Deathtrap is a witty, self-aware, tightly packed script. No line is a throw-away. It’s a play that knows what it is and invites each actor to really dig their teeth into their roles. I found, however, that though Jarrott Productions’ current run of Deathtrap is almost technically perfect and enjoyable to sit through, it seemed to lean away from the tension and the thriller of it all and chose instead to understate the melodrama. Each of the actors is well-spoken and well-cast. It’s a perfectly fine show put on by a perfectly talented team, but it lacks intensity. There are plenty of dramatic pauses, but they’re not earned by any rushed, anxious moments to build up to them. We’re told that there may be money, fame, morality, or jail time at stake, but the stakes are forgotten as soon as they’re said. None of the plot developments come as a surprise. The central murder(s?) are exciting, but certainly not shocking.

In fact, one of the biggest reveals involves (spoilers, sorry) a pair of gay lovers, who in this staging are not even given a kiss. Their relationship isn’t hidden, but they’re not allowed much physical interaction. Even after one of them muses aloud whether “murder is an aphrodisiac”, the closest they get are lingering touches and shoulder massages. Maybe a gay kiss would have been too shocking on Broadway in 1978, but its absence is noticeable to an audience in 2023. Again, we’re asked to understand the high stakes involved in various schemes, but never shown them.

One of the key characters to unraveling the plot-within-a-plot-within-a-plot of it all is Helga ten Dorp (Janelle Buchanan), the Bruhl’s neighbor with the gift of ESP. While Buchanan’s Dutch accent is delightful, I wish she had been given license to have more fun with the character. Helga (and her play-within-a-play counterpart) are often referred to as silly and comic, but her scenes amble along at the same speed as every other scene, undermining their implied ridiculousness, losing their humor, and dispelling any fear that she might spill the Bruhl’s dirty secrets. Again, a character and plotline that could be used to increase intensity and tension simply…isn’t. Is it simply that I saw the movie once and then forgot about it, and once you sort of know the twists, they don’t surprise you?

Again, the team who put this show together are immensely talented. The set design (Steve Williams) and sound design (Craig Brock) — including an intro by director David R. Jarrott, and a curated 70s rock playlist — set the scene nicely. The lighting design (MacKenzie Mulligan) is key to the show and is totally on point. It’s certainly not a boring show; it gave me at least one gasp near the end.

The costume design (Susan Branch Towne), unfortunately, is the only thing I have a real, real gripe with, and it’s a personal pet peeve: if you’re going to do a period show, you need to make sure your pants waistlines match the decade.

Photo: Jarrott Productions on Facebook

Deathtrap runs through November 12, 2023 at the Trinity Street Playhouse. Visit https://www.jarrottproductions.com/ for more info.