Temporary Insanity

Tired perhaps of presenting Agatha Christie plays, but still believing that any murder mystery is better than none at all, community theaters have been programming ersatz Christie. Consider the Ana-Modjeska Players’ (indifferently performed) production of “Rehearsal for Murder,” in the group’s temporary home at the Fairmont School auditorium.

The “revealing” plot twists are so bland that when they occur, one wonders when the real twists are coming. Admittedly, director Jennifer Boudreau’s cast has a few obstacles. Having to re-create the play’s atmosphere on this awkward, raised stage in this shallow room is fairly impossible. And then there’s the play itself, adapted by D.D. Brooke from a teleplay by Richard Levinson and William Link: It feels formulaic and manufactured rather than written.

It serves up a playwright, Alex Dennison (Tom Royer), investigating the death of his fiancee, leading lady Monica (Monica Suter). The police have concluded that she jumped from her apartment window after receiving poor reviews for a play. (One of many signs of no imagination here: We never hear any of the reviews being read). A year after her death, Alex assembles the play’s cast, director (Warren Harker) and producer (Claudia Ehrhardt) to sniff out another explanation.

Natch, everyone has a motive, and Christie mavens probably will be able to solve this little mystery in fairly short order. But for those of us who may be less skilled, it’s a long wait to the thudding conclusion. The clues are less than brain-tickling, to put it mildly, and Karen (Dyan Hobday) and her lover-actor Leo (Kirk Larson) seem too guilty for their own good.

Alex has the people play out scenes that he has written examining their possible motives. But not a moment feels real. Because the play isn’t about anything in particular--unless you count three writers’ collective fantasy about a writer writing poor dialogue scenes to catch a killer--the actors have nothing to play with.

And we’re left thinking that the nth Christie revival must be better than this.

BE THERE

“Rehearsal for Murder” continues Friday and Saturday at the Fairmont School auditorium, 1557 W. Mable St., Anaheim. 8 p.m. Ends Saturday. (714) 991-4135. $8-$10. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.