Syd Loomis

What a ‘Web’ they weave in Westfield

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By John Lyle Belden

Quick warning for arachnophobes: Main Street Productions has placed numerous toy spiders (some quite life-like) around the Basile Westfield Playhouse. Guess how many there are (fill in a form during the first intermission) to win a prize. However, (ironically) there are none on the stage.

Count on Agatha Christie to weave an entertaining tangle of intrigue, mystery, and humor – we get all this and more in “Spider’s Web,” presented by Westfield’s Main Street Productions, directed by Jan Jamison.

The setting is a big house in the English countryside (of course), Copplestone Court in Kent, in 1954. While Henry Hailsham-Brown (Kevin Caraher) is away on business for the British Foreign Office, his young and highly imaginative wife Clarissa (Phoebe Aldridge) spins tales and plays tricks on whoever is around. In this case, it’s her former guardian Sir Roland Delahaye (Syd Loomis), his old friend Hugo Birch (Jim Simmonds), and young friend Jeremy Warrender (Jeff Haber). Clarissa also cares for Pippa (Ava McKee), Henry’s school-age daughter from his first marriage who is still fragile after the bitter divorce.

The servants on hand are humble Elgin (Thom Johnson) and his wife (unseen), as well as Mildred Peake (Molly Kraus), the gardener who is quite the busybody and suspicious of everyone. An unwelcome visitor, Oliver Costello (Matt McKee), the new husband of Pippa’s mother, stops by. Also, this being a murder mystery, we will soon meet Inspector Lord (Larry Adams) and Constable Jones (Erin Chandler), with an audio cameo by Greg Vander Wyden as the Doctor called to inspect the body.

Along with the corpus delicti, we also have a rather interesting antique writing desk and the presence of a “priest hole,” a short passage to the library disguised by a bookshelf. And a deck of cards. And a volume of Who’s Who. So many details, in fact, that Clarissa spins a number of stories about the events of the evening, confounding and frustrating the Inspector as we work through the various clues to find who did the deadly deed, and why. (Observant viewers can work it out before the climax, this clueless reviewer nearly did!)

Aldridge is wonderful as the fanciful and well-intentioned lady of the house (Wendy notes that this play could have been subtitled, “Clarissa Explains It All”). Loomis has paternal charm in his supporting role. Kraus eagerly takes on quite an interesting character herself as one who is and knows more than she lets on. Adams makes an interesting sleuth, though the frustrating nature of this caper could make Inspector Lord glad that Christie called on other detectives for most of her stories. Seventh-grader Ava McKee makes a nice stage debut as imperiled Pippa.

The wit is sharp with physical humor and a bit of Pythonesque absurdity. It almost qualifies as a comedy – except for, you know, that body behind the sofa.

This humorous whodunit has four more performances, Thursday through Sunday, April 10-13, at Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. (note there is some road and building construction in the area). Get tickets at westfieldplayhouse.org.

CCP: Look who’s back!

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By John Lyle Belden

For a number of years in the recent past, Carmel Community Players would stage the musical “Forever Plaid.” So, now the good old days are back in more ways than one.

The Plaids, a struggling four-part vocal group, were on their way to a promising gig in 1964 when their car was struck by a bus on its way to New York taking fans to see the Beatles live on Ed Sullivan’s show, killing the quartet instantly. But thanks to a cosmic alignment, a hole in the ozone, or some other metaphysical reason, the Plaids have returned to Earth to perform the show they didn’t get to do when they were alive.

The rapport and harmony of CCP’s incarnation of the foursome are natural and well-polished, a reflection of three of them having sung the roles together before: Darren Gowan as Sparky, Syd Loomis as Jinx, and Rich Phipps as Frankie. They are joined by Howard Baetzhold as Smudge, the character who tends to have trouble getting in synch anyway, but as things progress fits right in. The backing musicians are director Sandy Baetzhold on piano and “Uncle Dick” Richard Leap on drums.

There is more going on than sharp four-part harmony on oldie hits including “Catch a Falling Star,” “Sixteen Tons,” and “Perfidia.” They deliver a Calypso segment as well as their high-speed rendition of Ed Sullivan’s classic acts, along with amusing patter as they try to sort out their unusual situation.

Tired of the news and troubles of 2018? Take a step back as gentlemen from a gentler era entertain you as only the Plaids can. There are moments of audience participation – with one lucky fan getting the chance to become an Honorary Plaid – and all get to sign the Plaid Book of Life.

“Forever Plaid” won’t last forever. Performances run through Oct. 7 at The Cat performance venue, 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel. For info and tickets, visit carmelplayers.org.