ACCOMPLICE NEWSDAY REVIEW

Murder, They Think
'Accomplice' is a mystery (that's all we can say)
by Steve Parks
Staff Writer

ACCOMPLICE. A comedy-thriller by Rupert Holmes. Directed by Daniel Gerroll; set, Dan Kuchar; costumes, Kaye Voyce; lighting, Brian Nason; sound, Randall Freed. At Bay Street Theatre, Long Wharf, Sag Harbor, through Aug.5. Seen opening night Saturday. A NOTE FROM the producers at Bay Street Theatre implores critics not to divulge too much of the plot of "Accomplice," lest we spoil the fun.

No problem. Except that almost anything we might reveal would spoil what turns out to be great fun, indeed. The author acknowledges as much in his program notes. Rupert Holmes, who broke new ground with the 1986 Tony-winning musical, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" - allowing the audience to complete the story Charles Dickens left unfinished at his death - has turned the thriller genre inside out by making the audience the title character. We are all co-conspirators in keeping the identity of the murderer(s) and the victim(s) a secret.

Although there are a few character identities, set descriptions and even plot elements that may be divulged without giving too much away, to do so would be misleading. Or as Holmes himself writes: "Even if I told you the truth, I'd be lying." It's not a lie to say that "Accomplice" is a four-actor thriller. Well, no, that's not entirely true, either. It's not a lie to say that "Accomplice," which opened on Broadway in 1990, is a thriller that never takes itself too seriously. In fact, it makes fun of itself, of the genre and of a number of innocent show-biz personalities who have nothing to do with the crime that is about to be committed before your eyes. (While Holmes' script bristles with delightfully wicked zingers, I particularly like the line about Mandy Patinkin doing "Love Letters" as a one-man show.) The four actors listed in the program in order of appearance - the program lies, too, by the way - are David Chandler, Patricia Kalember, Daniel Gerroll and Joelle Carter. Gerroll, who doubles as the director in more ways than one, allows nothing to be given away before its time. And Gerroll's comic timing with Kalember is as impeccably deceptive as a Penn & Teller sleight of hand.

Gerroll is most often the straight man to Kalember's British-accented barbs, mostly about his character's sexual indifference. Chandler handles much of the play's physical comedy, embroidering his sight gags with deft linguistic touches, while Joelle Carter playfully overacts to intentionally melodramatic effect.

Some of the characters may or may not be married to each other. And two of the actors are married to each other in real life. The four of them show up at what is purported to be Dorping Mill, a moorland cottage within a long commute of London. We are led to believe this scene-of- the-crime cottage is owned by David and Janet Taylor.

A grist wheel serves as the centerpiece of Dan Kuchar's sumptuously detailed set. But the neatest trick is the set's transformation into a suite at Claridge's Hotel for the climactic scene. It's truly an emperor-wears-no- clothes miracle of economy.

And speaking of nudity, no clues are revealed during the topless scene.

Confused? Good. This much I will divulge: Everything you will know - or think you know - about Act I and much of Act II of "Accomplice" is wrong.

Whodunit? There are no butlers and no detectives, unless you count yourself as a sleuth. And while one or two of the twists may strike you as hackneyed, even predictable, it's all part of the fun. Just don't be surprised