"Deathtrap" - by Ira Levin - Calliope Productions (Boylston, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Joan Stewart as “Myra Bruhl,” with Jeremy Woloski as “Sidney Bruhl” lingering over the "corpse" of “Clifford Anderson” as played by Max Cantor in a scene from Ira Levin's "DEATHTRAP" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 26, 2025. Photo Credit: Karen Josbacher)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“"Darling, I may be devious and underhanded enough to be a successful murderer, but not, I think, a Broadway producer."
- ("Sidney Bruhl") / Ira Levin
Calliope Productions
Presents Ira Levin's
"DEATHTRAP"
Written by Ira Levin
Directed by Linda Oroszko
Assistant Director/ Stage Manager Scott Lyerly
Produced by Dave Ludt
Cast Includes: Jeremy Woloski as “Sidney Bruhl,” Joan Stewart as “Myra Bruhl,” Max Cantor as “Clifford Anderson,” Marren Sanders as “Helga ten Dorp,” Michael Hayes as “Porter Milgrim.”
Additional Creative Team:
Fight Choreography - Paul Spanagel; Props - Kim LiPuma, Karen Josbacher, Bob Reidy; Weapons - Al Dano; Set Design - Dave Ludt; Lighting Design - Matthew Valeri; Costumes - Donna Reidy, Bethany Killeen; Set Construction and Painting - Bob Reidy & Dave Ludt.
Performances:
October 16, 2025 through October 26, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
CALLIOPE THEATRE, 150 Main Street, in Boylston, MA.
TICKETS:
For tickets and more information contact the Box Office at 508-869-6887 or visit https://www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
In Calliope Productions' faithful adaptation of the suspenseful Tony Award-nominated comedy-thriller "DEATHTRAP," the focus seems less on the “suspense” and more on the “comedy,” which leads to many surprising moments...making this a must-see show.
The efficient Calliope cast and creative team, led by director Linda Oroszko, have staged the stylish, flowing story written by Ira Levin in 1978 and all should be commended for a fine production.
There’s only one thing that pulls back "DEATHTRAP" from being totally flawless and we’ll get to that later, but this is still an outstanding show.
The two-act play comes with numerous plot twists that hit you from the very beginning to the very end.
"DEATHTRAP" holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway, enjoying a four-year run from 1978 to 1982, closing after 1,793 performances.
Nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play, "DEATHTRAP" has been staged many times.
Many also might recall the 1982 film adaptation starring Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon and the late Christopher Reeve.
The current show by Calliope’s Oroszko is highly praiseworthy for its seamless staging, augmented by a marvelous set design and use of the Calliope stage for "DEATHTRAP," which has not one, single inch of wasted space and looks terrific.
Set in Westport, Connecticut, famed mystery thriller playwright Sidney Bruhl (Jeremy Woloski) works in a study that is described, in Levin’s script, as a “handsomely converted stable grafted onto an authentically Colonial house.”
The impressive Calliope Productions' set design by Dave Ludt adheres to the script perfectly, replete with a “fieldstone fireplace” which is used during critical moments in the show.
Numerous weapons adorn the walls: handcuffs, swords, a crossbow, pistols, a mace, and more.
However, as we soon learn, most of these are not just there for decoration.
Sidney displays them as souvenirs of his more successful plays, along with many old lobby cards ("not posters") of productions of his plays.
Yet, these items may also serve to remind and further aggravate Sidney’s crippling case of writer’s block.
He sees an opportunity for breakthrough when gets a script from one of his students that could be a potential hit.
(Photo: Max Cantor as "Clifford" with Jeremy Woloski as “Sidney Bruhl” in a scene from Ira Levin's "DEATHTRAP" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 26, 2025. Photo Credit: Karen Josbacher)
In "DEATHTRAP" Sidney ‘invites’ the young writer, Clifford (Max Cantor), over to his place where they can “collaborate” on the needed “improvements” of the story’s “rough draft.”
Woloski is thoroughly enjoyable in the role that, while some might not feel he resembles others that have played the part in the past, Woloski effortlessly leans into the wit of Sidney and less on Sidney's usually overplayed sophistication and smug, erudite personality.
Woloski and Cantor have fine camaraderie as the writers who slowly move from being collaborators to competitors, then later from allies to adversaries.
As it turns out, Sidney’s motives are not as altruistic as it may seem.
Even with this, though, Clifford, an avid admirer of Sidney, seemingly welcomes the opportunity to work with Sidney.
At the Bruhl home, Clifford meets Myra (Joan Stewart), Sidney’s charming wife and, through what feels like numerous carnival rides in the plot, where this show concludes is a far cry from where it commences.
Even though Myra is fairly one-dimensional character, Stewart does quite well focusing on the supportive nature and ultimate torment that comes with being Sidney's spouse.
(Photo: Joan Stewart as “Myra Bruhl” with Jeremy Woloski as “Sidney Bruhl,” and Max Cantor as "Clifford" in a scene from Ira Levin's "DEATHTRAP" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 26, 2025. Photo Credit: Karen Josbacher)
Where Levin’s cleverness is most evident is in the show’s structure, where we see that Levin’s show "DEATHTRAP" recognizes itself for what it is.
Ira Levin’s dialogue is expertly structured (so much so it almost absolves him for his malignant musical “Drat! The Cat!”).
The writer wrote so many marvelous stories during his lifetime (passing in 2007) from “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Boys in Brazil,” “The Stepford Wives,” “No Time for Sergeants” and “Veronica’s Room” but, arguably, "DEATHTRAP" stands solidly among his very best works.
Without resorting to either breaking the fourth wall or becoming a faint, farcical copy of itself in the process, Levin masterfully uses his own scripted stage descriptions and directions as much of the dialogue in effort to "parallel" events taking place in his own story.
(Photo: Max Cantor as “Clifford Anderson,” Marren Sanders as “Helga ten Dorp” and Jeremy Woloski as “Sidney Bruhl” in a scene from Ira Levin's "DEATHTRAP" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 26, 2025. Photo Credit: Karen Josbacher)
As the Calliope story progresses, we are introduced to the hysterical Helga (Marren Sanders), a nosey psychic neighbor, and Porter (Michael Hayes), Sydney and Myra’s dependable attorney.
Hayes is quite good as the relatively minor character of Porter, usually played rather stodgy, but Hayes gives him a more upbeat demeanor which elevates his brief moments on stage.
Every time you let your guard down and assume no more plot twists are about to happen, more come along.
It is the feloniously funny Helga as played by Sanders that steals attention away from every other character in the over-the-top manner that comes part and parcel with the character of the intrusive celebrity psychic neighbor.
Sanders is pure comedy gold in the role with impeccable timing and with nearly every single line is delivered perfectly.
(Photo: Jeremy Woloski as “Sidney Bruhl" chats with Michael Hayes as “Porter Milgrim” while Max Cantor works at the typewriter as “Clifford Anderson” in a scene from Ira Levin's "DEATHTRAP" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 26, 2025. Photo Credit: Karen Josbacher)
Not only ingenious, the play is also quite funny, even during some of the show’s darker, more frenzied moments.
The plot thickens with many competitive maneuvers in the ongoing game of one-upmanship between Sidney and Clifford that help maintain an even keel of humor and surprise.
However, the one area which the Calliope Productions production of "DEATHTRAP" might be stretching credulity to its limit is in moments where Cantor’s “Clifford” character is supposed to be physically threatening of Woloski’s “Sidney” character…and it just.doesn’t.fly.
Overall, Cantor’s performance is exemplary, leaning heavily into the smugness and shrewdness of Clifford.
However, even at the height of masterful martial arts training, in no universe could this Clifford snap Sidney’s neck or due him severe bodily harm, reducing some of the adversarial aspect of the character.
A relatively minor drawback that does not otherwise detract from the balance of this terrific staging.
(Photo: Joan Stewart as “Myra Bruhl,” with Jeremy Woloski as “Sidney Bruhl” lingering over the "corpse" of “Clifford Anderson” as played by Max Cantor in a scene from Ira Levin's "DEATHTRAP" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through October 26, 2025. Photo Credit: Karen Josbacher)
Continuing at Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. through October 26th, 2025, with Halloween just around the corner, this production of "DEATHTRAP" is a welcome treat with a bag full of dramatic tricks.
Concluding their 2025 season, up next at Calliope Productions will be the Tony Award-Winning musical “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF” which will play in Boylston from December 4th through December 14th, 2025.
For tickets and more information contact the Box Office at 508-869-6887 or visit https://www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
Comfortably ensconced in his charming Connecticut home, Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds.
A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student in the seminar he has been conducting at a nearby college—a thriller that Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway smash.
Sidney’s plan, devised with his wife’s help, is to offer collaboration to the student for co-credit.
Or is it?
"DEATHTRAP" provides twists and turns of devilish cleverness, and offers hilariously sudden shocks in such abundance that audiences will be spellbound until the very last moment.(STAGEAGENT)
ABOUT CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS
CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS is a year-round non-profit theatre company founded in 1982 that serves the needs and interests of audiences and performers in the Central Massachusetts region. CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS presents six main-stage productions each year, and operates performance training workshops for students (ages 9 - 18) and adults. CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS is a member of the American Association of Community Theatre, the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres and the Worcester Cultural Coalition.
150 Main Street
Boylston, MA. 01505
# 508-869-6887
