Raleigh Little Theatre will stage Filthy Rich, a 1984 film-noir satire by Toronto-born playwright George Walker, April 7-9, 13-15, and 20-23 in its Cantey V. Sutton Theatre in Raleigh, NC. Former Steven Spielberg Fellowship recipient Brooke Dattner Linefsky will make her Triangle directing debut with this show.

“Filthy Rich was new to me from the start,” Linefsky says. “I had been working with Raleigh Little Theatre for the year, and knew that I wanted to direct a show with this amazing group of people. Filthy Rich was intriguing because I knew nothing about it, and loved the idea of a film-noir parody. I read the show for the first time in my preparation for applying to direct.”

Brooke Linefsky, who earned her B.A. degree in Theater and English from the University of Virginia, formerly directed and taught theater in Virginia Beach, VA. Now, she teaches at the George L. Carrington Middle School in Durham, NC, and at RLT, where she recently appeared on stage in The Little Prince and A Little Bit of Destiny.

“As soon as I read Filthy Rich,” says Linefsky, “I knew this was a show I wanted to direct. I have always loved the old film-noir films, and the visual imagery in these pieces is amazing. As soon as I read the script, I knew how juicy these roles would be for the right cast. The ability to work visually interesting scenes and blocking that are not the most traditional on stage, the challenge of bringing a strong physical comedy and presence to the show, and the opportunity to do some strong character work with talented actors made this job perfect for me. I loved the idea of taking stereotypical characters and situations and turning them into a reality I could believe in. It has been an absolute delight.”

Linefsky says. “Filthy Rich is the traditional story of a detective and corruption and murder turned on its head. The play begins with Tyrone M. Power (Larry Evans) as a drunk and washed-up investigative reporter. He is soon visited by the Scott sisters, Anne (Mariette Booth), classy and intelligent, and Susan (Megan Navarette), childish and naive, who each need him to help find a missing mayoral candidate. They use their womanly wiles to manipulate Tyrone Power into the middle of political conspiracy, corruption, and blackmail. But who can he trust?

“Opportunist delivery boy Jaime McLean (Pepper Jobe) and Detective Stackhouse (David Coulter) try to help Power find the answers, and are tested at every turn. Throw in Anne Scott’s violent mobster boyfriend, Henry ‘The Pig’ Duval (Douglas Morales), and Power has no safe way to remove himself from the conspiracy without solving the case,” Linefsky explains.

In reviewing the show for The New York Times, D. J. R. Bruckner wrote, “George F. Walker, the playwright, is a Canadian who has an eye for the ridiculous, a good ear for old film dialogue, and an imagination that packs his play with action—and mystery; the villain remains hidden until the last scene, and so does the motive. What he does not have yet is the wit to trim. He has created some very funny characters, many good one-liners and a dozen wildly comic situations. But in the end his humor succumbs to the complications of his plot and a slight tendency to moralize, and his characters are not finely drawn because he seems unable to resist a smart line, even if it doesn’t fit anyone in the play.”

In addition to director Brooke Dattner Linefsky, the Raleigh Little Theatre creative team includes technical director and lighting designer Roger Bridges, fight choreographer David McClutchey, set designer Rick Young, costume designer Robin Cuevas, props mistress Karen Byers, sound designer Becca Easley, stage manager David Wilk, and assistant stage manager Scott Wray. Filthy Rich also features some original music by: Crowmeat and Bob Thurston.

“As in all good film noir,” Linefsky points out, “much of the plot is reliant upon large sections of spoken exposition. Our challenge was to keep the story fresh and interesting when action-packed storyline is narrated rather than witnessed. Also, these characters run the risk of becoming too clownish, or schtick.”

She adds, “We worked hard to make sure that our characters were real, and in becoming real, really funny. They are people with quirks and idiosyncrasies, characters who match a stereotype but do not exist only within that preconceived notion. Lastly, the show created a visual challenge of lighting and imagery to create a 1945 world with Venetian blind shadows and mystery and recreate that three-dimensionally on the stage. We wanted to create the feel and mood of the black and whites while being true to our space and actors, and yet refuse to compromise the sharp angles and stunning stills that make film noir what it is.”

Linefsky says, “Our set is a deconstructed apartment in a converted Victorian building in New York City. Windows monopolize the walls, which are rich wood that has been neglected over the years. This fifth floor office of Tyrone M. Power resides in what was once a beautiful building, but is the victim of neglect and indifference. Now deeply in disarray, it is the home and workplace for an alcoholic investigative reporter past his prime.”

She adds, “Our lighting is non-traditional stage lighting, highlighted by sharp angles and shadows, accented with Venetian blinds and neon lights from outside the apartment/office.

“Robin Cuevas has created stunning 1945 attire for the cast,” claims Linefsky. “The men are found in neutral tones and costumes appropriate for their occupation. Tyrone is in suit pants and discolored shirts, or whatever he finds around the apartment, Jaime in his delivery boy’s uniform, Stackhouse in a dark suit with hat, our gangster is in his traditional pinstripe suit, and the women in bright and vibrant colors visually shake up their surroundings as they manipulate the world to get what they want and need.”

Brooke Linefsky warns “This show does include live gunfire, and mature language.” But she adds, “The cast and crew of Filthy Rich have been working extremely hard, and have much to be proud of. I look forward to sharing our hard work with the audiences that will soon be entering the theater.”

Raleigh Little Theatre presents Filthy Rich Friday-Saturday, April 7-8, at 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 9, at 2 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, April 13-15 and 20-22, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 9, at 2 p.m. in RLT’s Cantey V. Sutton Theatre, 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, North Carolina. $15-$20, except $10 for all tickets April 9th and $12 Thursdays for students and seniors. 919/821-3111 or click here. Note 1: All shows are wheelchair accessible, and assistive listening devices are available for all performances. Note 2: There will be audio description and American Sign Language interpretation at the April 9th performance. Raleigh Little Theatre: http://www.raleighlittletheatre.org/filthyrich.htm.

---

WHAT: The Triangle Theater Review is a FREE weekly e-mail theatrical newsletter, featuring previews and reviews by Robert W. McDowell and reviews by Scott Ross, Alan R. Hall, and others. (For brief bios of our contributors, see http://www.cvnc.org/about/critics-bios.html.) Classical Voice of North Carolina reprints some of our reviews, our theater calendar, and our theater and film links online at http://www.cvnc.org/. The Triangle Theater Review's reviews are now listed under “Performance Reviews” on the CVNC home page. For a comprehensive list of Triangle “Theatre Openings,” see http://www.cvnc.org/calendar/openings.html. For our extensive list of “Theater and Film Links,” go to http://www.cvnc.org/links/theatre.html. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? E-mail RobertM748@aol.com.

DONATIONS: If you value the comprehensive, in-depth local theater coverage that the Triangle Theater Review provides, please use your credit card to donate online via PayPal: http://www.cvnc.org/support/index.html; or mail a generous check today to Classical Voice of North Carolina, 3305 Ruffin Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-4025. Because CVNC is a 501(c)(3) organization, all financial contributions are tax-deductible. Be sure to indicate that you want to support continued online publication of the Triangle Theater Review.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE: E-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE TRIANGLE THEATER REVIEW in the Subject: line. To have your name removed from our mailing list, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type UNSUBSCRIBE TRIANGLE THEATER REVIEW in the Subject: line.

COPYRIGHT: Editorial content and all formats © 2006 CVNC and the respective authors. Reproduction in any form without authorization of Classical Voice of North Carolina and the respective authors is prohibited. CVNC will maintain an archive of standard previews and reviews from past issues for at least a year, at http://cvnc.org/reviews/archives.html. To request copies of web articles from 2005 and earlier, e-mail cvnc1@earthlink.net.

You are here: Home > Reviews and articles about the theatre's productions > Filthy Rich preview