The Cat and The Canary
Directed by Dennis Canright
Produced by MainStage Irving Las-Colinas
Running Time: 2.5 hours with 3 acts and two 15 minute intermissions
Accessible Seating: Available
Hearing Devices: Not Available
Sensory Friendly Showing: Not Available
ASL Showing: Not Available
Volume Level: Comfortable volume level
Noises/Visuals to Prepare For: strobe lights, comedic depictions of murder
Reviewed by Teri Lynn Williams
The Cat and The Canary brings the audience along to a meeting of eccentric characters learning of their potential inheritance. Off the bat, it is clear this is not an ordinary will reading, as the characters are gathered on the 20th anniversary of the death of Cyrus West at midnight, in the living room of his mansion. As per the will instructions, there is a sole benefactor of the estate and should this person be found of “not sound mind or body” then the others could perhaps gain some of the wealth as well. Cue the shenanigans.
Mainstage Irving- Las Colinas has the wonderful benefit of performing in the Dupree Theatre at the Irving Arts Center. The theatre boasts a grand stage, with a dramatic framed curtain and quite comfortable seating. This setup lends itself well to a production of this manner. Director and Scenic Designer Dennis Canright used the spacing of the stage and set dressings to create an opulent, yet simple living room. With tones of red and gold and great use of lighting adding to the elegance and spookiness of the scenes.
A cliche of moments unfold within the show; unrequited love, a remote mansion setting (during a storm), a fortune worth “killing” for…the play teeters with both comedic and thriller moments. I did find myself laughing more than gasping with the outrageousness and I forgot we needed to figure out who was causing all the mayhem. The reveal at the end is quite quick and you will need to pay close attention.
Canright assembled a cast of quite skillful actors, all of whom embraced the absurdity with talented proficiency. It was intriguing to watch the character progression throughout the show. A true ensemble of talent. Joe Porter (Crosby), Solomon Abah (Hendricks), Danny Macchietto (Patterson), Blake Gorman (Harry), Will Van Dam (Charlie), Javier Casanova (Paul), Laura Lester (Susan), Janae Payne (Cicliy), Kathleen McNamara (Anna) and Cathy Parks Bardin (Mary Pleasant) each one of these actors committed wholly to their characters and were a pleasure to watch.
Within the extremely talented ensemble, there are some standout comedic moments that must be noted by Javier Casanova (Paul). Casanova’s physicalities were a character of their own accord. And the simple interactions with no words between Casanova and Bardin (Pleasant) were giggle-inducingly delightful!
The Cat and The Canary pays tribute to the genre of Agatha Christie and sorts with quite a few sprinkles of humor within. This play never becomes too serious and this particular production highlights the charm in the script.
The Cat and the Canary runs at Mainstage Irving through November 22nd. Tickets can be found at mainstageirving.com
To The Stage,
Teri Lynn Williams
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