Snake In The Grass
The Matrix Theatre in West Hollywood is presenting the U.S. premiere of Alan Ayckbourn’s play Snake In the Grass. Ayckbourn, who mostly writes comedies, has excelled with this play, in creating a thrilling myster/comedy.
Poor Miriam (Claire Jacobs) has hardly had a life of her own having spent fifteen years caring for her abusive father while sister Annabel (Pamela Salem) fled home thirty-five years ago. Now that their father has died, Annabel returns home to find that their father has left everything to her. When Annabel arrives at the house, she encounters Alice (Nicola Bertram) a sinister nurse who had been caring for their father until Miriam dismissed her. Alice claims that she was wrongfully fired and has proof that Miriam killed their father and she wants to be compensated to the tune of 100,000 pounds to keep from going to the police. But Miriam, who doesn’t wish to go to jail, devises her own plot, gets Annabel to join her against Alice, and suddenly Alice is rendered unconscious and her body thrown down an old abandoned well. With seemingly, another murder on their hands, the plot thickens and the real mystery begins. All three actors are superb under the direction of Mark Rosenblatt.
Ayckbourn has skillfully written a mystery that will surprise, but also offer moments to laugh.
Matrix Theatre
7657 Melrose Ave.
West Hollywood, CA
Thurs., Fri., Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m.
Through May 4, 2008
Tickets: (323) 960-4420, online at www.salemktheatreco.org