Milwaukee Post
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/863148
18 • Milwaukee County Post • August 18, 2017 By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic MILWAUKEE — Most people love a good murder mystery. Certain ones stand out as classics. Who can for- get "Sleuth" or "Dial M for Murder" or "Wait Until Dark"? Agatha Christie alone has written many masterpieces. In them we see the limits to which some will go to gain revenge or profit or even notoriety, and we are intrigued at their ingenuity and also admire the persist- ence of those who work to uncover the crimes. "Deathtrap," the season opener at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre for its chosen theme for 2017-18, The Mysteries of Life, cer- tainly provides a stunning beginning. Its breathtaking set design and array of props (Arnel Sancianco and Nikki Kulas) and its realis- tic sound and lighting designs (Grover Hollway and Alexander Ridgers) all contribute to the final result — a fascinating mix of hor- ror and humor. Sidney Bruhl, a once- very-successful playwright suffering from writer's block and afraid of being finished as a celebrated author, one day receives in the mail the rough draft of a mystery play from a hopeful new young author who is looking to Bruhl for his honed opinion of his work in progress. Bruhl recog- nizes this as a masterful piece of writing. He also remembers the author as a former student of his who participated in one of his seminars. He also can readily see that this young man has an incipient success on his hands. Encouraged by his young wife, Bruhl begins to fashion a way to cash in on Clifford Anderson's upcom- ing "hit." He even contem- plates murdering him in order to assume ownership of the property. Greed and desperation have definitely emerged as powerful forces in both husband and wife. From there on, anything could happen, and, in fact almost everything does. The five actors all do their part to keep us engaged. Bill Watson as Bruhl blusters about beautifully while his anxious wife, Myra (Susan Spencer), tries to proceed with conniving calm. Di'Monte Henning exudes confidence and cleverness throughout as the ambitious young author, while the psy- chic next door, boldly played by Mary Kababik, provides a bizarre and creepy con- trast to the other four char- acters. David Sapiro as the duddy lawyer Porter Milgram offers a couple sur- prises of his own. All the characters are engrossing in their own way. Christopher Elst, a tal- ented fight choreographer, fulfilled his role with his usual skill. His pupils learned well, and director Michael Cotey worked his magic with the cast of tal- ented dramatic and techni- cal artists. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this master- piece. The audience I was a part of on Sunday afternoon jumped up with energetic appreciation as soon as the curtain closed. Their response said it all. I won't give away any of the twists in the plot, but I encourage you all to experi- ence them yourselves. I promise you that you'll be glad you didn't miss this one. "Deathtrap" The murder mystery runs through Aug. 27 at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. Call 414-291-7800 or visit milwau- keechambertheatre.com for times and tickets. At a glance MCT stunningly opens murder-mystery season Paul Ruffolo Bill Watson as Sidney Bruhl, left, and Di'Monte Henning as Clifford Anderson in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of "Deathtrap." ENTERTAINMENT By TOM JOZWIK Post Film Critic "Brigsby Bear" is the most entertainingly origi- nal motion picture I've seen since "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," last sum- mer's quirky comedy from New Zealand. Remindful of "Being There" and "The Truman Show" as an intriguing amalgam of real life and reel life (and also a descen- dant of humans-who've- b e e n - i s o l a t e d - f r o m - t h e - world films like "The Room" and "Dogtooth"), "Brigsby" boasts a plot both believable and fantastic, peopled by likable actors portraying likable charac- ters. My favorite: Greg Kinnear as an empathetic, stage-struck detective. Namesake of a big-headed and big-hearted mammal in a faux video series geared to youngsters, the movie "Brigsby" has its imperfec- tions. A funny scene or two might've become downright hilarious if not for the edit- ing process. Thirtyish Kyle Mooney of "Saturday Night Live," who is also the film's co-writer, looks old for his young adult role (never mind that he plays it win- ningly), especially since teenager Ryan Simpkins plays his sister. Also, Mooney's character gets acclimated awfully darn quick to his whole new world, problems' resolu- tions can be speedy and background information sketchy, and production val- ues aren't likely to make viewers forget a whole lot of other films. But "Brigsby" is excellent entertainment, featuring elements that will be relat- able to adolescent viewers as well as their elders. Some may think of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" dur- ing scenes from the "Brigsby" video series; oth- ers (older), of "Captain Kangaroo." The new drame- dy directed by Mooney's "SNL" colleague Dave McCary, while touching upon sexuality and recre- ational drug use, manages to sidestep nudity and pro- fanity. His movie stars McCary's buddy Mooney as a man- child kidnapped in infancy and raised in isolation by a childless couple. Mooney's James is home-schooled and has delightedly watched one homemade (by his pseudo dad) "Brigsby" episode after another over the years. That lifestyle ends when authori- ties finally locate the bogus family, imprison the kidnap- pers and return James to the birth family he's never known. An apparent natu- ral genius able to do just about anything simply by following instructions accessed from the internet, James decides early in his new life to make a feature film about — you guessed it — a bear named Brigsby. "Brigsby's" cast includes Mark Hamill as the pseudo dad and Claire Danes as a psychologist. Matt Walsh and Michaela Waters play James' birth parents and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. his moviemaking partner and best friend. Ultimately, "Brigsby Bear" comes across as a welcome celebration of kith and kin. You may well leave the theater with a smile on 'Brigsby Bear' original, entertaining Jorge Lendeborg Jr., left, and Kyle Mooney in a scene from "Brigsby Bear." Sony Pictures Classics "Brigsby Bear" ★★★1/2 Starring: Kyle Mooney, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Claire Danes, Ryan Simpkins, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. Director: Dave McCary MPAA rating: PG-13 Running time: 97 minutes Release date: Friday Showings: marcustheatres. com At a glance