[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Elate’s “Let’s Murder Marsha” written by Monk Ferris, and directed by Michael McCambridge at the Lincoln Stegman Theatre through October 23.
“Let’s Murder Marsha” is a classic farce and the lovely people at Elate have done a really beautiful job of creating something well worth getting back into the theatre for!
Thoroughly content housewife Marsha overhears a conversation between her loving husband and an unknown woman that shocks her to her core. Marsha is addicted to crime novels and her head is full of murderous plots and evil plans. When she mistakes her husband’s birthday surprise for his plan to do her in. However, she decides to plan something of her own and, with the erstwhile help of her housekeeper and an amorous neighbor, she concocts a heinous scheme.
I’ve seen a few plays at this hidden gem of a theatre, in the bowels of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church. All of them have been wonderful and made with love. The sets are excellent, the production brilliant and the cast is always funny, committed and wonderfully good.
Elate’s ethos is to provide entertainment, fellowship and community outreach through the performing arts. I can tell you quite definitively that they do.
“Let’s Murder Marsha” is great fun and the entire cast is absolutely excellent. It’s hard to pull off a play as farcical as this in our world of instant gratification and everything at our fingertips.
Where is there room for pacing and humor and plot twists and an audience knowing far more than the characters, delighting in their inability to see the truth. Well, I choose charm and whimsy over cynicism every time.
And this production has charm and whimsy by the boatload!
We’ve all been through so much these past few years, so we deserve some fun and laughter and silliness. “Let’s Murder Marsha” is a lighthearted romp, a funny warm-hearted, slightly murderous nod to all those wonderful films from the 50s with Doris Day and Rock Hudson. When misunderstandings abound and chaos ensues and everything turns out perfectly in the end. Hopeful and frivolous and full of delightful characters and nutty concepts that could never really ever happen, and yet we just love to watch them play out don’t we? Especially when done as well as ELATE has with this cracking play!
It’s only running for one more weekend sadly. So don’t dawdle!! The lovely people of ELATE await you! https://elate.ticketleap.com/lets-murder-marsha
Cast:
Kappa Curran – Bianca
Jon D’Acunto – Ben
Michael Hurley – Virgil
Sara Locke – Persis
Eva Mahgrfteh – Marsha
Marty McCambridge – Ynette
Tom Reilly – Tobias
Production:
Michael McCambridge – Director
Roberta Fasso-Locke – Co-director/costumer/line coach
Debbie Sadlouskos – Producer
Joey Bell – Set Design
Emily Brown – Understudy
Stan Brown – Sound Design
Jamie Hitchcock – Lighting Desing
Terry Bratcher – Graphic Design
CaroleJean Willis – ELATE Cafe
Tickets:
https://elate.ticketleap.com/lets-murder-marsha/
When:
Through October 23
Where:
Elate’s Lincoln Stegman Theatre
6020 Radford Ave. Los Angeles, CA 91606