When the director first stepped foot out onto the floor, he said with a smile, \Welcome to the inside of Dr. Evil's head."" Unsure of the meaning of this, the audience had no idea what the next one and a half hours would entail. Eagerly, they sat inside this hole-in-a-wall theater located at 1119 Williamson St. The Broom Street theater looks from the outside, like an old garage in someone's backyard. A black-box theater from the inside, with stadium-like seats arranged to form a thrust stage, Broom Street brings mystery and excitement in the world of theater.
""Orange Murder Suit,"" is not only wildly disturbing, but also strangely intriguing, not to mention appropriately named. The play begins in a bar where the audience learns that a woman named Nina had just been freed from her trial for murder. There are four women in the entire play, but is centered on this one woman's ordeal of how her daughter was brutally murdered and her sought after revenge for justice. Writer/director, Rob Matsushita, wrote this crime drama to steer away from monotonous works written for women.
The play works backwards. It begins with the outcome and rewinds to how the present came to be. Slowly, tid bits of information such as the title for the play, character flaws and mannerisms are consistently introduced. The audience gets familiarized with the woman who murdered Nina's daughter, played by, Sameerah Luqmann-harris, who delivers a terrific performance. She plays a cracked out stripper who has a horribly troublesome past and a determined fate exposed by Nina.
The revealing process of the play is well organized, and the story itself is electrifying. It takes a very disturbing and unthinkable twist during the third act, yet still remains enticing and keeps the audience full of anticipation. Disconcerting as this play is, the acting persists in a very real and genuine fashion. It is sincere and demonstrates real life attitudes that are neither trite nor overdone. This show is not for the timid, nor the queasy, but it is surprisingly captivating.
Mr. Matsushita did a tremendous job. ""Orange Murder Suit"" is extremely well written and comprises a well thought out cast, who is anything but dull and monotonous and for not being paid, these actors and stage hands are remarkable. With no hesitancy, if you don't mind violence, blood or a great portrayal of realism, ""Orange Murder Suit"" is thought provoking and makes for a eventful evening.
Shows are performed at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Oct. 20.
