Doors don’t usually communicate, but in the Department of Theatre’s “Communicating Doors” the doors serve a greater purpose than allowing for smooth entries and exits.
“Communicating Doors,” directed by theater Professor Frank C. Rutledge, is a complicated and compelling tale of murder, marriage and money, all with a comedic twist.
The play, written by Alan Ayckbourn, begins in 2014 in a hotel suite. Julian, played by theater graduate student Brett Tweedel, observes as a wealthy but sick Reece, played by English senior Michael Scott Hunter, writes a tell-all confession. Poopay, played by theater senior Kelly Kaufmann, serves as a second witness to Reece’s confession.
Poopay is forced to make an abrupt exit through the hotel suite’s connecting door. But the door doesn’t lead to the suite next door. Instead it goes back in time 20 years, to 1994. There she meets Reece’s second wife, Ruella, played by theater senior Tabitha Guttery, who is about to be murdered.
“Ruella is very much in charge and has a great sense of adventure,” Guttery said.
The story travels in and out of the suite’s connecting doors as Ruella and Poopay travel back another 20 years to 1974, where they find Reece’s first wife, Jessica, played by theater sophomore Kelly Cavanagh.
Poopay and Ruella try to convince Jessica that there is something more to her husband Reece, who is just beginning his own business.
Adding to the drama is the hotel’s house detective, Harold, played by theater graduate student Ben Sumrall, who attempts to solve and uncover the strange happenings.
The play is upbeat and comedic, Cavanagh said.
“Ayckbourn gives us a very funny script that complements the way Frank has staged us,” Sumrall said. “There are a lot of funny moments.”
And the complex plot is easier to watch than to describe.
“It sounds so strange,” Guttery said. “Traveling through time in order to prevent murder isn’t the easiest thing to understand.”
Although the play is a twisted and complicated combination of murder, fun, realistic and not so realistic events, it is still fun, Cavanagh said.
“Besides the whole murder aspect, it’s not a realistic play because of time travel,” Cavanagh said. “But there’s lots of wordplay and fun, making the mystery heartwarming.”
“Communicating Doors” opens at 7:30 p.m. today in the Arena Theatre in the Auditorium basement. It runs again at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Next week’s performances are 7:30 Dec. 7, 8 p.m. Dec. 8 and Dec. 9 and 2 p.m. Dec. 10. Tickets are $5 at the door.
