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Taunya Crilly, left, Teresa Kizziah, Stephen Zamora, and Celine Igwe, front, in the murder comedy “Cahoots” at the Adobe Theater. Crilly says the play’s dialogue is witty. (Courtesy of james cady)
“Cahoots” is less of a whodunit and more of a how they got away with it, the director and actors explain of the lighthearted play.
“Cahoots,” written by Rick Johnston and directed by Kenneth Bennington, begins with a dinner party for four people, two couples who know each other well, but ends with only three of them alive.
“We know early on that the murderer is Ken who killed Al with the pepper mill in the living room, but we watch to see if they will get away with it,” Bennington explains. “It’s funny and fast with lots of action. The challenge is to keep the audience playing along with us. The silliness never stops. It’s enough to chase January doldrums far away.”
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If you go WHAT: “Cahoots” WHEN: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 11-Feb. 3 WHERE: The Adobe Theater, 9813 Fourth NW HOW MUCH: General admission $15, students and seniors $13. Visit www.adobetheater.org for more information or call 505-898-9222 for reservations |
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In the first scene, the audience learns that Al, played by Michael Girlamo, an Adobe regular, is obsessed and vocal about street crime. Ken, his longtime rival, played by Stephen Zamora, recently in “Angel Street,” silences him forever after an argument. After secrets emerge and after much finger-pointing, the question is whether the trio will act together to cover up the murder.
Bennington says everyone knows someone like Al: “He’s imminently unlikable.”
“We’re having fun rehearsing it. We’re still finding places that make us giggle,” he says.
Taunya Crilly, who plays Lois, the non-grieving recent widow of Al, says, “It’s not sad. It’s not about his death really. It’s about how the heck are we going to get out of this. It’s pure joy. It’s what I needed – a departure from the heavy dramas I’ve been doing over the past few years.” Crilly recently played in the “Rabbit Hole,” and “Wait Until Dark.”
She says the dialogue is fast-paced and witty: “We have to focus on what each other is saying to keep the pace.”
She says each character has his own reasons for not mourning Al’s death. Her character Lois suspects that Al was about to run off with the couple’s assets.
“They definitely take turns playing the blame game,” she says.
Teresa Kizziah plays Ken’s wife, Jan, who may have been having an affair with the recently deceased Al. Kizziah says she also has played many emotionally charged characters recently and finds the lighthearted farce, fun. She was recently the tormented wife in “Angel Street.”
“There’s physical quick humor and witty lines,” she says. “I feel so at ease doing comedy. It’s one of those shows you might want to see again, because it has you laughing so much.”
Bennington says the show, which runs about an hour and 15 minutes, has adult themes and some coarse language and may not be appropriate for children.
