The cast of “The Smell of the Kill,” which opens Thursday at Warehouse PAC in Cornelius, includes (from left) Joanna Gerdy (Debra), Anne Lambert (Nicky) and Julie Janorschke Gawle (Molly) as three Chicago wives faced with an interesting decision about their husbands.
By CONNIE FISHER
It’s amazing what a trio of accomplished actors can do. Anne Lambert, Joanna Gerdy and Julie Janorschke Gawle co-direct and perform the roles of three mischievous, mistreated wives in Michele Lowe’s black comedy, “The Smell of the Kill,” which opened Thursday evening at The Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius. Their combined talent keeps the audience in stitches.
Equally amazing is Ryan Maloney’s set design. The play is staged in a gorgeous kitchen which Mr. Maloney has created for the black box theater at The Warehouse—including running water and electric power. Just a few days earlier the stage was mere sawdust and boards where actors rehearsed and writers edited words in their loft. The genius of Lisa Altieri’s properties design intricately polishes the set with every minute detail to be found in a suburban kitchen.
Energy abounds. The three leading ladies never let up, creating synergy out of discord as they unravel the erring ways of their deadbeat, vociferous husbands who can be heard in the dining room off-stage, putting golf balls into a cup.
As Nicky, Anne Lambert, the hostess, brandishes a weapon with the agility of a hell-bent killer. Julie Gawle plays Molly, the insecure peace-maker, capable of soothing Nicky’s crying baby. All she wants is a baby of her own. Joanna Gerdy tries to be coy, as a supposedly stable friend in the role of the sophisticate, Molly. As the drama unfolds, their delightful charms are exposed in more ways than the enticing words they deliver.
The off-stage voices are star quality too. Nicky’s husband, Jay, is Philip Robertson, a familiar figure on Lake Norman stages who recently was heard loud and clear in “Rumors,” the Davidson Community Players’ recent production. And the persistent, demanding voices of husbands Marty and Danny are none other than our own DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net executive editor David Boraks.
As the plot unravels and we learn about the misdeeds of three miserable, unloving husbands who are into everything from embezzlement to stalking and infidelity. When the dining room golf game is silenced the wives discover their men have accidentally locked themselves in Jay’s new meat locker in the basement. And therein lies the enticement. Should they be left in the cold to freeze or let out to thaw like a hunting trophy?
Black humor is a tricky challenge. Playwright Michele Lowe pulls it off with exquisite pleasure and superb timing. The audience is in for a treat. The play focuses on devilish wicked and touching humor. Women might identify. But The Warehouse has taken precautions. In a program disclaimer, Artistic Director Marla Brown assures the audience, “No husbands were actually harmed during the rehearsal or performance of this show.”
So, the question remains, is it a time to kill? There’s a way to find out, albeit amid peals of laughter. Performances of “The Smell of the Kill” continue at 7:30 pm on Thursdays, and at 8:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays through October 6. There is a 2:30 pm show on Sunday, September 30. Tickets may be reserved by calling The Warehouse on Westmoreland Road in Cornelius at 704-619-0429, or online at tickets@warehousepac.com.
