Hartford Stage in Hartford, Conn.
Written by Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the play “Rope” by Patrick Hamilton
Melia Bensussen
“Let the cauldron bubble; justify your fate.”
Patrick Hamilton’s play “Rope” (retitled “Rope’s End” for its first American production) was a distinct hit in 1929, first in London and then in New York. It dealt with the homosexual marriage of two young men who murder a third man and then host a cocktail party intended to celebrate the victim’s forthcoming marriage. The party guests include the boy’s father and his fiancée. During the party there are many revelations, but the murder is kept a secret despite the boy’s body being hidden in the same room where the party takes place. Nearly 20 years later, Alfred Hitchcock acquired the film rights and made his sensational movie, also called “Rope.” The story is ostensibly based on the famous murder trial of Leopold and Loeb, who had committed a similar murder in 1924 and were defended by Clarence Darrow. The play only deals with the murder and its rationale, philosopher Nietzche’s theory of the ubermensch, the intellectual superman. This new version, by playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, is a world-premiere production, but it does not differ from the earlier play or the film by very much.
It has been given a spectacular production by Hartford Stage. Its extraordinary set designed by Riw Rakkulchon is practically the star of the show, accompanied by the lighting design by Mary Louise Geiger working with sound designer Jane Shaw on the spectacular storm that engulfs the play with dramatic force. One sincere change is the use of songs by Noël Coward, especially 1928’s “Dance, Little Lady,” from which the quote at the start of this review is drawn. More than anything else in the production, this song settles the show in its place and its period. I don’t know if it is indicated in Hatcher’s script or if it is the choice of director Melia Bensussen, but it is a brilliant choice. Nothing makes an audience feel safer with a play like this one than to have it grounded in a different time.
The two young men in the play are well cast, and they play these men with a certainty that is almost unsettling. Brandon, the mastermind behind the very significant plot, is played by Daniel Neale as a very obviously gay man (although in 1929 New York, he would have just been seen as very British). His partner in crime and life, Lewis, is played by Ephraim Birney. Lewis, the man who executed Brandon’s concept, is nervous and partly remorseful. Brandon is justifiably annoyed at his friend’s reluctance to live vicariously in their plot and deed. Both actors deliver mighty performances in this play. They are a believable pair of murderers.
Supporting them as the victim’s father is James Riordan, who has some devastating moments, particularly with telephone calls from his ill wife about her concerns over their missing son. His reactions to these calls range from simply dismissive to apprehensive to sincere distress. He is a marvelous actor for this role. His future daughter-in-law, Meriel, is played by the lovely Fiona Robertson, who appeared last season at Hartford Stage in Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.” She uses her natural charm to excellent effect in this role, and she almost alters the mood and atmosphere of the play, as she should. Meriel’s personal revelations come as a shock, and the boys’ reactions to them are a distinctly grand and unexpected moment in the play.
Hatcher has cut out a few of the original characters, and that seems fine, but the boys’ friend Kenneth is a thankless part and has been kept intact. He is played by Nick Saxton as well as anyone could play him. He is a character who adds nothing to the play or the party scene that dominates the first half of it. Originally written in three acts, this one-act version harkens close to Hitchcock’s vision for the film. From beginning to the end, it is one continuous period of time, and that adds to the tension in the play as it approaches its surprising conclusion.
Leopold and Loeb, on whom Brandon and Lewis are based, were apprehended quickly and were given a very famous trial. Brandon and Lewis are presumably fated for the same dramatic ending, thanks to the cleverness of their teacher, Rupert Cadell (played here by Mark Benninghofen in a style the does not set the audience up for what follows in the second half of the play), who preached Nietzche’s concepts to them. Rupert is almost too smart for this play, but his conviction about the secrets in the story are devastating. Benninghofen plays each of them for all they are worth, and the result is a character with more character than any other two characters in the story. His careful and subtle performance is worth the cost of a ticket, and you probably won’t see another performance like it anywhere for a long while to come.
This is a play worth its weight in sea salt, a commodity not unlike murder in the grand theatrical sense. I hoped it would be good but it wasn’t good—it was great. People sitting near me gasped at each revelation, something I have not heard in a long time. When a play has such an effect on its audience, it is a fine play. This one certainly is that.
“Rope” plays at Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford, CT, through November 2. For tickets and information, call (860) 527-5151 or visit Hartford Stage’s website.
