Photos by Sarah Shmerling
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Theatre Palisades’ latest production, “Towards Zero,” opened at Pierson Playhouse on Friday night, November 3, leaving audiences trying to piece together a puzzling tale until the very last moments of the play.
Written by Agatha Christie and Gerald Verner, “Towards Zero” originally opened in London in 1956 and was adapted from an eponymous novel by Christie. It followed Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” which was performed by Theatre Palisades in its 2019 season.
“When a house party gathers at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of Lady Tressilian (Maria O’Connor), Neville Strange (Davern Wright) finds himself caught between his old wife Audrey (Shannon Woo) and his new flame Kay (Cara Kluver),” according to a synopsis provided by Theatre Palisades. “A nail-biting thriller, the play probes the psychology of jealousy in the shadow of a savage and brutal murder. A carefully unpeeled investigation before our eyes brings the story to a pointed ending.”
The show is directed by Hahnah Jackson, with Assistant Director Phil Bartolf, and produced by Martha Hunter and O’Connor. Set and lighting design was by Sherman Wayne, with sound design by Susan Stangl and costume design by Catelin Pereira.
The cast is rounded out by Brendan Serapiglia (Thomas Royde), L Marella Camel (Mary Aldin), Bob Rodriguez (Mathew Treves) and Steven Frankenfield (Ted Latimer). Chris Aruffo (Superintendent Battle) and Riley Introcas (Inspector Leach) enter in the second act to investigate the cliff-hanging murder that is revealed at the end of the first half.
“Towards Zero” is broken up into two acts, each with three scenes, spread out over the course of one week in 1948 at Gull’s Point, which is in Saltcreek, Cornwall.
“In this deceptively simple murder mystery, an ensemble of complex yet relatable characters face off against the beast of jealousy within themselves as well as the human monster in their midst,” Jackson wrote in a director’s note. “In them, each of us may find our own tale of resentment and longing—for money, opportunities, love. Yet contentment may be closer at hand than we think … and not nearly as costly as ‘winning.’”
One striking quality of the play is the range of personalities on the stage: Woo and Kluver, in the roles of Strange’s first and second wives, could not be more opposite. Woo is quiet and reserved, while Kluver is boisterous and emotional.
Two friends who join the group for the weekend are Royde and Latimer, who also have very opposing personalities, with Royde being introspective and preferring a book/night in, while Latimer is less mindful of his surroundings and prefers a night out.
The range of mannerisms makes for an interesting show, allowing each actor to highlight what appears to be their own fortes. With such a wide variety of roles to fill, Theatre Palisades did an excellent job of matching each actor to a well-suited character.
Throughout the show, there is a mix of new and returning faces to the Pierson Playhouse stage. “Towards Zero” marked Jackson’s directorial debut at the theater, and it made for a gripping first production.
During intermission, some of the predictions of “who did it?” murmured through the audience did not come true, keeping theatergoers invested in the story until the final scene. The set up in the first half makes for a captivating second half untangling the web of characters, motives and evidence.
Those who want to try to solve the mystery for themselves have until December 10 when “Towards Zero” closes, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., as well as Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22 for general admission, and $20 for students and seniors. All performances take place at Pierson Playhouse, located at 941 Temescal Canyon Road.
For more information, visit theatrepalisades.org.
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