New School's Red Herring A Farcical Cold War Comedy: Cappies Review

By Elijah Kassa of Justice High School
Cappies Review

FAIRFAX, VA — It's 1952: Elizabeth II has just been ordained Queen, the Korean War is well underway, McCarthyism runs rampant, and on the Boston Harbor, two G-Men, a landlord, a nuclear physicist, a Senator's daughter, and a Russian sailor all find themselves tied up in a whirlwind of murder, mystery, marriage, and the secret plans to the H-Bomb?! The New School of Northern Virginia's Red Herring takes a zany, blunt-nosed look at love, "tying the knot," and Cold War politics.

Premiering in 2000 at the Arden Theater Company in Philadelphia, PA, Red Herring is a farcical spoof of the golden age of cinema's "film noir" spy movies written by Michael Hollinger. The play follows Maggie Pelletier (Mia Morgan), a Boston detective, as she, along with Frank Keller (Jonas Walker), an FBI agent and Maggiess suitor, try to unravel the murder of Nathan Kravitz. Along the way, a secret plan to leak the H-Bomb plans by the fictional daughter of Senator McCarthy, Lynn McCarthy (Courtney Weldon), and her fiancé James Appel (Noah Freedman) becomes inextricably intertwined with the mystery of Mrs. Kravitz (Arminé Heard) and her lover Andrei Borchevsky (Drew Reynolds), bringing twists and turns equally dramatic and comedic.

The New School's cast finds its strength in the same things that make the show what it is: fluid ensemble scenes and a comedic heart of gold. This is evident in scenes towards the end of the show where individual pieces like Weldon's frantic energy as Lynn, Freedman's awkward disposition as James, Reynolds' wacky physicality/accent work as Andrei, and the femme fatale/straight man dynamic that Morgan and Walker bring come together to create scenes that balance comedy and tension amazingly. Each couple also brings their own "flavor" to their relationship dynamic, showcased in scenes like a long-distance phone call between Weldon and Freedman's characters at the top of the second act where both actors cleverly used delays in rhythm to signify the lag from the phones and the growing distance in their relationship at that point in the show.

The sets, designed by Sophie Grzadzinski and the Tech Class, were simple, straightforward, and multi-purposeful, using a consistent, wood-painted aesthetic to create the Boston Harbor setting. Small details like the algae on the posts of the dock and the detail on each wooden crate helped to add to the sense of space, while the overall simplicity of the sets allowed for the easy transformation into the various locations in the show without the extensive need for props.

Libby Miller, the sole Hair and Make-up designer, did a great job using different techniques to showcase characters throughout the show, adding stubble and eye bags to Frank in act two to showcase his alcoholic degradation after finding out Maggie's secret, using character defining, over-the-top hair curlers and eye bags on Mrs. Kravitz to establish her tired and never fully put together character and giving Andrei a constant pale look which paired well with Reynolds' thin, wistful energy.

The New School's Red Herring created a show with equal parts tense, hilarious, and heartwarmingly simple (but enjoyable) ensemble work. Simple tech design aided the performance, and the show sent a message that even in adversity, "love prevails."