NORWICH – The Norwich Theater Company has been working tirelessly on this season's production of the classic murder mystery, “Rehearsal for Murder.” The bare-bones play features an ensemble of local talent who are growing in optimistic anticipation of opening night – just around the corner.
“This is a family affair for the majority of us,” said Mena Close, who is wearing two hats as director and actress. She indicated that she and her husband, daughter and grandchildren are involved in all aspects of the show. She added, “It's been a bumpy road for us, but we've stuck it out and the show will go on.”
The curtains are scheduled to draw on March 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. at the Martin Kappel Theater, located in the Chenango Arts Council building on West Main Street, Norwich.
Alex Dennison (played by Richard Heim) is a top Broadway playwright who returns to the theater where his fiancée, Monica Wells (played by Donna Anderson) acted in her first and last performance on Broadway just a year ago in the comedy play that Alex wrote for her dubbed Chamber Music.
Reflecting back to what became a tragic night, Monica, a movie star, was acting in a play on Broadway for the first time in her career and was very apprehensive and nervous about how her performance on stage would be taken by the public as well as the Broadway critics.
When the play within the play ended to the standing ovation of the theater audience, the critical reviews coming in on Chamber Music were anything but overwhelming – and at a wrap party including cast and crew held later that evening, Monica seemed hurt and depressed.
The pacifying elder, Alex, attempts to praise Monica and convince her that no matter what the critics say about the play – which wasn't all that bad – she shouldn't let it get to her and that bad reviews are a part of life on Broadway.
The cast of the Norwich Theater Company portrays the scenes adequately, and the production is a “no frills” basic set with minimal prop-work and illusion. The lighting sequences do more to draw the viewer into the plot than does the set and costume work.
