The Evangeline Players opened their production of Prescription: Murder, by William Link and Richard Levinson, at the Duchamp Opera House in St. Martinville tonight, Friday September 11. Performances continue September 20, 25, 26, and 27, with Friday and Saturday curtain time at 7:30 and Sunday matinees at 2:00.
Those of us of a certain age will be delighted to hear that this play, which premiered in 1962, was the inspiration for one of my favorites, the Columbo TV series starring Peter Falk. Our children, nieces and nephews, will be delighted to know that their peers, two of the Wunderkinder of local theatre, Joseph Diaz and Adel-Catherine Comeaux, have pivotal roles in making this production fly.
Director Diaz has assembled a cast that brings to life the classic Columbo plot. Dr. Flemming (Walter Brown) is a psychiatrist in a dead end marriage to a neurotic, jealous, nit-picking wife, Claire (Carmen Nicholson). He is in love with one of his patients, Susan (Adel Comeaux). Claire won’t give him a divorce? Well, bump her off!
It’s the perfect crime- or is it? Lieutenant Columbo (Milton Resweber) investigates the case. He appears to be an annoying, cigar-smoking (not really), bad-dressing, dim bulb, concerned with trivia- certainly no match for Flemming. Of course he is!
The cast is fleshed out with two smaller, but important characters. Audrey Thibodeaux is perfect as Flemming’s long suffering receptionist, Miss Petrie, and Don Voorhies blusters his way running interference for Flemming as Dave Gordon, the DA.
As you watch the play don’t be too distracted by Walter’s wonderful set or the lighting design by Jacob Mott. See if you can be one step ahead of Columbo. Pay attention! How would you nail Flemming and Susan if you were Columbo?
---Dr. Robert D. Sidman
(Note: Dr. Sidman was involved in the production of this show)
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