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Media Credit: Angeli Bueno Charlie Castle (Senior Kyle Dugan) is thoroughly smarmed by studio agent Marcus Hoff (sophomore Harry Laverty) in The Big Knife.

There is something about the Johns Hopkins University Theatre that separates it from other theater groups on campus.? Maybe it's the fact that you actually have to buy a ticket - never mind that you give it up one step later.? Maybe it's the authentic feel of the folding seats and the nicely done sets that result from having a bona fide budget.? Or perhaps it's because every third person you encounter seems to share the name Astin.

Whatever the reason, JHUT's performances are with few exceptions some of the best offered on campus.? This fall's The Big Knife is no exception. While not perfect, the play is compelling, witty and emotionally involving.

Senior Kyle Dugan plays Charlie Castle, a very successful actor in the midst of a contract negotiation in the late 1940s. His entourage includes the maid Rousselle (sophomore Kelly McNamara), codeine-popping wife Marion (senior Christen Cromwell) and PR agent Buddy Bliss (sophomore Mike Alfieri).?

The action takes place in Castle's "playroom," and kudos must be given to the set designers for an impressively realistic set with all the accoutrements of an actual living room.

A brief word about the costuming. While a few pieces were excellent, fitting for the actor and the character (as will be discussed later), it was disappointing to see a few inconsistencies. In the first scene, Castle wears pants that bunch around the ankles - an inch or two too long. An image-conscious, millionaire movie star would almost certainly have all his clothes custom-tailored. While we do not expect custom tailoring from JHUT, a hem job would have helped.

When the play opens, Castle and his agent Buddy are arguing over his public image.? Newspaper columnist Patty Benedict (sophomore Katie Barros) arrives, and the half-drunk Castle is a little too loose with his tongue.

Alfieri does an excellent job playing the hero-worshipping PR guy, fully aware of his client's shortcomings but obviously intimidated by his status. Juxtaposed excellently is Barros's character, the columnist, who is overbearing in her attempts to dig up a story about Castle.? Caught in the middle is Castle, who sets the other two against each other nicely.

Continued...

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