Agatha Christie classic ‘The Mousetrap’ coming to CNY Playhouse
The latest play to stop at the CNY Playhouse, “The Mousetrap,” is somewhat familiar territory for its director, Dan Stevens — he played Detective Sgt. Trotter in the production 42 years ago.
“It’s an opportunity to come back and revisit it and see how it has stood up to the test of time,” Stevens said.
“The Mousetrap” is one of Agatha Christie’s most famous murder mysteries. The play holds the Guinness World Record for the longest uninterrupted run of a show, performing in London’s West End more than 27,000 times over the course of 65 years.
The plot follows seven people trapped in Monkswell Manor, a home in the English countryside, during a snowstorm. A policeman arrives unexpectedly, claiming one of them is connected to the murder of a woman in a nearby house. As accusations fly, suspicion rises among the guests.
Mollie Ralston, the owner of the Monkswell Manor, where the play takes place, is played by Jennie Russo. Russo was inspired to audition for the production because of her own adoration for British murder mysteries, a trait she shares with her mother. As someone without an affinity for accents, taking on a leading role as a British woman was no small feat.
“Getting to where I felt at least 80 percent comfortable with the accent helped me be able to move past that and get into her thoughts and feelings,” Russo said.
Working with Stevens as the director was also a draw toward the production, she said. The two had previously worked together in a company that specializes in murder mysteries.
Strange David Fuller stars as Christopher Wren in CNY Playhouse’s production of “The Mousetrap,” opening Friday. Courtesy of AB Photography
Opposite to Russo’s character, Strange David Fuller, who plays Christopher Wren, fell in love with “The Mousetrap” as a teenager. He said that there isn’t a bad role in the show and would have happily played nearly any of them. But playing Wren made the experience all the more personal: It’s the first time Fuller has played a seemingly queer character, since he came out, Fuller said.
“I get to explore some of the boundaries that absolutely hadn’t been a part of my life previously,” Fuller said.
“A lot of people think that Christie is very one-dimensional,” said Jack Carr, who plays Giles Ralston. “We have all learned that that is not the case. You can bring your own experiences to it, and it has many, many layers.”
Carr said he originally wanted to play Mr. Paravicini because he felt the part was closer to his own personality — an “eccentric, old, affable kind of guy.” But when Carr first saw Simon Moody’s audition for the part, he saw the character as frightening. Moody’s performance was a completely different take on the same role.
“You can bring to this your own interpretation,” said Moody. “Christie’s lines allow you that flexibility.”
Stevens said one of the best parts of putting on the production is watching the actors do new and different things with their classic characters. The play is “shocking,” he said, and is perhaps best known for its plot twist ending — an ending Stevens believes is the best of any murder mystery.
“People hear about it and want to see it,” he said. “We all want to be frightened, we want to be thrilled and we want to get out of ourselves.”
Rounding out the cast is Stephen Shepherd as Detective Sgt. Trotter, Keith Arlington as Major Metcalf, Alyssa Otoski as Miss Casewell and Nora O’Dea as Mrs. Boyle.
“The Mousetrap” opens Friday at CNY Playhouse.
