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On Theater: A snappy ‘Mousetrap’ satire leads to Jekyll and Hyde

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Agatha Christie was indeed the best-selling novelist/mystery writer of all time, outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible. If only she’d had more time than her 86 years.

Local playwright Scott K. Ratner is a devotee, though you’d hardly guess it from his one-act satirical comedy “Kill a Better Mousetrap,” which opened the summer short play festival at the Huntington Beach Playhouse at the end of August.

Assembling the accumulated facts about Christie’s life and writings, and using them as dramatic fodder, Ratner created a very funny and quite literate “what if” scenario based on the history of Christie’s most famous mystery, “The Mousetrap,” which opened in London in 1952 — and hasn’t closed yet.

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It’s common knowledge that Dame Agatha bequeathed the movie rights to “Mousetrap” to one of her heirs, with the stipulation that the picture couldn’t be filmed until after the London stage production closed. Who knew it would run forever?

In “Kill a Better Mousetrap,” Ratner found the perfect spokesman for his prose — one Scott K. Ratner, who played the luckless descendant under the crisp direction of Chris Mertan. Ratner excelled in tempering his madness as he explained why he gave up on attempting to murder audience members to repel others from visiting the play.

Ratner was being interviewed by a comely analyst whose ulterior motives were kept under wraps until the proper moment. Darcy Porter turned in a splendidly thoughtful performance in this role and made her character much more than a sounding board for Ratner’s spooky pronouncements.

A third character completed the cast. John W. Scoggins did double duty as an opinionated playgoer and a legal eagle, and his observations often stopped Ratner’s flighty character in his tracks.

Ratner’s “Mousetrap” kicked off a four-weekend series of summer attractions dubbed the “4n4 Productions,” a fundraising project for the playhouse. Last weekend, playhouse audiences were treated to the world premiere of “You Have Got to be Kidding Me,” by Mary Skiles and co-directed by Breece Bowen and Kate Napoli.

This weekend’s attraction will be a staged reading of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” directed by Richard Abbot. Then on Sept. 18 and 19, a pair of British comedies, “Box and Cox” and “A Pair of Lunatics,” will close out the Variety Benefit Showcase, proceeds from which will benefit the playhouse. Curtain time for both attractions is 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Performances are presented at the Huntington Beach Central Library Theater, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach. Further information is available by calling (949) 716-7186.

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the daily Pilot, Coastline Pilot and Huntington Beach Independent.

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