There is a haunting chill emanating from the country house and the individuals in the delightful City Lights Theater Company production of Agatha Christie’s 1951 mystery, “The Hollow.” Characters deftly maneuver through the spacious dwelling, each inhabitant highly skilled in the art of narcissism. There are actors and maids, butlers and lovers, even a doctor who finds more interest in illnesses than the humans who carry them. This colorful band of miscreants throws themselves into an environment where danger and suspicion lurk around every corner.
Despite moments of lull in the second half, which follows a tight first act in the nearly three-hour run time, the San Jose production’s hallmark is the firmly-committed and self-assured performances, led by director Doll Piccotto’s well-balanced staging.
Murder is the point for any of Christie’s social gatherings. We learn of the victim, but the joy lies in exploring which guest might be the assailant. Plenty of posh people behave badly — a wink, a shrug, the dart of an eye potentially tell a different tale in the midst of unflinching self-preservation.
The homeowners are regal Sir Henry Angkatell (Ken Boswell) and his delightfully ditzy wife, Lucy (Karen DeHart), planning for a guest-filled weekend. And their guests include Harley Street doctor John Cristow (Damian Vega) and his highly emotional wife, the overly-cheery Gerda (Caitlin Lawrence Papp). It does not take long to see that Cristow is lovingly examining more than just his patients, which include accomplished sculptor Henrietta Angkatell (Anne Yumi Kobori) and former lover Veronica (Laura Domingo), a woman who moves through space as if playing the final scene in every Hollywood blockbuster.
Adding to the morass is Edward Angkatell (Kyle Dayrit) and his romantic interest, Midge (Alicia Adame). All these connections are so incredibly blurred, by the time we reach the murder, everyone in the house is a plausible suspect, including the maid, Doris (Erin Southard), and butler, Gudgeon (Tom Gough). It is up to some serious sleuthing by Inspector Colquhoun (Patricia Tyler) and Detective Penny (Andre Leben) to muddle through the mess and take down the culprit.
The narrative is informed mightily by its environment, and Ron Gasparinetti’s gleeful country house is textured beautifully by the near-infinite amount of period props crafted by designer Karen Leonard.
Piccotto’s staging is precise and tight, the highly-stylized script living and dying by the way characters share their version of truth. These folks don’t simply enter and exit — rather, they whoosh in and out with flair and reveal themselves. There is also no guesswork when it comes to how characters feel about each other. They telegraph their sentiments with nary an attempt at a poker face.
The play does a bang-up job (no pun intended) of highlighting comic timing. As the grande dame of the abode, the veteran DeHart is a delight with her sharp line delivery, make something funny without trying. Her counterpart, Boswell, is a terrific foil, a man who is simply satisfied with a stiff drink and evening newspaper perusal. Vega’s slick, silver hair and smarmy charm as Doctor Cristow puts him in the crosshairs of those wronged by his Lothario ways. And Papp is wonderfully versatile as Gerda, whether she’s delivering a comic diatribe or pointed observation.
Their character arcs force Adame and Dayrit into a more naturalized style of acting, which is also the case for Kobori, who is sharpest when the stakes are at highest. And Tyler as Colquhoun hammers home every detail with unflinching stoicism, never letting up for a second until the conclusion is reached.
The show’s run time may be a bit of a tough sell for today’s audience sensibilities, but “The Hollow” is a drive, frenetic, classic mystery. In this context, committing to murder can be awfully fun.
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics Association. Twitter @davidjchavez.
‘THE HOLLOW’
By Agatha Christie, adapted from her novel, presented by City Lights Theater
Through: March 6
Where: City Lights Theater, 529 S. Second St., San Jose
Heath & safety: Proof of vaccination required, masks must be work in the theater
Running time: 3 hours, including one intermission
Tickets: $25-$52; cltc.org
Source: www.mercurynews.com