DEATHTRAP Play at Stray Dog Theatre Review

(L-R) Victor Mendez as Clifford Anderson, Stephen Peirick as Sidney Bruhl, and :Anne Vega as Myra Bruhl, in "Deathtrap" at Stray Dog Theatre. Courtesy of Stray Dog Theatre.

– By Cate Marquis –

Stray Dog Theatre’s “Deathtrap” is a twisty mystery with a sly slice of dark humor, about the famous playwright who specializes in murder mysteries, who may or may not be contemplating stealing the work of a former student, as a way out of his too-long lingering writer’s block and dwindling finances. The student sends the famous playwright his play, “Deathtrap,” out of the blue, hoping to get an opinion from his one-time teacher on what he thinks is a work-in-progress. But the seasoned playwright recognizes it as a potential hit just as it is, with a murder in the first act and a twist in the second. Will temptation be too great? Will the murder writer sink to the kind of deed he writes about?

“Deathtrap” keeps you guessing. The five-person play takes us through that dilemma and why the famous playwright might feel the pull to do something dastardly. The 1978 play, written by Ira Levin, is famous for being one of the longest running comedy/thrillers on Broadway. This production, in two acts with an intermission, is directed by Gary F. Bell, Stray Dog’s Artistic Director.

Playwright Sidney Bruhl (Stephen Peirick) gained fame and fortune for a string of murder mystery hits on Broadway but it has been awhile since his last one and things are looking a bit desperate. He and his wife Myra (Anne Vega) have run through her money too. But they still have a large house and acreage in a posh Westport, Connecticut, and Sidney’s studio in a converted stable is nicely decorated with theatrical posters of his many hits and a display of a collection of antique or collectible weapons related to or from those hits. That treasured collection includes a mace, a couple of pistols, handcuffs used by Houdini and a dagger, along with a few swords.

Sidney is talkative fellow with a big ego, who is also a constant critic and a bit of a whiner too, so he’s sure he’ll get back on track somehow. When Sidney gets an unsolicited manuscript in the mail, from a former student at a writing seminar, he is all rolling eyeballs and complaints about how bad it is going to be. However, he reads it anyway and is shocked to find it is good. Very good. In fact, a ready-to-go play that is a potential hit. Immediately, wheels start turning in Sidney’s head, about how he can turn this to his advantage.

Sidney tells his wife Myra he might call the young author up and offer to collaborate with him to polish the play (although it needs no polishing), with hopes of getting a co-author credit that will bring some money. Myra responds enthusiastically, encouraging him to give it a try. But then Sidney starts speculating about instead stealing the work and presenting it as his own, which may mean dispatching the real author, her enthusiasm turns to horror. Despite re-assurances from Sidney that he won’t really do that, it’s just the way he thinks from writing some many murders, she still seems a bit worried. He reassures her by veering back to the first plan.

Sidney calls his ex-student on the phone and invites him to visit him, so they can discuss his play. Young Clifford Anderson (Victor Mendez) responds eagerly, and offers to travel to Sidney’s place that very day, despite the distance and that he will have to take a train and have Sidney pick him up.

Once Clifford arrives, things start to go off the rails, but to say much more about that is to risk spoiling the surprises.

Actually, there are two more characters in this tale. One of those is Sidney and Myra’s new neighbor, Helga ten Dorp (Liz Mischel), a flamboyantly dressed “psychic” with ambitions to be a celebrity. Helga pops in uninvited and wanders around the room, giving unprompted psychic “readings” on various areas. the Bruhls’ home. In the second act, we meet the Bruhls’ lawyer and friend, Porter Milgrim (David Wassilak), who is invited to drop in, to discuss some legal matters and have a friendly chat.

The play that Sidney covets has a murder in the first act and a twist in the second, which is true of this play itself, except more so, with multiple twists. All this twisty drama and mayhem takes place on a handsome single set, designed by Rob Lippert, while the shocks are enhanced by Tyler Duenow’s atmospheric lighting effects.

Stephen Peirick plays the famous playwright Sidney Bruhl broadly, almost a parody of a snarky, egotistical artist. That approach leans into the comic side of this thriller, while Anne Vega plays Myra Bruhl as straightforward, nervous or sometimes even horrified, with the possibility of blood-spilling. While Peirick’s Sidney seems to let his writer’s imagination run away with him, his wife is increasingly desperate to rein him in, playing the voice of conscience and rationality, but increasingly worried that she won’t be able to do enough.

While Peirick’s Sidney is the big personality and big ego at the center of this play, Victor Mendez’s Clifford Anderson plays his adoring fan. But occasionally, Clifford shows a little wariness, although he conceals it with a show of innocence. The only ego that seems to rival Sidney’s is the psychic Helga ten Dorp, played hilariously by Liz Michel, striding around in her colorful outfits and reacting dramatically when she senses a vibe or whatever. Mischel and Peirick provide a lot of the comedy but are well balanced by Vega and David Wassilak, as attorney Porter Milgrim, another entry on the rational side of the dramatic equation.

“Deathtrap” provides a great deal of entertainment, with its shocks and surprises, and its almost spoofing comedy aimed at murder mysteries. It is a high-energy show, that gives more than a few jolts, and you may think you know where it’s headed until it spins around with a new gotcha. Yet, underneath, it keeps a smooth ribbon of slyness slipping along, to undercut smug characters who think they are the ones in control – until they discover they aren’t. This show offers a welcome evening of distraction and thriller fun, with laughs and jumps, right up to it’s nicely-done, ironic ending.

Stray Dog Theatre’s production of “Deathtrap” is on stage at the Tower Grove Abbey theater, 2336 Tennesee Ave., through Feb. 21, 2026.

© Cate Marquis