Marc Castle plays Veronica Traymore, an aging Broadway actress, in Deadly Stages, which he cowrote with Mark Finley, who directs.
Deadly Stages, a new murder mystery–melodrama by Marc Castle and Mark Finley, is a strange pastiche. It follows backstage shenanigans that involve a temperamental grande dame of the theater, a younger, theatrically untrained movie star, and assorted hangers-on: the reliable supporting actor, the producer, the director, and possibly a scheming upstart. Anyone who hasn’t seen All About Eve should begin to prepare now.
Rob Hancock plays Graham Sinclair, the husband who won’t grant Veronica a divorce, and Dani Marcus is Phoebe, Veronica’s assistant with ambitions.
The characters draw heavily from Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1950 classic, starting with Veronica Traymore, an aging star à la Margo Channing (Bette Davis in the film), to Veronica’s maid “Dooney” (the Thelma Ritter part) to Margo’s new assistant Phoebe, who goes by only one name and was formerly employed by an actress with the surname Harrington.
The theater has always been ripe for both comedy and drama. The setting has served estimable plays (Present Laughter, The Country Girl, The Grand Manner) and movies (Eve, of course, but also Twentieth Century), and lesser efforts. The authors of Deadly Stages know the genre well, but their creation rests stubbornly in the latter category.
One problem with Deadly Stages is that it’s pitched to an audience drawing Social Security. References to Laurette Taylor, Binkie Beaumont, Betty Furness and Georgie Jessel are unlikely to register with Gen Z attendees. When Detective Colletti (Tom Galantich), investigating the first murder, asks Phoebe’s name, she responds:
Phoebe: Just Phoebe. Like Margo, or Annabella, or—or—
Veronica: Cantinflas.
Now, Cantinflas had a moment in the mid-1950s, costarring in Around the World in 80 Days as David Niven’s sidekick, Passepartout. But it’s hardly to be expected that the Mexican film star’s name resonates now. And even if the names are recognizable, they are mere flourishes. Meeting a young playwright whose work she wants to star in, Veronica says, “They say you’re Broadway’s new Jeffrey Cordova.” If one doesn’t have an encyclopedic memory, a Google search will turn up Jeffrey Cordova as a character in The Band Wagon (1953). It’s all too clever by half.
The plot itself leans heavily into melodrama. Veronica is coming off a flop show. She has other problems, too. The loyal but caustic Dooney is about to retire. Husband Graham Sinclair, a haughty British actor with gambling debts, won’t give her a divorce. When Veronica is offered a part by a young playwright, Tony Arlo, she is delighted. She has read the play, Sins of the Flesh, and “It’s marvelous!” she tells Tony. “I’d so love to perform Sins of the Flesh for you!” It’s a cute double entendre, but not worth a guffaw.
But then Veronica learns the part is that of a mother; the lead is to be played by Rita Vernon, a shrewish, self-absorbed film star (echoing the Jean Hagen part in Singin’ in the Rain). Rejecting the role at first, Veronica is persuaded to play it by her new assistant, Phoebe.
“The plot itself leans heavily into melodrama. ”
A second curiosity is that coauthor Marc Castle also plays Veronica. If one goes in expecting a drag queen–style parody, however, it’s not that—the show is billed as homage. Castle plays Veronica straightforwardly, but he also doesn’t bring the charisma of a legend to the derivative part, and he looks too frumpy for a star (in spite of Court Watson’s smart costumes.)
The other actors are game for the tepid story. David Leeper is a solid Arlo, and Galantich also plays a reliable scion of British character acting as Fritz, a former costar of Veronica’s. Rob Hancock, as Graham, straddles the line between good guy and bad.
Having—and creating—the most fun, and pitching her madcap performance where one wishes they were all dwelling, is Ellen Reilly as the prickly, caustic Dooney. Dooney departs too quickly, but Reilly is also a delight as the shrill Rita, gumming up a rehearsal by complaining about Veronica’s accent:
Hancock also plays Wade Elliott, a hipster Method actor, and Ellen Reilly is the spiteful, insecure movie star Rita Vernon. Photographs by Stephen Webster.
Rita: That accent!
Tony: It’s German.
Rita: Why does she have a German accent?
Tony: Because she’s German, Rita.
Rita: No, she’s not. She’s putting that accent on.
Tony: As is Fritz. Their characters are German.
The funniest part of the evening is the scene changes. They feature various black-and-white videos, created and directed by Leeper, that appear on screens flanking the stage, to broadcast faux news reports on Broadway that involve the murder, the stars, and the investigation.
The predictable resolution of the mystery sends one out of the theater wondering why this play was necessary—and whether All About Eve is streaming tonight.
Emerging Artists Theatre, in association with No Anita No Productions, Deadly Stages runs through March 16 at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd St.). Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, with an additional matinee at 2 p.m. on March 13. For tickets and information, visit bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/deadly-stages.
Play: Marc Castle & Mark Finley
Director: Mark Finley
Costume & Scenic Design: Court Watson
Lighting Design: Zach Pizza
Original Music & Sound Design: Morry Campbell
Video Design & Direction: David Leeper
