Wimsey must follow a trail of clues that bring him into contact with a host of entertaining stock characters: the flustered maid, the uncouth American railroad tycoon, the bull-headed policeman, the simpering socialite, and more. Senior caps the effect with ringing tones that echo the after-effects of a bomb going off. The Lifeline production beautifully captures the style of the 1920’s in its costumes (designed by Caitlin McLeod and Anna Wooden), its creative multi-level set (designed by Alan Donahue), its atmospheric lighting (designed by Diane D. Fairchild), and the eerie sound bytes designed by Stephanie M. Senior). (Sugg’s unprovoked, tunnel-visioned focus on Thipps is very difficult to comprehend.) Also, due to the fast pace and strong accent used by Rose early on, and a too-quiet Act II scene with Voit and Rose, my wife and I had difficulty grasping some of the dialogue. But unfortunately Rose’s enthusiasm, combined with an accent that often overtakes his words, makes the actor impossible to understand. As a joke, he added a pair of pince-nez that had by chance come into his possession. Longtime Lifeline ensemble member, Frances Limoncelli has adapted this Dorothy L. Sayers’ murder mystery for the theatre. (That intricate set by scenic designer Alan Donahue is Jeff Award-worthy.). His last movie worth the watch was Shrek, and before that, his last good project was 1999's Life opposite Martin Lawrence. Alan Donahue’s set cleverly accommodates a variety of locations by hiding cubbies in Wimsey’s wood-paneled, book-lined drawing room; these open to reveal set pieces that indicate a bedroom, an office, a courtroom, and an open grave. A divorced executive named Marshall and his 11-year-old son, Charlie, casually touch a magical Tibetan skull, releasing a mysterious power that transfers Marshall's mind to Charlie's body and vice versa. On the same day a high-profile financier disappears, a freshly barbered corpse is discovered in a bathtub propped up and styled to resemble the missing man. She is a freelance sound designer and recent Chicago transplant. Though some lines are lost through Rose’s stylized delivery, overall it’s a well-crafted performance. Directed by Nicolas Roeg. Through hidden doors, we are cleverly transported to an office and later a graveyard. His character is far too reminiscent of the Saturday Night Live sketch from the early 1990s about “Da Bears.”  It is so over-the-top that it isn’t funny, even as comic relief. The supporting characters cumulatively make a stronger and more entertaining contribution to the success of the revival than His Lordship. The nobleman often reflects on the deadly seriousness of his pursuit, for if he were to make a mistake in identifying the wrong person as the murderer, he would have done everybody a disservice (a classic British understatement). Well, obviously the police. By Karen Topham The narrative may strain the spectator’s credulity but the presentation is a triumph. The shadowy story is nicely lit by Diane D. Fairchild. Whose body is it, how did the body get there, and is there any connection to a missing financier? may not boast the most intricate of whodunit plots, but this atmospheric period piece offers plenty of entertainment. The Inspector has observed some superficial similarities between Levy and the dead man in Thipps’ bathtub, and so he simply concludes that he’s solved both cases at the same time. It is a tasty morsel of this time period but not enough of a mystery to be devoured. Allow me first to heap immense praise on the production itself, starting with the phenomenally creative director Jess Hutchinson, who has the actors emote from different parts of the house. His television and film credits include: commercials for the NFL, T-Mobile as well as Chicago Fire (NBC), Boss (NBC), Crisis (NBC), Animator (Film) and The Good Fight Series (YouTube and Vimeo). Drawn to the oddity of the case, Wimsey (William Anthony Sebastian Rose II) teams up with his inspector confidante (John Drea) and manservant (Scott Danielson) to chase down clues that reveal a tangled scheme of business and medical malfeasance. Kungfu Master. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED I was especially impressed by Joshua K. Harris, whose appearance, accents, dialogue delivery, and body language were all unique for his characters: a cop who resents Lord Peter’s interference, an American railway owner, an all-business coroner, and a medical student whose fondness for liquor may help him remember key information during the investigation. Movie material, right? These moments from the design team are poignant. He plays a suave character who’s in perfect control of the world around him. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED The small flaw in the acting has to do with the (intentional) overreach of Harris as the Chicagoan J.P. Milligan. Other favorite credits include: A Christmas Carol, The Grapes of Wrath, Macbeth, Into The Woods, Dog Sees God, The Pillowman, and Spring Awakening (New Stage Theatre and Actor’s Playhouse in Jackson, Mississippi). England. Rose plays it so deliciously pompous that when he is stricken by the past, his fragility is endearing. Vickers, 82, had not been seen for a long time. September 17, 2019 Tony has been an actor in Chicago for 15 years. More than one mystery is afoot in Lifeline Theatre’s ‘Whose Body?’ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED You may have heard her coaching efforts around town with the likes of First Folio, Babes with Blades, The Greenhouse, Pegasus Players, CityLit, AstonRep, Idle Muse, ETA Arts Center, Red Twist, Bower Ensemble, First Floor Theater, Loyola University, and the dearly departed Prologue Theatre, of which she was a founding member. Timid lads who would never dream of dating Jennifer now find her unexpectedly friendly, even seductive. On a more serious note, the play introduces a recurring theme from the Wimsey novels: the detective’s struggles with PTSD, or ‘shell-shock,’ as a WWI veteran. A hundred years ago when Dorothy Sayers wrote her books, it was no different:  Chicagoans and Londoners would have similarly heard the muffled sound of reverberating railcars from their comfortable seats. Whose Body? a jolly good time. September 19, 2019 www.jesshutchinson.com. Who is in the bath? In Sayers’ story, Mr. Thipps is a mild-mannered architect who discovers a naked, dead body in his bathtub. Rose’s performance, going from completely in control and more clever than anyone else on stage to completely crushed and terrified is stark. Who's the deadliest of the deadly when it comes to racking up kills? And Scenic Designer Alan Donahue’s grand library is the multi-functional centerpiece. Thipps, an architect, finds a dead body wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez in the bath of his London flat. johndrea.weebly.com. The plot centers on the discovery of a dead man found sitting naked in a bathtub, wearing only a fancy set of eye glasses. Mr. Danielson’s impressive resume includes, among other shows, star-making appearances in “Bright Star,” with BoHo Theatre, “Nine to Five,” with Firebrand, and “The Full Monty,” with Kokandy Productions. Are the one fellow’s murder and the other’s disappearance connected? His Lordship immediately became one of the most enduring amateur detectives of the age. However, when respected English doctor, Julian Freke, testifies at the inquest that none of the bodies had been missing from the hospital, the theory is thrown out the window. Joined by director Jess Hutchinson (The Man Who Was Thursday), ensemble member Frances Limoncelli, adaptor of 2009’s Busman’s Honeymoon (Non-Equity Jeff Award: New Adaptation), 2006’s Gaudy Night (Non-Equity Jeff Award: New Adaptation), and 2004’s Strong Poison (Non-Equity Jeff Awards: New Adaptation) re-explores this beloved and charming whodunit for a new generation. Wallace & Gromit over Zootopia any day. They include Scott Danielson as Wimsey’s stalwart valet Bunter, Katie McLean Hainsworth as Wimsey’s savvy mother the Duchess of Denver, John Drea as Wimsey’s friend and co-investigator Inspector Parker, Gladys Horrocks as a household servant caught up in the murder investigation, Joshua K. Harris as Wimsey’s boorish nemesis Inspector Sugg, and Tony Bozzuto as the smug and menacing psychology Julian Freke. The Fly (1986) This David Cronenberg remake of the 1957 Vincent Price film is the quintessential body film, recounting the tale of one Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) who ends up as a hybrid fly/human creature after one of his science experiments goes awry. When a dead body turns up in a bathtub wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez, amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey assigns himself to the case. He will be back at work at Lifeline on Middle Passage (for his first and only time) after the first of the year. That leaves us with William Anthony Sebastian Rose II, who plays Lord Peter Wimsey. Sections of this page. Other Chicago credits include: The Wizard of Oz (Windy City Performers), The Polar Express Train Ride (u/s – Warner Bros. Inc.), #RUWorthy (Nothing Without a Company), Barbecue Apocalypse (Cuckoo Theatre), As You Like It, (Eclectic Theatre). Dorothy Sayers was an English writer who ranks among the luminaries of the period in detective writing between the two world wars now called “the Golden Age.” She caused an immediate stir among detective fiction fans in 1923 with her first novel, “Whose Body?,” which introduced the aristocrat Lord Peter Wimsey. “Whose Body?” is not one of Sayers’s best Wimsey stories but it still suggests the virtues that make her better novels icons of the Golden Age. With the help of his good friends, valet Bunter and police inspector Charles Parker, Wimsey (known as Lord Peter) inserts himself into the investigations of complex and confounding crimes in a popular series of eleven novels and several short stories. She earned her MFA at Northwestern University. Co-costumers Caitlin McLeod and Anna Wooden have clothed their characters with perfect period style. The performers embody every character, even the broad caricatures like Sugg, with great attention to making them as real as possible. Although the mystery is the central intellectual curiosity, the story is so much more than murder. As Wimsey, Bunter, and Parker investigate further, they encounter a wide range of colorful characters–and suspects. A prostitute's chance encounter with Levy on the night of his disappearance, on the road leading to the hospital and to Sir Julian Freke's house next door, provides Wimsey with the clue that allows him to link the two cases. Still, in those few moments where you’re asked to listen carefully and parse through dialogue for clues that are slow to surface in this John Doe mystery, you may find yourself asking — begging even — for someone to hurry up and just tell you whose body. So fun! The script is much too predictable (and thus unsatisfying), especially in the second act. He fancies himself to be a more modern version of Sherlock Holmes. Previous Lifeline credits include: Emma, The Time Warp Trio, Anna Karenina, You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy?, Her Majesty’s Will, Northanger Abbey, and A Tale of Two Cities. The first involving a missing aristocrat and the second, a deceased John Doe in a bathtub that has everyone wondering whose dead body this is. In the twisty Netflix psychological drama The Sinner (season 2) a great deal of the plot revolves around Marin, a troubled teen who joins a cult but later disappears years before the action we see. September 24, 2019 Log In. His Dr. Freke sports a confident air and an upper class dialect that invokes the character’s superiority and a certain aura of mystery. Something essential is missing. His recent work includes: Bright Star, Urinetown (BoHo), Nine to Five (Firebrand), Shakespeare in Love (Chicago Shakespeare), Once In a Lifetime, Quiz Show, The Arsonists (Strawdog), The Full Monty (Kokandy Productions), A Very Fatal Murder: Season Two (The Onion), and Chicago Fire (NBC Universal). Also caring deeply for Lord Peter is his mother (Kate McLean Hainsworth), who worries that the stress of her son’s involvement in this case might trigger a relapse of his PTSD. After having not designed a single show in Lifeline’s 2018-19 season, Alan is quite grateful to return with this production of Whose Body? There are questions about the identity of the corpse and how he got into the bath. There are much better detective stories out there than this one, and many can be found on television. Forgot account? For anyone who has read the books, Sayers’ detailed descriptions of Wimsey’s mannerisms practically leap off the page, and Rose nails his drawling speech, drooping eyelids, eloquent eyebrows, and graceful gestures. Then she turns the tables by portraying a fawning, aristocratic Lady Swaffam. Images from Wimsey’s war past appear through the now clear scrim of the bookshelf. Not Rated | 1h 41min | Comedy | 12 March 1967 (USA) Sid Caesar stars as the bumbling right hand man of mob boss Robert Ryan who is sent to find a … Their problems have just begun. Then there’s the superb acting and casting. She’s already transferred several of the author’s other novels for the stage, including her Jeff Awarded adaptations of “Busman’s Honeymoon,” “Gaudy Night” and “Strong Poison.” It was only natural that Ms. Limoncelli would bring Lord Peter Wimsey to the Lifeline stage once more. Dramas by Agatha Christie still appear on area stages today and are appreciated by audiences for their twist-and-turn plots and often elegant, urbane atmosphere. A man, quite naked save for a pince-nez, is found in someone else’s bath. Danielson nicely switches hats by playing the scholarly Dr. Grimbold. Whose body do you like the most? Wimsey ultimately discovers that Freke murdered Sir Reuben after luring him to his house with the promise of some inside financial information. Supposedly, God possessed the body of a Texas millionaire, who Lucifer met in the mental institution. It has heart and humor! Adapted by Lifeline ensemble member Frances Limoncelli, the play follows Wimsey as he simultaneously investigates two unusual cases. "a stunning first novel that disclosed the advent of a new star in the firmament, and one of the first magnitude. Only when she mentions the inexplicable appearance of a dead body wearing nothing but a pair of pince-nez in an acquaintance’s bathtub does a flash of curiosity, determination, and intrigue flash across his face, and we see that there is more to him than meets the eye. team. The plot involves the appearance of a body in the bathtub of Lord Peter’s neighbor Mr. Thipps (John Drea), naked save for a pince-nez, at pretty much the same time as another man nearby vanishes without a trace, with Drea’s Parker leading the investigation. A prominent member of society is missing. If you do plan to see Whose Body?, be advised that steps to seating rows are a bit steep. annawoodendesign.com. The character of Lord Peter, especially as paired with his manservant, Bunter, has been compared with Jeeves and Wooster, by PG Wodehouse. Visit our Accessibility page for more information. In contrast, Bozzuto also skillfully plays a less-respected man’s man named Cummings, as well as another working class fellow named Bill Williams. Anna is a costume designer, craftsperson, and maker. Its skillful adaption for the Lifeline stage by Frances Limoncelli will most certainly pique the interest of a new generation of spectators, some of whom might be drawn to pick up the original novel. Donahue’s three-level set has a backdrop of what looks like a large wall of bookshelves filled with, presumably, Wimsey’s impressive library. By Julia W. Rath Patrick is thrilled to return to Lifeline with such an amazing cast and crew after previously working as the dramaturg on Midnight Cowboy. Director: Brian Gilbert | Stars: Judge Reinhold, Fred … The carnage starts slowly for Bob Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell in Nobody. Folding chairs can apparently be added in front of the first elevated row. Her adaptation of “Whose Body?” is a prime example. as with other detective fictions, Dorothy L. Sayers creates a detective as unique as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple or Father Brown. Caitlin is thrilled to team up with Jess Hutchinson again at Lifeline. Lifeline Theatre has continued this tradition by staging its elegant production of “Whose Body?”, based on Dorothy Sayers’ 1923 classic thriller. She is proud to be returning to Lifeline having previously co-designed The Man Who Was Thursday (Jeff nominated). Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster–though in this case, butler and gentleman are more equally matched in the IQ department. The Golden Age writers can be read today for their charm and their improbable but fun plots and entertaining characters. This is Michaela’s Lifeline debut. Unlike in a novel, where world-building details have some room to breathe, the story here becomes strained underneath a torrent of proper nouns and red herrings, as well as arcane character backstories that are made only more confusing by double- and triple-casting. The story that worked well in Britain between the wars falls flat today. The design of these moments is clever. Other Chicago credits: Sideshow, Rivendell, Citadel, Wilmette Parks District, Mudlark, and UIC. (She’s okay; the house manager and others helped her, and she was able to see the entire play.) Freke maintains that he was discreetly being consulted by Levy about a medical problem, and that Levy left at about 10pm. Related Pages. or. Most recently he could be seen in Mad Beat Hip and Gone (Promethean Theatre Ensemble). Katie McLean Hainsworth shares a natural rapport with Rose as Wimsey’s mother, the Duchess of Denver, from whom her son inherits his mischievous sense of humor and zest for adventure. She has had the great fortune of working with such wonderful companies as: WildClaw Theatre, Factory Theatre, Strawdog’s Hugen Hall, Adventure Stage Chicago, and Nothing Special Productions. Hainsworth sets the standard. You can find Stefanie online at www.stefaniemsenior.com. Jess Hutchinson’s direction adds to the script’s wit with a steady influx of physical bits. Lifeline Theatre is in the business of turning literary classics corporeal, and ensemble member Frances Limoncelli’s adaptation shows off her awarded flair. This is William’s second production with Lifeline after having the opportunity of appearing in The Man Who Was Thursday (u/s Gabriel Syme). Making her debut at Lifeline, Michaela Voit makes an impression, demonstrating her versatility by playing four very different roles. At Lifeline he plays Lord Peter’s manservant and faithful friend, Mervyn Bunter, and does so with a perfect blend of compassion and command. Film credits include: First Dance (Project Blue Light), and The Shepherd (Vertical Church). The British author introduced her amateur sleuth to the world in 1923, shortly after the end of WWI. This is Joshua’s first production with Lifeline. So it is with theatre. Comment. However, that is excluded by evidence given at the inquest by the respected surgeon and neurologist Sir Julian Freke, who states that there was no subject missing from his dissecting room. In the novel, Wimsey comes across as a fatuous caricature of an English aristocrat, though the character toughens up in later novels. September 18, 2019 His post-traumatic stress leads to bouts of panic when he gets too worked up about the two troubling cases on which he’s working. The Golden Age, most famously represented by the novels, plays, and short stories written by Dame Agatha Christie, was known for its country house settings and often artificial plots and characters, but Christie probably best known for surprise endings that expose the least likely character as the villain. Follow the clues and uncover the truth in this beloved 1923 whodunit by Dorothy L. Sayers. It’s been ten years since Frances Limoncelli adapted Busman’s Honeymoon for the stage, but now Lifeline returns to Dorothy L. Sayers with Limoncelli’s 2002 adaptation of Sayers’ first novel, Whose Body? Wimsey and Parker, aided by Lord Peter’s faithful manservant, Bunter, set about to collect the necessary evidence that’ll disprove Inspector Suggs’ accusation and expose the true murderer. William Anthony Sebastian Rose II carries the show on his shoulders. A mysterious murder entices Peter to skip the book sale and head to the crime scene. A former army officer, Wimsey suffers from nightmares, hallucinations, and paralyzing guilt about the men who died under his command. The quality, amount, proportion, and freshness of ingredients are all important to the recipe. The preparation has to be just right in order for the flavors to come together. Not Now. Mary is delighted to make her Lifeline and Chicago theatre debut by joining the cast of Whose Body? Her adaptation of The Mark of Zorro won 2009’s New Adaptation Non-Equity Jeff Award, and she directed Watership Down (2011) and Johnny Tremain (2006) for the Mainstage. Other recent credits include The Lessons (Passage Theatre Company), Reconciliation 0001 (Otherworld Theatre Company), and No Child (Definition Theatre Company). Lifeline Theatre Presents WHOSE BODY? With Mimi Rogers, Bryan Brown, Christopher Burgard, Elizabeth Barondes. When I was dissatisfied with my single unfurnished room I took a luxurious flat for him in Piccadilly. The depiction of this era would have been far less realistic without their meticulous attention to detail. But any superficial resemblance between the two audiences is just that.