The Reunion is subtitled "A Hilarious New Murder Mystery." It is in face hilarious - from the start through the whole show, laugh out loud funny, as well as chuckle quietly funny. Yes, it is also a murder mystery. By the title you can assume correctly that the show takes place at a reunion of classmates, from high school I believe. It is a small group of friends who were nerds and used to do murder mystery games (remember those) for fun. Clearly they had to do one at their reunion as well. Peter (Chris Hayhurst) enters and looks around the room at the house that Sam (Michael Terrell Brown) recently bought. Sam enters and you quickly realize that there is something between them, some tension or power play going on. Soon the other guests start coming in - Elizabeth (Emma Schuld) who is a bit thrown off about being in that house as it is the house of the man who created plastic straws that are ruining the environment. Clive (MJ Matheson) and his sister Laura (Janely Rodriguez) enter. Laura is a bit nervous to see Elizabeth again, and Clive is just loving the setting, and the sword that is set out. Finally Susan (Katy Kessler) and her husband Richard (Sasha Andreev) make it to the party. Each entrance has a visual sting so that the character entering are the focus...and at each entrance, they are the only ones on stage for various reasons. Susan has to run out to the car and the other guests re-enter but don't know who Richard is. Eventually they all meet, start catching up, Peter is called in to get their bags and then to get ready for the game. There are slight grudges that become clear, resentments, history that is being brought up. Peter comes back in as the host of the mystery game so he is in character. He hands out the characters for everyone else...the game begins. At some point, a murder takes place (as it is supposed to) and a character is lying on the floor...except, are they truly dead? Did an actual murder take place?
The script, which was developed through workshops and improv, is wonderful. The characters feel very true and real. Naturally a lot of that is also due to this incredible cast. They inhabit these characters and even when they come across as over-the-top, it still feels true to life. The stories that each of these characters tells, the connections that they reveal are so good. Despite it being a comedy and very funny, it still has a heart to it. The design of the show (scenery, costume, lighting, sound, props) was spot on. You got a sense of who these characters were from the minute you saw them. You also get a clear sense of the room the action takes place in - despite only seeing one wall. But the joy of the set comes in the second act - at least for me it did. Being a murder mystery, the lighting and sound worked perfectly to set the mood and tell the story. Also, every prop was perfectly placed and used and necessary. Brilliant work.
Here is the added bonus to this whole thing. Trademark Theater is the only theater company in the Twin Cities with the sole focus of creating, developing, and producing new work. So when you see that they are doing a show, you know that it is not something you are going to be seeing again, or anywhere else. This show specifically was created through multiple workshops and improv sessions with some actors being a part of the whole process. Led by Tyler Michaels King and Tyler Mills, this company is singular and truly impressive. I do hope that they work on getting some of their work published because personally, I would love to have a copy of this script in my library. So, support local theatre, local actors, local creators and go see this show. It is hilarious, and mysterious, and truly singular. I am already looking forward to their next work coming in February.
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