It is part of the first annual NoHo Fringe Festival and definitely measures up to the definition of Fringe.
Set in a town far, far away, Death at The Door is a tale of mayhem and murder with a strong dash of comedy. It welcomes us into three stories that revolve around a creepy old mansion and its history of unfortunate occurrences. The Defiance Theater Company is responsible for this experience and its actors definitely understand what whimsy, humor and entertainment encompass.
We open with two 20-something individuals in a modest living room set in an old mansion that has history that far exceeds their combined ages. Naomi asks Frank to fix something in her house. He obliges but can’t help himself in spreading the macabre history of this place. Frank grew up there and he knows where the bodies are buried. Naomi is anxious to know the mystery that surrounds her living quarters and edges him on to talk. And so it begins, the uneasy tales come out freely from Frank who adds his own dimension of sinister twist to each storyline.
Throughout the rest of the performance we come to know each character as either a victim or prey in these tales that go as far back as 1959.
Death, betrayal, manipulation and comedic language are abound. The audience sympathizes with the frightened teenager (Hailey) in the first story named Charlie. It ignites and preys upon our collective memories of being left alone and scared. Is it an illusion or is it really the boogie man? Isabelle Scott plays Hailey and does a fine job of pretending to be 15 years old and all alone in a big house with an alleged killer.
Next up we are transported to an era of women in the kitchen and men the sole providers.
An era that often hid the underlying secrets and unfairness in society. It is the glorified 1950’s where post war housing was readily available and men kept their jobs till they passed. After the gruesome tale of the first story we are primed for the worst. In this story murder, scandal, and revenge are exposed. Is this what a nice evening of cards with couple friends is supposed to turn into… perhaps? Paul Thomas Arnold who plays Ed is perfect in this role. He even looks like someone who could have been a corporate working guy in this time period. In fact he looks vaguely familiar, maybe we saw him on television or in another stage production. Directed by Brian Allman, it moves at the right tempo and the actors all seem exceedingly comfortable in their roles.
The final story introduces us to the Kappa Sigma frat house circa 1970s.
We see typical college frat boys hanging out in the living room of this old creaky house smoking too much cannabis and not thinking clearly. Unbeknownst to them, an intruder is among them that brings fear, a fake exorcism, and a whole lot of chaos. This storyline is the most comedic of all three. It is a farce with all its unbelievable actions and ridiculousness. Hunter Canedy plays Mike who is the uncontrollable villain that shows up from nowhere to implant himself in a humorous romp around the room. He is also the most versatile actor in this production showing a diversity of characters in different states of humor, fear, and calm. Hunter was Frank in the opening scene and is the director for this story. However, all the actors are believable and seem to understand what it means to be part of an ensemble cast. Although this one has merits, it does go on too long for comfort.
Death at The Door is a fun production. The performances are well done, and the staging in its simplicity allows the story to be heard. Another positive nod to Quinn Gasaway who very convincingly plays frat boy Chad. He also directed the opening act as well. My introduction to the Whitmore Lindley Theater through the Defiance Theater Company is overall a good one. Everyone appears to be experienced and very happy to be in this production and part of the Fringe Festival. It is recommended to see this show and to also catch other productions in support of the arts in NoHo.
The Fringe Festival is part of a grassroots effort to highlight quality theater work in NoHo and the surrounding valley.
Throughout its three week schedule more than 300 shows will be offered. It is running through to October 25, 2015. Tickets for all the productions can be scheduled from them at NoHoFringe.Org. You may also reach them through the NoHoArtsDistrict.com website.
The Whitmore Lindley Theater is located at 11006 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood 91607, (818) 761-0704.