Except in the hands of its masters, absurdism has become somewhat of a short-lived wonder. Tom Stoppard, of course, is a master, so his absurdist satire on theater critics and a typical murder-mystery melodrama is still playable. The second-year class of FSU/Asolo Conservatory play The Real Inspector Hound to the hilt, yet it’s on a rather blunt--one might say shopworn--sword that thrusts in too many directions, all of them now obvious.
It doesn’t help that the layout of the theatrical scene extends to two critics watching from a side stage, which is not well seen from all of the Cook’s audience space. It’s also true that people on house left can’t easily see the corpse behind a sofa on stage left. (Besides, the sofa has its back turned to an important portrait on that wall, a nonsensical arrangement of decor that should be realistic in the play within the basic play which is actually about the critics). That gives you an idea of the production pitfalls.
Of the critics, Moon (well acted by Brett Mack) is the less important, having supplanted the more experienced usual one just before curtain’s up. Brandon Maldonado dominates as the practiced critic Birdboot, who’s apparently also practiced in using his reviews in seducing actresses. They watch a murder mystery that’s introduced by Mrs. Drudge, a maid (Jillian Courtney, effective), who gives extended exposition on the telephone. From then on, the mystery involves on and off love affairs among Simon (Rob Glauz, good looking), blond semi-athlete Felicity (Kelley Elizabeth Smith) and the woman of the house Cynthia Muldoon (always flamboyantly posing Jessie Taylor), who wants to keep in love with her 10 years missing--probably dead--husband. A lot of fuss is made from his wheelchair by Major Muldoon (Jacob Sherburne, loud and crusty). There’s a shooting, and Michael Fisher’s befuddled Hound is called in. But is he the real Inspector? Comments develop (though characters don’t) throughout by the two critics until one actually gets into the mystery play’s action. And the next mystery becomes: What will the newer critic do? If you like a play that’s all about the author being clever and a production in which the director tries to turn all into a farce, you will enjoy the Conservatory’s efforts more than I did. I found the audience split, and that’s my cue.
