physical bits in this show made for reliable and useful tactics of audience engagement. Transitions between the scenes weren’t too long, and at intermission we even saw Buttram come out and dust the set. This was after a crew member came and changed the set dressing for the new holiday. I love an interactive intermission or pre-show experience, I almost wonder how these moments could have been amplified by having them done 100% by the characters in the play, highlighting their opinions, behaviors, and rising tension.
Textually, this play follows a pattern that you are able to identify very fast. This by itself can seem very monotonous, but the cast and creative team did a good job combatting this by taking the air out of the scenes, making bold physical choices, and raising the stakes. Just when you think you know this play and how it is going to unfold, you are very pleasantly surprised with more twists and clever writing, even when its structure and shape can seem predictable.
