OTP delivers solid version of 'Anatomy of a Murder'

BY NANCY SUNDSTROM Special to the Record-Eagle,
The 1958 film version of Robert Traver's (AKA John Voelker) bestseller, "Anatomy of a Murder," is still considered by most, movie buffs to be the best courtroom drama ever made.
With its all-star cast headed by Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara, taut direction by Otto Preminger, gritty script by Voelker and jazzy score by Duke Ellington, it is a classic of the genre. Nearly 50 years later, it more than holds its own with other more contemporary pieces based on trials.
Through Jan. 28, Old Town Playhouse in Traverse City is presenting Elihu Winer's stage treatment of "'Anatomy." With the tale's northern Michigan setting and the fact that OTP has found success with other courtroom dramas in the past, staging "Anatomy" seemed to be a natural fit.
OTP's "Anatomy" does justice to the story of an army lieutenant who wants to plead insanity after being charged with the murder of a man believed to have raped his wife. Director Mike Kelly has assembled a fine cast. They handle the material with ease, and keep the tension mounting.
The play's premise is fairly simple, but its unfolding is not. Since being voted out of office as local prosecutor, Paul Biegler (Jan Dalton)  spends more time fishing than keeping up his law practice. At the urging of his friend, former-police detective Parnell McCarthy (John Dew), Biegler decides to take on the defense of a lieutenant from the local army camp, Frederic.Manion (Ed Mulcahy), who is charged with murdering a bar-owner who raped his wife, Laura(susan Cockfield).
After a testy meeting with Lt. Manion and an innuendo-laden one with his wife, Biegler isn't sure what kind of case he has agreed to handle. The fact that the  Manions have no money and currently reside in a sleazy. trailer park does not sweeten the deal. Biegler knows what the papers do: that Laura came home from an encounter with the deceased and claims rape, leading Manion to take revenge in a crime of passion.
The lieutenant is uncooperative and a temporary insanity defense seems the only way to go. Once the trial is set, Biegler deals with the out of town Judge Weaver (Michael J. Haley) and a tough prosecution led by a lawyer who has been importeded from Lansing (Joe Kilpatrick as the aptly, named Claude Dancer).
Kelly's solid cast came strongly out of the gate on opening night. One of OTP's most accomplished actors, Dalton evokes Stewart's persona from the film, but the character is distinctly his own. He covers the gamut of emotions, from his reluctance to initially take the case to incredulous anger during a courtroom outburst.
Kilpatrick is a worthy challenger to Dalton, both as an actor and as a character. He conveys the right sort of smugness as he underestimates Biegler's prowess as a lawyer and the case in general. The sparring between the two has a sharp rhythm to it that doesn't allow the energy to lag. The welcome moments of comic relief that also come from the dueling attorneys are also well-done.
In his OTP debut and in a nod to neo-realism, Grand Traverse County 86th District Court Judge Michael Haley plays Judge Weaver in a clever casting coup. Perhaps all lawyers and judges are frudtrated actors in real life, for Haley projects a comfort on stage that doesn't always grace first-time pperformances. He creates a full, character here as the judge who keeps his eye on just how far the attorneys can push the witnesses and the law in presenting their cases. His last moments on stage dovetail nicely into the tongue-in cheek surprise ending.
As the Manions, both Mulcahy and Cockfield keep the.audience guessing about their innocence and guilt. Mulcahy is tense and taciturn and Cockfield plays the seductive wife with a straightforwardness that prevents the role from ever becoming a caricature. The pair keep the tension in their relationship on a full simmer throughout the play, something that greatly contributes to the overall suspense.
In supporting roles, Dew as Biegler cohort McCarthy  (played beautifully by Arthur O'Connell in the film) is engaging, even though his attempts at an Irish brogue seem to come and go, and Al Lien makes the most of his role as the dead man's barkeep who has his own reasons for skirting the truth:  Daniel Jablonski does double duty and steals.at least one scene as Det. Sgt. Julian Durgo and Mr. Lemon, who owns the trailer park where the Manions live. It's hard to tell from the performance of Hedges Macdonald as bailiff Clovis Pidgeon whether he is playing his character for laughs or not, but the blocking, which requires Macdonald to constantly cross the courtroom to let witnesses in, seems to grind the show to a brief halt whenever it happens. Chris Horvath makes the most of a brief bit as a snooty psychiatrist who may be able to verify Manion's claim of temporary insanity.    .
Rounding out the cast are Chris Cooke, Justin Harris, Karla Fishburn, Daniel Mello and Stephanie Young. Kelly has done well in assembling this group of
actors, and by the very nature of the material, they work seamlessly as an ensemble during the trial. For the most part, what everyone is doing and reacting to in the courtroom.is interesting, no matter where the eyes settle.
The show's technical credits are solid, especially the set and light design by Jill Erlenbeck. The make-up could use a bit of tweaking, though, to make some characters look older or different from what.they are. A more natural look for these actors would prevent the audience from looking at hair that is too gray or an obviously fake beard, as opposed to the performer.
 Upcoming show times for "Anatomy of a Murder" are at 8 p.m. today and Saturday and Jan. 26-28. There is one matinee performance this Sunday. For information, call 947-2210.
Nancy Sundstrom Is a director and performer who has been reviewing professional and amatuer entertainment for the past 16 vears.
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