LEHI — The Mousetrap tells the story of a young couple on their opening day of the Monkswell Manor guesthouse. Snowed in with five guests, all are taken by surprise when Detective Trotter arrives. Trotter tells of a murder at a nearby farm that may be connected to someone at Monkswell Manor, and as a result, their lives could be in danger. The Mousetrap, based on the Agatha Christie novel, is the longest running play in history and a wonderfully cozy mystery. Lehi Arts Council successfully brings this mystery to the stage with strong design, direction, and character work.
Lehi Arts Council’s production hosts a small space, but I was very impressed with how Set Designer Garrett Roblyer and Props Designer Elaina Lanier created not only a quaint guesthouse, but also a room set up with clear entrances and exits leading to different parts of the manor, provided seating for all, creative windows, as well as enough open space to move. This warm guesthouse shows the time period, makes logical sense, and does not feel claustrophobic or cluttered.
The lighting and projections done by Ryan Gililland help the audience feel the chill and problems caused by the elements. There is a small window at the back where the audience sees snow falling on trees. I felt chillier walking into the theatre seeing the snow fall. The lighting throughout the majority of the production inside of Monkswell Manor is warm and inviting, although there is a stark shift near the end where red light was added. This moment became distracting as it does not seem to fit with the style, and it led me to focus more on the light than what was happening onstage. However, even with the distracting ending, the show overall is well lit in a way that fits the mood of this production.
One element I especially love is the sound. Kodi Johnson expertly utilizes the sound to build suspense throughout the show. Featured sound elements include radio spots and music, as well as a dull hum that each adds to the intensity of the piece. When the dull hum began I felt my heart start to quicken and my body shifted forward in my chair. The sound design is adeptly used to help create a suspenseful mystery.
Costumes by Director Denise Gull and hair and makeup by Kaely Hope help to not only set the time period, but also to create the characters. Loud ties for Christopher Wren, a tight bun for Mrs. Boil, and warm and inviting clothes for Molly are all examples of this. I was impressed that while keeping with the time period, these two designs are also able to showcase the personalities of the characters.
Direction, done by Denise Gull and Kassidy Rackham, was also very clear. It is obvious how much work they spent with their actors. One of the most delightful things about this production is how each actor has really cultivated a strong persona. This shows strong character work done by both the actors and the directing team. The blocking of the production is very straightforward, but always deliberate. There is a moment near the end of act one when all characters are on stage. I appreciated that Gull and Rackham found ways to move the characters around to shift focus without it feeling clumsy or unmotivated. I did end up missing some of Detective Trotter, as much of his monologues were given while he was moving around the other actors. This causes much of what he says to be facing the back. With this being a theatre with audiences on three sides of the action, this is bound to happen; it just seems to happen more with Detective Trotter’s character. I appreciate how much of the “action” is in clear view of the entire audience, as this can be tricky with the audience almost all the way around.
Mollie and Giles Ralston, played by Sarah Wilkins and Preston Ochesenhirt, respectively, were the young couple opening Monkswell Manor. They both present as young, and somewhat naive, to their guests. Wilkins brings a warmth and openness to Mollie that rivals Ochensenhirts’s grumpiness and protectiveness. At times, I did not find that they had the same amount of chemistry that a newlywed couple would have, but I did appreciate how these actors looked out for and looked after each other on stage.
Riley Kinsey as Christopher Wren, John Newall as Major Metcalf, and Robert Bahr as Mr. Paravicni all excel through their facial expressions and physical reactions. These three actors added the perfect amount of levity to this production while not taking it too far. They were able to make us feel uneasy and make us laugh all at the same time.
The hateable Mrs. Boil was played by Brittney Miramontes. She was a character the audience loved to dislike, but what I appreciated was when she showed her vulnerability near the end of Act One.
Miss Casewell, played by AJ Rino, and Detective Trotter by Charles Damon Hudson showed great work on the subtleties in character choices. These two keep their characters smaller and more simple, but were able to show their personalities through, and with, their subtleties.
This Agatha Christie mystery is mostly based on small character interactions – the big things we learn in the small moments. These small moments build to the larger dramatic moments that leave the audience’s hearts pounding and excited to come again and again to these mysteries. The struggle with these types of mysteries is the pacing. If not careful, some of these smaller moments can begin to drag. It feels as if in the beginning of both acts, Gull and Rackham let the pacing drag, but it quickly picks up especially when all of the actors enter the scene. These scenes seem to have been well rehearsed and paced. This meant that both acts ended on a high.
There are many accents used in this show which becomes quite the feat. I saw accents for all actors slip in and out often, but this does not cause a distraction during the majority of the production. The only real problems were when it is difficult to understand plot points, or when the accents become mumbled.
I, again, want to give credit to the actors for their well thought-out and unique characters they have created. Each actor entered the stage making strong choices that they carried to the end. Not only have they created these unique characters, but they had done the work to figure out how each would react to the other. Using small idiosyncrasies, the actors found more acting and reacting in the unspoken moments than in the spoken. This was truly a delight to watch.
The Mousetrap is a classic, and Lehi Arts Council has put on a production that the entire family can enjoy. It is strongly designed and acted, and a perfect addition to your Halloween plans! You won’t want to miss it – but remember – once you know the secret; don’t tell!
