Well, actually it is an evening about three marvelous, funny and entertaining murderers by playwright Jeffrey Hatcher. These murders take place at an upscale senior complex called Riddle Key in Florida that has villas, golf carts, blue haired ladies, gigolos and murderers. David Coleman’s clever direction keeps the play moving at a fast clip. This is no easy task because these three stories are done as monologues. But, each actor is the story teller and all the characters he or she encounters. We hear the opening music which is like the theme of a popular television show and each character steps forward with the declaration, “I am a murderer.” This is no ordinary “who-done-it” because we know who the murderers are. We discover the “why” and the “how” in this “Ms.Marple”, “Arsenic and Old Lace”, and “Murder She Wrote” spoof. Gerald Halverson, so well acted by Richard Horvitz, enters front and center in a black tuxedo. He wears black-tie for formal occasions and murder is a formal occasion. He is the Noel “Cowardesque” raconteur. Murderers always make a fatal mistake. Well, the ones who get caught do. He marries his live-in love’s elderly mother, Spiff so he can legally inherit her estate without enormous death taxes. After Spiff dies, he will marry Laura as planned. Spiff has kidney disease and came up with the idea so her daughter would save the inheritance taxes. It is a carefully hatched plan that greedy daughter, Laura agrees to. She is already spending her mother’s money on a Jaguar with a voice activated cell phone and re-doing mum’s mansion. Only, Dr. Nagan Gupta throws a wrench into the plans as does a neighboring gigolo, Jerry. Horvitz is wonderful in making all the characters in his story come alive in Technicolor. I loved his Detective Padilla, who resembles the bumbling Columbo. Gerald Halverson’s story has the makings of a proper drawing room murder. It’s very civil and full of blackmail, unpredictable love, and surprises. Lucy Stickler enters to “Jeopardy” type show music. She is the cuckolded golf-wife of Bob Stickler. She tries to commit the perfect crime after Margaret Fadel, with her big picture hats and Greer Garson persona moves in to one of the villas with her sights set on Bob. She was a former old flame and is after “a man whose wife is about to die.” Lucy catches Bob with Viagra and in the clutches of Margaret. Enter Dr. Nagan Gupta again with lethal prescriptions. Marcia Rodd brings Lucy, Margaret and a host of other characters to life. But, this story about revenge is the least fulfilling of the three. As Lucy says, “It’s not perfect justice, but then I’m not a Stickler.” Melody Mac Queen shines as the third murderer, the avenging angel. We are immediately sympathetic to her cause. She is after all who take advantage of seniors. And she has the advantage. She is the assistant to the boss in the main office at Riddle Key. Her Minka Lupino is a “Zazu Pitts” type who comes across with childish innocence. She is a “nice normal woman who commits murders.” Jeff G. Rack’s modern set is surprisingly open and free of clutter, and with dramatic lighting effects, it goes through chameleon-like changes. Bill Froggatt’s sound design carries the stories and gives a three dimensional quality to them with sounds of ambulances, intrigue, mystery and sets the mood. “Murderers” is light fare and chock full of senior moments with Viagra jokes, references to blue haired ladies, parking valets who drive the seniors to their golf carts, and references to old movie stars. Hatcher gives us a tongue in cheek series of thrillers. His characters pepper their stories with spicy, delightfully off-color and sometimes corny lines. You don’t have to figure anything out. Nothing is mind boggling. You just sit back, relax and laugh, and grow gracefully to old age which need not be lethal. “Murderers” runs through December 19th at Theatre 40’s Reuben Cordova Theatre on the Beverly Hills High School Campus, 241 Moreno Dr. B. H. Parking is free in the structure. For reservations and show times, call 310-364-0535. Tickets are $23 Wednesday-Friday and $25 Saturday and Sunday. Ask about student and 4 A’s discounts on stand-by basis. Audrey Linden is a writer, actress and singer. She can be seen in a long running “Associated Tax Resolution” commercial, two “Little Caesars,” VHS “Tough Love 2,” “America’s Court with Judge Ross,” and Spike TV’s “1000 Ways to Die.” Audrey teaches On Camera Commercial and Improv workshops at BHAS. Classes begin in January. For her classes go to www.bhas.bhusd.org
