STAGE REVIEWS : ‘TEN LITTLE INDIANS’

Even a seasoned murder mystery traveler needs a road map of clear characterizations in an Agatha Christie story, where plot twists and turns come with the territory. Unfortunately, a mishmash of accents and characterizations throws up endless roadblocks in the Brea Theatre League production of “Ten Little Indians,” leaving the audience trying to figure out not only whodunit but exactly which country it was “dun” in.

No one was or is better than Christie at pulling off the unexpected, and she plied her trade expertly in “Ten Little Indians,” which has an unlikely group of house guests stranded on a storm-shrouded British island. There, they discover an ominous recording made by their absent host, and, one by one, they are killed off. The most reliable landmarks in the Brea production are visual ones--the smashing Art Deco set designed by Neil Caplin and the rich 1930s period costumes created by Gail Carter.

Director Gary Krinke makes sure the show has plenty of energy, keeping his players incessantly busy with bits of action. But the characterizations that would create and sustain the suspense are in short supply. Some performances overwork mannerisms that would be more effective as subtleties; others leave confusing gaps that undermine the plot exposition. The array of accents produces an unbridgeable credibility gap--British, American, Australian and German, at last count--and it becomes impossible to determine what these characters could possibly have in common.

Happily, there are several characters that are nicely shaded, among them the very proper household help (played by Robert Buckley and Kimber Jerrils), the secretary with a secret (Wendy Sinclair), the suspiciously nervous Dr. Armstrong (David Billman) and the holier-than-thou Emily Brent (Lindy Burke).

“Ten Little Indians” will play through Saturday in Curtis Theatre at the Brea Civic Cultural Center, 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea. For information, call (714) 528-4240.