‘Doors’
jumps through time
By Monica Levette Clark
On-line Forty-Niner
Two
young wives, one elderly husband, a mama’s
boy, a killing machine, a hotel security
clerk and a blonde dominatrix hooker. All
were characters in “Communicating Doors,”
which opened Friday at the Long Beach Playhouse
Studio Theater.
Set in London in a suite at the Regal Hotel,
the play jumps back and forth in time. It
opens with Poopay, the hooker from the year
2014, who’s real name is Phoebe, traveling
back to the time of October 1994, by way
of a magical white hotel door.
Poopay (Juliet Grainger) learns of a plot
by Reece (Reed Boyer), a rich mogul, to
have his current second wife, Ruella (Pamela
Nicholson) killed by Julian (Jozeph Wise)
as a long time disturbed partner, when all
Poopay wants is to get paid for her sexual
services.
She ends up being a witness to the
signing of a declaration from Reece that
he had his first wife, Jessica, killed in
May 1974.
Things start to unfold when Julian discovers
Poopay in the suite, after Reece has suffered
a heart attack and passes out. Julian threatens
to kill Poopay, but she escapes through
a door that takes her to the room of Ruella.
The two learn of each other’s identities,
forming a pact to rewrite history by going
back to 1974 to warn Jessica that Julian
planned to kill her by drowning her in the
bathtub.
“Communicating Doors” was both laugh-out-loud
funny, and very entertaining. Directed by
Steven Fiorilla and written by Alan Ayckbourn,
the play was performed in two 45-minute
acts, keeping its audience amused and involved
in the twisted plot. Nicholson and Grainger
gave the most entertaining and convincing
portrayals of their characters.
It is only at the end, when the story slightly
loses its entertaining edge, and becomes
a long dialogue between Reece and Poopay.
“Communicating Doors” will run through April
19 at the Long Beach Playhouse, with shows
on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday
matinees at 2 p.m. |
