Mysteries take center stage

Parenting is full of mysteries. Why siblings raised in the same home have such different personalities. Why teenagers don’t recognize the infinite wisdom of their elders. Why toddlers find pots and pans more fascinating than all those fancy toys.

Natalie Schmidt as Mollie Ralston in the Hale Theatre production of The Mousetrap

But sometimes it’s nice to enjoy mysteries of other people’s making. Mystery writer Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” is being performed at Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert through Sat, Oct 8. The play follows guests at Monkswell Manor snowed in on a wintry night as one of them turns up dead and the rest work to uncover the killer.

“The Mousetrap” opened in 1952 in London, where it’s still performed today — making it the world’s longest running play. Folks favoring mysteries with a shorter run can follow the campaign foreplay of the Christie who calls New Jersey home. Or the trial of Michael Jackson’s so-called doctor.

Arizona Theatre Company opens its world-premiere production of playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s “Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Suicide Club” Thurs, Oct 13 at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.

There’s nothing funny about suicide, of course — something Governor Christie seems to have overlooked in all that “I’m not running” rhetoric. But the topic has been treated by various writers through the ages, including Robert Louis Stevenson — whose trio of short stories dubbed “The Suicide Club” was first published in 1878 by “London Magazine.”

I read the online ATC play guide one night after attempts to watch a bloody crop of television crime series season premieres left me nauseous. I prefer murder and mayhem theater style. I crave food for thought more than I hunger for violence.

Arizona Theatre Company describes “Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Suicide Club” as a “puzzling mystery that questions the boundaries of friendship, love and murder.” But the study guide hints at the work’s subtler themes — the evolution of war, citizen searches for justice outside the law, the nature of addictive personalities and more.

Mark Anders and Remi Sandri in the Arizona Theatre Company production of Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Suicide Club (Photo: Tim Fuller/ATC)

My husband recalls reading plenty of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories as a child. If I’ve read even one, I don’t remember it. I get the feeling we’d both find plenty to enjoy in Hatcher’s work — which takes a playful rather than purist approach to the character of Sherlock Holmes.

I was intrigued to learn from the play guide that while Conan Doyle rarely has Sherlock Holmes use telephones or other technology of the day, technology was critical in helping Hatcher research Holmes’ character. Apparently Hatcher’s first foray into the Amazon Kindle was checking on whether certain words or phrases were used in Holmes dialogue written by Conan Doyle.

Like the play “War Horse,” which continues to enjoy galloping ticket sales in London and NYC, Hatcher’s “Sherlock Holmes” reflects the impact of changing technology on cultures in conflict. I get the feeling that the play’s reference to suicide speaks to something beyond isolated acts of desperation.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn more about Hale Centre Theatre, here to learn more about Arizona Theatre Company, here to explore the works to Agatha Christie, here to explore the work of Arthur Conan Doyle and here to visit London’s Sherlock Holmes Museum. Click here for suicide prevention resources.

Coming up: Valley visual arts offerings, Hedgehog meets goldfish, More NYC adventures

Seeing red

It’s starting to feel like a bit of a conspiracy theory. Now that my daughter Lizabeth is readying to leave Arizona for college, several of the shows she’s most eager to see have started popping up around the Valley.

We were “seeing red” recently when we realized she’ll be well into her freshman year (at a college yet to be decided) before the Arizona premiere of a play that won six 2010 Tony Awards — including “best play.”

The work is John Logan’s “Red” — which is based on the true story of an artist grappling with “the commission of a lifetime.” The play is described as “a searing portrait of an artist’s ambition and vulnerability.”

Apparently matters are complicated by a new assistant who questions the artist’s “views of art, creativity and commerce.” Their master/novice dialogue explores an age-old query: “Is art meant to provoke, soothe or disturb?”

“Red” is the final work in the recently unveiled Arizona Theatre Company 2011-2012 season, which opens with a world premiere titled “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club.” It’s a Jeffrey Hatcher work based on “The Suicide Club” by Robert Louis Stevenson and characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle.

The 45th anniversary season slate for Arizona Theatre Company also features the Southwest premiere of Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage,” which won the 2009 Tony Award for “best play.” Picture grown-ups trying to be civilized as they discuss their children’s misadventures on a playground — only to unravel as “political correctness” dissolves into “character assasination.”

The fact that bullying is such a hot topic of discussion these days makes this work especially intriguing. Perhaps it’ll answer one of my one burning questions: Why are parents (and politicians) who bully so suprised when children follow in their footsteps?

They’ll also present the Southwest premiere of “Daddy Long Legs” — a musical that’s based on the novel by Jean Webster. It features book by John Caird (who also directs), and music/lyrics by Paul Gordon.

“Daddy Long Legs” couples coming of age saga and love story. Told “through a series of letters,” it’s described as “a testament to the power of the written word.”

Valley theater-goers might have had more experience with the next show in ATC’s 2011-2012 season — “Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.” Lizabeth and I first saw this one at ASU Gammage, then at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

“The 39 Steps,” which features four actors in well over 100 roles, is described by some as “spy novel meets Monty Python.” It’s the tale of a mild-mannered man who finds himself tangled up with murder, espionage and a dash of flirtacious misadventure. When well cast (which I certainly expect to be the case with ATC), it’s one of the funniest shows around.

An additional offering in the ATC 2011-2012 season is Simon Levy’s adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” — based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name. It explores a world of wealth and privilege during the “jazz age” of 1920s America.

It’s hard to imagine a stronger season. And while Lizabeth is truly disappointed she won’t be here to experience these shows, ATC’s 2011-2012 offerings will serve me well by providing poignant, powerful fare and a much needed distraction as I miss my favorite theater companion.

— Lynn

Note: Arizona Theatre Company presents their “Curtains Up Cabaret 2011” Sat, April 30 at the Herberger Theater Center. Click here to learn more.

Coming up: Musings on “message” movies, Valley teen does comedy