August 14-20, 2003

artpicks

The Mousetrap

Theater

What better way to spend the end of a sweltering summer than at a production of The Mousetrap, that most dastardly and famous of Agatha Christie works, set in a creepy inn (as if there's any other kind) in the middle of a snowy mountainside? The Hedgerow Theatre is doing three runs of the play, the longest continuously running show in history (over 50 years). Christie developed The Mousetrap for the stage in 1952 from her 1947 radio play and short story "Three Blind Mice," and it was an unparalleled hit in London and the world over. No wonder: It's got suspense, wit and most importantly, the prospect of murder at every turn. (Someone among us could be a killer?!?) It's also got a healthy dose of whodunit hints and clues that only serve to throw you off the trail of the real killer. That's what makes Christie so maddeningly, frustrating and satisfyingly addictive. And that's why they made her a Dame.

The Mousetrap, Aug. 14-31, Sept. 5-14 and 20-28 (pre-show tea Sept. 14), $10-$22, Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media, 610-565-4211.

—Lori Hill