Dead Ringer

by Gino DiIorio
Directed by Brendan Hughes
Wednesday - Saturday, August 12 - September 18
curtain: 8pm - Tickets: $15-$31

When hard-boiled film noir meets the American Western everyone wins - except poor Mary. It's Sunset Valley, Texas, 1885. Tyrus Cole, a crusty, ill-tempered horse trainer lives on a ranch with his invalid sister, Mary. Unable to watch her during the day, he confines Mary to the root cellar. Enter Dewey, a slightly goofy young stranger looking for help with his horse. Mystery, intrigue, and greed in a genre-bending comedy.

Cape Cod Chronicle: Suspense And Surprises Build In WHAT's'Dead Ringer' by Ellen Petry Whalen

"In his third season and final show of 2010, at WHAT's Harbor Stage, Brendan Hughes sets the precise cadence and languid atmosphere in this New England premiere. His chosen professional acting troupe of three was just seen in the Harbor Stage's previous show "Cyrano." As unusual as this western noir is, the portrayal of Mary puts it over the top. As the imprisoned sister, Withers is heard, but never seen, except for her hands. The actress' rich, seductive voice makes full use of her sharp-witted and colorfully vulgar lines. Withers draws sympathy from the audience, along with Dwight, playing the helpless victim. As the lonely Dwight, Fielding successfully transforms his character from one with a kind but none-too-courageous soul to a reactionary and greedy one. Always playing the edgiest character on the Harbor Stage, Kropf delivers an intimidating performance, yelling and kicking at the door to his sister's cage, while exposing the invisible and mysterious hold Mary has on him...

In true film noir fashion, with its many twists and turns and shifts in power, the thriller reveals the characters' true intentions with the measured pace of a Texas drawl. The show is as haunting as one's imagination makes it, conjuring up poor, deformed Mary in her hole. Thusly, one is mesmerizingly drawn into the western noir up until the suspenseful and shocking end that ultimately reveals who is pulling the graveyard string in "Dead Ringer." full review

Cape Cod Times: 'Dead Ringer' mines dark emotions by Debbie Forman

"Only one of three people in "Dead Ringer" is actually locked up - in a root cellar. But the other two have created prisons of their own. And that is at least one of the messages of Gino DiIorio's play, a Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater production at its Harbor Stage for the next month...

Brendan Hughes, the impresario of the Harbor Stage and director of the play, presents a tightly wound production, intense and suspenseful. Robert Kropf, who sensitively captured the title character in WHAT's production of "Cyrano" earlier this summer, puts on another hat - and a totally other persona - as Tyrus, the vitriolic jailer. Kropf has amazing versatility. He is able to inhabit a diversity of characters with remarkable authenticity.

And we can say the same about Jonathan Fielding, who plays Dwight. A multitalented actor, Fielding played Christian and several other cavorting roles in WHAT's production of "Cyrano" and the sad-sack brother in the company's June play, "Colorado." Fielding's Dwight is meek at first; he winces at Tyrus' vehemence and even backs away from Mary's aggressive talk, although she is safely - for him - behind a locked door. The pair's menacing behavior soon has an effect on Dwight, and we watch a transformation.

Although unseen, Brenda Withers gives a powerful performance as the imprisoned Mary, whose body may be limited but whose mind soars. Confined to this cellar, she creates her own world, as she suggests we all do with our imagination." (full review)

Cast:
Dwight Foley - Jonathan Fielding*
Tyrus Cole - Robert Kropf*
Mary Cole - Brenda Withers*

* member Actors Equity Association

Staff:
Stage Manager - Christoper Page*
Set Design - Ted Vitale
Lighting Design - Bridget K. Doyle
Costume Design - Carol Sherry
Sound Design - Jess Bauer
Properties Design - Sarah Beals
Dramaturg - Dan Lombardo
Casting - Norman Meranus
Production Manager - Ted Vitale

To view more production photos click on image below or here


Jonathan Fielding, Robert Kropf, Brenda Withers (in mound)