Murder in Green Meadows San Diego Theatre Scene On-Air by Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish Murder in Green Meadows Douglas Post's Murder in Green Meadows is a well written thriller that includes a few loud gun blasts that help keep the adrenalin coursing through your "who dunnit veins. This production is well directed by Gil Savage who allows for an even paced production that is well acted by his capable cadre of actors. The audience is immediately welcomed into the home of Thomas and Joan Devereaux, as they sip a cocktail in their upper middle class neighborhood and allow for the exterior details to suggest that all is well in Green Meadows. The set is well constructed and is a picture of suburban comfort. The Devereaux's bond readily with their new neighbors, Jeff and Carolyn Symons, but the bonding of Joan and Jeff soon goes beyond mere neighborly hand holding. Thomas discovers that his wife, once again, just can't keep her panties buttoned up and he seeks revenge for her sexual dallying. The golf games and the cooking tips in the kitchen are now a bit tense and it's soon a cat and mouse game of who will live and who will die; who will get caught and who will go on living without a respective spouse. There were a few extremely long scene changes that could be tightened up, but the underlying cause seemed to be the necessary time required for multiple clothing changes. Jonathan Sachs delivered a mean-spirited Thomas with just the right amount of nasty, while Connie Di Grazia sauntered sensually about the stage with a dim-witted sense of husband fear. Stephen Rowe carried off the low watt character of Jeff while Julie Anderson Sachs nailed the character of Carolyn with a lovely balance of boredom and high IQ. There are less devices in this mystery plot than usual; the emphasis is placed more on character. It's a revelation of secrets, quirks, deceptions, passions, and a bit of violence. In the intimate space at the Scripps Ranch Theatre, the audience is a welcome voyeur. It's a pleasant murder mystery with enough twists to keep our attention. In the end you start wondering if there are any bodies buried beneath your own hacienda while you look lovingly at your respective spouse. If you want some calculated deception, Scripp's Ranch Theatre is the place where you can find it with "Murder in Green Meadows.". 
By Robert T. Hitchcox" To: Total Theatre - totalpost@totaltheater.com>,
Subject:
Total Rating Three Stars
Running Time 128 minutes with a 15-minute intermission
Genre Mystery
Author Douglas Post
Director Gil Savage
Review Douglas Post’s "Murder in Green Meadows" is a classic mystery dealing with motives, deceit, extramarital affairs, and four dissimilar people. There’s Tomas Devereaux (Jonathan Sachs), an accomplished architect and residential developer, and his wife, Joan (Connie DiGrazia), a woman of extremely varied emotions. Their neighbors, a few houses away, are Jeff and Carolyn Symons (Stephen Rowe and Julie Anderson Sachs). He is an undefined consultant and she is a former executive who gave up the corner office to raise their two kids.
What transpires in two acts and ten scenes has many twists designed to confuse the audience. This mystery works. It is well written. It is well directed. It is well acted. The script is crisp, leading the audience along a well defined path that seems to have a new twist behind every line of dialog. Director Gil Savage moves his cast through the plot and the elegant set with not a single wasted step. Every action has meaning. The four actors are not stereotyped, each has depth and quirks.
The Devereaux s are a study in contrast. Tom is a driven perfectionist. He became unhappy with what developers did with his plans, so he took on whole developments as well as designing the individual homes. However, there is much more to Tom, a very dark side. Sachs nails his character. He moves easily from the gentleman and host to an almost demonic husband with a believable, totally logical grace. Di Grazia’s Joan is even more complex. Behind her almost simplistic innocence is a person with a past that is complex and filled with controversy. Even in the opening scene we know there is more to this woman than just the hostess-with-the-mostest.
Jeff and Carolyn Symons are a study in internal contrasts. Jeff is a consultant with work-related problems. He is a good neighbor, a really good neighbor. Rowe moves convincingly through the range of events and emotions with ease. His performance in the final scene of Act One is a great study. Carolyn, we find early on, has left an Executive Vice President post to become a stay-at-home mom. This was a choice born of psychological reasons, not maternal. She is rather bland, but never, never get into a poker game with her. Sachs gives Carolyn an empathy we can easily relate to and, yet, an edge that can be disturbing.
Rick Carlson and Chuck Malmgren’s set is quite upper middle class. It is appointed with taste by Set Dresser Karina Montgomery. Jarin Satterlee’s props bring an added taste of class. The working kitchen, replete with a plumbed sink and operating refrigerator, make the set a real home. Erick Sundquist’s costumes are right for the characters. Scott Padrick’s lighting design was clean and offered a variety of moods. Gordon Bergholtz’s sound underscored each scene with an almost eerie musical coda to the action.
"Murder in Green Meadows" is a fun night at the theatre. It is guaranteed to challenge your deductive reasoning as well as amuse you. You will be entertained by four fine actors who will lead you through the traps of Douglas Post’s script. Good luck on getting tickets.
Caution Guidance
Other Critics
Miscellaneous
Awards
Cast Jonathan Sachs, Connie DiGrazia, Julie Sachs and Steve Rowe
Technical Staff Producer Jarin Satterlee,
Critic Robert Hitchcox
Date Reviewed February 11, 2005 Go to Top |
