‘Murder’s Bad,’ but wa players’ show is good
Elizabeth Havican, Thom Forshee and Donna McMaster in a scene from West Allis Players’ “Murder is Bad, but Mondays Can Kill You.”
By Janet Mitchell
Published Oct. 6, 2019
The West Allis Players opened its 50th anniversary season with the murder mystery/comedy, “Murder’s Bad, But Monday Can Kill You!” This is one of a series of Harry Monday detective plays written by Pat Cook.
The synopsis is simple: a man (Todd Herdt) was murdered in the common living room of The Restful Glen Psychiatric facility. 1950’s-style, hard-boiled, trench coat-wearing Harry Monday gets an anonymous call summoning him to the hospital where he finds that this case will be a real challenge -- each resident has at least two personalities and slips from one to the other frequently – sometimes in the middle of a sentence. Harry is initially mistaken for a new patient and decides to play along as he tries to solve the case. Harry also moves the show forward with spotlight speeches delivered directly to the audience. These get Harry in trouble with the residents of the clinic who eventually begin to wonder just who Harry is talking to when he steps out of the scene.
These kinds of stories can easily sink into farce-like, unbelievable situations and annoying characters, but director Mary Beth Topf keeps a firm grip on each multiple-personality actor and situation, and has crafted a really entertaining little mystery. When each resident transforms into their alter-ego at the same time – a potential Tower of Babel situation -- she sets the tableau in a way that highlights each new personality.
Michael Jablonski, Maureen Lavin, Scott Fudali and Amy Wickland in West Allis Players’ “Murder’s Bad, But Monday’s Can Kill You.”
Scott Fudali is in his wheelhouse as Harry Monday with a script-load of gumshoe cliché phrases. He does a great job and allows his character to get carried along with all the chaos. His out-to-the-audience asides are funny, but Fudali speaks a bit too fast to catch every clever bon mot. Amy Wickland plays Polly Boone and slips easily between her two identities. One of her personas is a street-wise, tough-talking broad and she is great as she tries to explain Harry’s distinct style to the hospital’s psychiatrist (nicely played by Maureen Lavin) who can’t always catch what he means – “It’s gumshoe banter – take a course!”
Another standout is Michael Jablonski who alternates between a former Southern politician and Edgar Allen Poe. This role could very easily be lost in over-acting and caricature, but Jablonski delivers with a nice balance and restraint.
This is a nice, don’t-take-it-too-seriously murder mystery.
Show dates for the run of “Murder’s Bad, But Monday Can Kill You!” were not listed in the program but I am sure full information may be found by calling 414-604-4900, ext. 5912 or by visiting westallisplayers.org. The theater is The West Allis Central Auditorium, located at 6516 West Lincoln Avenue in West Allis.