Cast excels at building suspense with 'The Mousetrap'

A little mental exercise never hurt anyone.

With Notre Dame Regional High School's fall production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap," the audience can flex their mental muscle in a dramatic game of "Clue" while enjoying a stark, well-written and entertaining murder/mystery at the same time.

While Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" may appear on its surface as the typical English murder/mystery -- six guests stranded in an English manor with a killer, cut off from the outside world -- the play is really a morality tale. The lesson -- hiding the truth will come back to haunt you.

The events of "The Mousetrap" take place at Monkswell Manor on the first day the newly created inn is accepting guests. The night before a murder took place nearby, and the audience soon learns the murderer has now made his way to Monkswell.

The best way to describe "The Mousetrap" is "uncomfortable," which is actually a good thing. Long stretches of silence, characters who aren't what they seem and a feeling of isolation is imparts to the audience a feeling of constant restlessness and anticipation. I believe the correct term would be suspense.

Of course, Christie's writing is top-notch, which is why "The Mousetrap" is recognized as a theatrical classic. The play has been running for more than 50 years straight.

But Notre Dame's cast of eight actors who make up the quirky cast do a good job with something that's typically very tough for young actors -- foreign dialect. Sure, there are slips here and there, but from Cockney to proper British to Italian, the actors' accents are mostly right on.

If "The Mousetrap" has a lead character (the play is about as ensemble as they come) it's Mollie Ralston, who co-owns Monkswell (the characters pronounce it "Maunkswell") with her husband. Junior Carly Schneider delivers a great performance in this role -- she's vulnerable, young, polite and extremely frightened. All those emotions come through, and her accent never slips.

Junior Blake Palmer is also right on target with his portrayal of Christopher Wren (yes, the same name as the famous English architect) -- an effeminate and confused young man who fits the killer's profile almost exactly. Palmer's Wren is weird, sometimes annoying, sometimes endearing, but always an interesting character.

But those are only two of a great cast of eight young actors. The others are senior Laura Hermsdorfer, senior Dana Wozniack, junior Andy McIntyre, sophomore Stephen Moxley, junior Adam Stoverink and junior Adam Parker.

The detail in the set design really helps create the eerie atmosphere of isolation in an old English manor, and the costumes ooze Brit style. "The Mousetrap" is a great high school production and a fun chaser to Halloween.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

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Want to go?

* What: Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap"

* When: 7 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday

* Where: Notre Dame Regional High School cafetorium

* Info: 335-6772