"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" brings art of quick change and satire to Norwell
NORWELL - The art of the quick change is on full display during "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," which is currently on stage at The Company Theatre in Norwell.
The dark comedy centers around the distant heir to a family fortune as he decides to speed up the line of succession.
Costume designer Joe Michienzie and his team work to make all of the costume changes seamless.
"At any given moment, we've got four people back (stage), trying to take off the old costume, put on the new one, get everything in place," Michienzie said.
"There's almost a little ballet back there going on, where it's 'OK, pants up, arms out, while they put the shirt on, sip of water. OK, vest, head down, wig.' You get into that rhythm," said Actor James Denton, who portrays the nine members of the D'Ysquith family.
Each member of this casually cruel family meets an untimely demise.
Through the direction of Zoe Bradford and Sally Ashton Forrest, the satire is front and center.
"You've got to handle this in a way that is absolutely tongue-in-cheek," Bradford said.
"It just gets to be so ridiculous and funny that you're watching people get murdered, but it's funny," Ashton Forrest agreed.
You can see "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" at The Company Theatre through March 30.