Kurt Kleinmann, founding artistic director of Pegasus Theater, has been writing his signature black-and-white murder mysteries since 1986. Patterned after the film noir style of 1930s and 40s B movies, the costumes, props, sets and make-up are executed in shades of gray punctuated only by the actors' red tongues and blood-shot eyes.
Each play begins with a video in the manner of opening credits of a film. Then the curtain rises, and the mayhem begins. The plays follow a pattern: a murder is committed early on, and the balance of the play is devoted to solving it. Lt. Foster (A. Raymond Banda) is called in from the local police department. Next enter bumbling private detective Harry Hunsacker (Kleinmann) and his "paid-by-the-hour assistant," Nigel Grouse (Timothy Honnoll) to help Foster solve the murder. Grouse is the smart one who always makes wise decisions and lets Hunsacker take the credit.
In his 14th and latest murder mystery, A Critical Case of Murder, someone is killing off all the local theater critics, and what's more, each critic is being murdered in a manner consistent with his or her criticism of a play or actor: i.e., the critic who described a play as "box office poison" is, or course, poisoned. The critic who panned a play as a "bomb" meets his demise - well you can guess how, and so it goes for all five critics who are offed in similar scenarios.
This is not great theater. What it is, is funny, slapstick comedy that is entertaining and amusing. The sets, lighting, costumes, and sound design are always first-rate.
For 17 years Pegasus performed in the same cozy space in the Deep Ellum section of downtown Dallas until they lost their lease to urban gentrification. After being dark for two years, they have been performing in several suburban mega performance halls; somehow it's just not the same, but the new venues have undoubtedly attracted new audiences.
Pegasus is committed to producing "new and original comedies" utilizing local talent. They are "devoted to preserving and advancing the art form of comedy," and they are succeeding admirably.
