Theater Review
Elden Players' 'Accomplice' Is a
Stylish Brainteaser
By Michael Toscano
Special to The Washington
Post
Thursday, November 6, 2003; Page
VA26
The Elden Street Players have mounted a marvelously acted
production of the refreshingly inventive play "Accomplice," written
by Rupert Holmes in 1990.
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much more because almost
any specific description of plot, characters or themes will spoil
some of the fun. There is plenty of fun to be had in this play, so
why destroy any of it? So this review's vagueness is for your own
good.
After all, I could tell you all about the plot twists and
other surprises that leave the audience gasping, but then I'd have
to kill you. Or would I? Maybe you would have to kill me. Or maybe
we could, together, kill someone else. "Accomplice" sets the brain
down any number of twisted paths, trying to figure out how Holmes is
going to work his way out of the maze into which he takes the
audience.
There are a few things that can safely be told. This play
has all the trappings of an old-fashioned murder mystery written by,
let's say, Agatha Christie, if Dame Agatha decided to ingest a
hallucinatory drug before sitting down to her trusty Royal
typewriter.
Here's where we can safely go down the checklist of theater
reviewer clichés about nothing being what it seems and how the
tables are turned: Thriller? Sure. Suspense? Yes. Comedy? Plenty.
Sex? Definitely. But does that necessarily mean anybody is having
thrilling and suspenseful sex while laughing? Maybe.
And for those of you who are wondering, yes Holmes is
that Rupert Holmes, the one who regrets he is mostly famous
for warbling a little song he wrote about piña coladas ["The Pina
Colada Song"]. But he is also an imaginative playwright, having
tossed out convention with his Tony Award-winning 1986 musical, "The
Mystery of Edwin Drood." In that one, the audience had to complete
the tale, which was left without an ending by the death of its
original author, Charles Dickens. That paved the way for
"Accomplice," in which it could be said the audience becomes the
title character. Oops, giving away too much.
Oddly, while popular now, "Accomplice" was not originally a
hit on Broadway, most likely because it is difficult to explain in
advertising. Holmes is not afraid to take an audience down a path,
and then abruptly switch course, not necessarily letting them see
exactly where the transition took place.
By the time the play ends, viewers will be questioning
everything about their experience at the theater, noticing little
aberrations in some of the routine trappings.
Elden Street's Todd C. Huse ably directs a cast of four,
although at times it seems like more people because of the intricate
plot. Tom Flatt displays a remarkable versatility as he effectively
switches between farce and drama with nary a false step, eliciting
both laughter and a few real chills.
Shannon Benton is captivating as she portrays a sleek and
polished character, and she and Flatt perform with marvelous English
accents. John Bordeaux and Ann Colly join them in a tight ensemble,
with Colly showing a surprisingly unexpected flair for comedy.
Ultimately, style may win out over substance in this play,
but it does so entertainingly, and that is the point of it all,
isn't it? Especially when style is exploited so perfectly.
For good measure, there are clever uses of language,
insider theater jokes and a few zingers in the rapid-fire dialogue.
(A favorite here is the catty dig about the insufferable
actor-singer Mandy Patinkin performing "Love Letters" as a one-man
show.) I am vague, but I urge you to let the Elden Street Players
make it all crystal clear for you, and you'll have a lot of fun.
"Accomplice" will be performed through Nov. 15 at the
Industrial Strength Theater, 269 Sunset Park Dr., Herndon. Showtimes
are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays with a 7 p.m. show this Sunday. For
tickets or information, call 703-481-5930. Show contains some
nudity.
© 2003 The Washington Post
Company
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