Drury Lane's 'Game's Afoot' needs more laughs, thrills
The opening night applause for Drury Lane Theatre's production of "The Game's Afoot" spoke volumes about what works and what doesn't in this pedestrian comedy whodunit by Ken Ludwig ("Lend Me a Tenor," "Moon Over Buffalo").
The parting of the curtain in the first act prompted well-deserved applause for Kevin Depinet's sumptuous, stately set characterized by its soaring French doors opening to a wintry landscape, its luxurious turquoise sectional and its marble fireplace that spins around to reveal a well-stocked bar. Equally revealing was the polite clapping at the play's conclusion, less enthusiastic than usual from a Drury Lane audience that routinely rises to its feet.
Not this time.
Director William Osetek's production looks terrific (Maggie Hofmann's gowns are lovely) and it boasts a plucky cast that includes skilled comic actresses Alene Robertson and Angela Ingersoll. The problem is Ludwig's play, which has too few laughs to succeed as a comedy and too many telegraphed clues to make it as a mystery thriller.
The action unfolds on Christmas Eve 1936 in the Connecticut estate of Broadway star and gadget-loving aspiring sleuth William Gillette (Derek Hasenstab), a character based on the real-life actor who cowrote the play "Sherlock Holmes" with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and then spent several decades playing the lead role.
Recovering from an attempt on his life several weeks earlier during the show's curtain call, the magnanimous William invites his castmates to spend the holiday at his estate, which he shares with his overprotective mother, Martha. She's played with delicious dottiness by Robertson, whose timing is ever perfect as reflected in a cutting quip about critics, which earns the evening's biggest laugh.
The guests include best friend Felix (Rod Thomas), and his wife, Madge (Kathy Logelin); recently married ingénue and William's onetime paramour Aggie (Tempe Thomas) and her groom, the seemingly dim Simon Bright (Rob Riddle). Joining them is Daria Chase (the terrific Angela Ingersoll, a fine physical comedian and a real trooper), a caustic theater critic who knows their secrets.
William informs his guests that he intends to uncover the would-be murderer, starting with a seance. That's followed by a stabbing and a call to police that results in the arrival of Wendy Robie's Inspector Goring, a hapless detective with a flair for theatrics.
To reveal more would spoil what surprises the play has. They're impossible to miss, accompanied as they are by thunder claps and lightning flashes. All that's missing is the "duh-duh-duh" chord progression. As for the laughs, they're sporadic, especially in the plodding first act. Act 2 begins promisingly, with an entertaining bit of physical comedy involving attempts by William and Felix to hide a dead body from the oblivious Goring. Ludwig, however, fails to sustain that momentum. Unfortunately, game performers and gorgeous sets aren't enough to restore it.
‘The Game’s Afoot’
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Location: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 530-0111 or drurylaneoakbrook.com
Showtimes: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, 1:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, through Oct. 19
Running time: About two hours, 20 minutes, with intermission
Tickets: $40-$50; senior and student discounts available; dinner-theater options available
Parking: Free adjacent lot and pay valet service
Rating: For teens and older