Photos and article by Sylvia Eng.
At the second Sleuth rehearsal the actors have taken
the stage for the first time and are getting to know their way around a very
cleverly designed stage that fits the entire floor-plan of country home into our Studio Two space. There are living rooms, outdoor spaces, an office and a hallway, marked only by tape on the floor and some of the key props. The scotch glasses are laid out just as perfectly as
the array of possible murder weapons. The props combined with the multi-room set has me thinking of another beloved murder mystery, the board
game Clue. Maybe you're a dork like me and you also saw Clue
the movie until you could recite all the lines by heart, ("I am your signing
telegram, BANG!"). Not so much? Well put it on your list of
things to do on a rainy afternoon, that is, right after you come out and enjoy Sleuth
at The Rose.
At the second Sleuth rehearsal the actors have taken
the stage for the first time and are getting to know their way around a very
cleverly designed stage that fits the entire floor-plan of country home into our Studio Two space. There are living rooms, outdoor spaces, an office and a hallway, marked only by tape on the floor and some of the key props. The scotch glasses are laid out just as perfectly as
the array of possible murder weapons. The props combined with the multi-room set has me thinking of another beloved murder mystery, the board
game Clue. Maybe you're a dork like me and you also saw Clue
the movie until you could recite all the lines by heart, ("I am your signing
telegram, BANG!"). Not so much? Well put it on your list of
things to do on a rainy afternoon, that is, right after you come out and enjoy Sleuth
at The Rose. 
Sleuth is a twisty turny "whodunwhat" and director
Robert Woodcock was busy at work that first day with the actors layering
innuendo and foreshadowing on top of the quick and witty lines. In a play
like this, every glance, raised eyebrow, dramatic pause and body
language are what really bring the story to life. If you feel that you
may be the next Sherlock Holmes, be sure to watch every
single detail of this show closely (or come see it more than once) to catch all
the nuances. Unlike some shows that may benefit
from a certain amount of improvisation and looseness, let me assure you that
nothing in this show is unintentional. It was fascinating for me to
witness a show like this in such an early stage. In about
an hour the cast covered less than a page of text as each line was broken
down, relevance to future lines and plot twists was discussed and intonation,
actions, and props were added.
The time allotted for me to intrude on the process was up
and we had only scratched the surface of the play. I had to leave with
many more questions than answers. I am already hooked and cannot wait to visit rehearsal again next
week to see how the story develops.
