by Kobi Kassal

The Cape Playhouse closes their 93rd season with one of Broadway’s most successful comedic thrillers of all time. Ira Levin’s Deathtrap is brought to life, or should I say death, in a new production mounted by Tony-nominated director, Marcia Milgrom Dodge. Don’t worry – this review is spoiler free.

The play originally premiered right in our own backyard here at the historic Wilbur Theatre in Downtown Boston before moving on to play almost 1,800 performances on Broadway. Deathtrap also found success in the 1982 film adaptation starring Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine. Set in a stylish converted stable turned house in Westport, CT, the play opens with a down-on-his-luck playwright, Sidney Bruhl, who cannot seem to write a new play to save his life. He and his wife Myra have been living off her family money and are quickly running out of options until up-and-coming playwright Clifford Anderson writes a new hit that lands on Sidney’s desk. They joke about murdering Clifford and taking the play for themselves…and I won’t go into any more detail. Along the way we also meet Sidney’s lawyer, Mr. Poter Milgrim as well as a kooky European named Helga with mystic ESP powers who can predict the future.

Read more “Cape Playhouse’s ‘Deathtrap’ is a Killer Comedy”