The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 was misleading from the very start. The show did not turn out to be a musical at all, although it did stay true to its claim of comedy. Perhaps in a show where nothing turned out as it seemed, a deceptive title fit rather well. The play, which was staged in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater throughout Fall Fest weekend, was a comedic form of the murder mystery. Written by John Bishop, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 tells the story of a group of theatrical producers, directors and actors brought to the house of Elsa von Grossenkneuten (Emily Dare '08) to audition for an upcoming show. As it later turns out, the audition is a false pretense used to bring together this group in an attempt to find the "stage door slasher," a murderer who killed three dancers in an earlier show that involved this same team.

As the show progresses, it is revealed that many of the people at the house are not actually who they seem to be. In a series of funny mistaken identities, murders and physical and verbal comedy, the stage door slasher and a Nazi saboteur are eventually captured, resulting in a happy ending and even a bit of romance.

The first half of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 was not particularly impressive. The plot was rather banal, and the script was not very funny. The performances were decent, but no one really stood out. The first act ended with the murder of Marjorie Baverstock (Elizabeth Cosser '07). A bit of comedic chaos ensued as the characters continued to talk to the dead woman, under the mistaken impression that she was simply ignoring them because she was unhappy with the audition. As the characters made the terrifying realization that Baverstock had been murdered, aspiring comedian Eddie McCuen (Alain Ackerman '08) asked if the show was going to be cancelled, which resulted in some laughs from the audience just as the curtain was closing. At this point, the quality of the show greatly improved, and the second half changed my impression of the show a great deal.

Throughout the second half, several of the actors and actresses in the show began to shine. Ackerman was one of my favorite actors in the play. As Eddie McCuen, he suspects that something is wrong with the audition from the very start when he realizes that the directors and producers are the same people who were in charge of the previous show where the stage door slasher last struck. Some of the best lines in the play went to McCuen, who continued to provide humor even as the murderer became increasingly threatening. Ackerman was the perfect actor for the role of Eddie McCuenfunny-funny self-deprecating, and good-natured-the show benefited greatly from his presence.

Another great performer was Joanie Axelbaum '07, who played the role of lyricist Bernice Roth. Axelbaum delivered an incredibly funny performance, acting drunk and terrified throughout the second half of the play. When one of the murderers threatened her character by asking if she had ever been stripped, tied to a pole and whipped, she replied, "Do I have to answer that?"

Axelbaum provided comic relief throughout the show, alternating between fainting in fear and continuing to write songs for the play that was a mockery to begin with. Her performance was complimented by that of Dan Risman-Jones '08, who played Roger Hopewell, her co-partner of the musical team. Hopewell with his frequent gestures and flamboyant personality was certainly a nice asset to the play.

Carol Ortenberg '06 gave an impressive performance as Helsa Wenzel and various other characters. Ortenberg not only played Wenzel, but she also played her brother, and several other roles throughout the show, switching accents as well as personalities with the utmost ease. One of the few upper-classmen in the performance, Ortenberg's extra experience certainly showed. I was particularly impressed with her performance as a dead body when one of her characters was killed in the first scene-she was flaccid and lifeless, even alarmingly convincing.

Overall, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 was worthwhile, but certainly not one of the best shows I've seen at Brandeis. The script was funny at points, but the ending was very confusing as the plot twisted again and again. The physical comedy was weak, although there were a few highlights.

Most noteworthy was a scene in which Helsa and Patrick O'Reilly (Tom Heller '07) get into a fight. She pulls down his pants and lies on the table with O'Reilly practically on top of her. McCuen, who was suspecting that the two were involved romantically, walks in and immediately assumes the worst. The combination of their positions and McCuen's reaction made the scene one of the funniest in the play.

While all of the performances were certainly decent, only a few stood out as superb. A nice choice for parents' weekend, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 did not disappoint, but it did not thoroughly impress either.