Reviewed by Judy Richter
Greed and lust fuel the main
characters in "Double Indemnity," the 1935 James M. Cain noir crime novel set in '30s Los
Angeles. It was made into a 1944 film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. Now David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright have altered the plot somewhat
and transformed the novel into a stage version being given its world premiere
as a co-production of San Jose Repertory Theatre and Seattle's A Contemporary
Theatre.
Kurt
Beattie, ACT's
artistic director, has staged a highly stylized production featuring just the
two lead actors plus three others playing eight other characters. John Bogar as insurance salesman Walter
Huff is onstage throughout the two-act drama, often narrating in the first
person as he helps to propel the action. Walter's romantic interest is Phyllis
Nirlinger, played by Carrie Paff. She's the glamorous second wife of a wealthy, older oil
man, Nirlinger (Richard Ziman). Walter is immediately attracted to her.
Walter
and Phyllis come up with a seemingly foolproof plan to murder her husband,
making his death seem like an accident, then collecting on his life insurance
policy. They go through with their plan, but getting the money isn't so easy.
The police think Nirlinger committed suicide, while Keyes (Ziman again), a
claims adjuster for Walter's employer, thinks he was murdered.
Other
complications arise as the plot slowly unravels. There's no happily ever after
for anyone.
Bogar's
Huff is a smooth operator, seemingly amoral until he realizes that an innocent
person might be implicated. Paff's Phyllis is a seductive vamp with depths of
evil that manifest themselves along the way. Ziman's Nirlinger is a smug man
who enjoys having a trophy wife like Phyllis, while his Keyes is both sharp and
increasingly perceptive. He's the play's most admirable character.
Jessica
Martin plays
Lola Nirlinger, 18-year-old daughter of Nirlinger and his deceased first wife.
She also appears as Nettie, Keyes' secretary, and as a nurse. Mark Anderson
Phillips shows
his versatility as Nino, Lola's sullen boyfriend, a man one immediately
mistrusts. He also plays Norton, an uptight higher-up with Walter's employer;
and Jackson, a train passenger.
In
keeping with the noir theme and helping to create an air of suspense are Thomas
Lynch's set, Rick
Paulsen's moody
lighting, Brendan Patrick Hogan's sound and Adam Stern's music. The stylish '30s
costumes are by Annie Smart.
Perhaps
because the direction and acting are not quite realistic, some audience members
seemed less than impressed on opening night. The couple in front of me left at
intermission. It's too bad that they couldn't just sit back and enjoy this
production for what it is -- a genre seen more often in novels and film than on
stage. Those who do so are rewarded with a suspenseful, tense drama with twists
and turns -- highly enjoyable in my book.
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