BLACK COFFEE Taproot Theatre July 16, 2022 Eclectic Arts

Black Coffee
by 
Agatha Christie

TAPROOT THEATRE
Seattle, WA
Review: Saturday 7/16/22 8pm Performance

Performances through August 13th, 2022

(The cast of "Black Coffee" at Taproot Theatre.  Photo by Robert Wade)


Once live performances returned to (one of) my favorite local theatre, it has been a concern of mine that nearly half of the productions have not resonated with me. Outside of, “See How They Run” - which I absolutely loved - and perhaps the musical, “The Spitfire Grill”, the other shows have been the same top shelf quality I expect from Taproot Theatre in Greenwood, but for whatever reason, the shows have not made me want to come back and see them again (a simple litmus test I use for any live event).


So with this in mind, I went into the latest production, “Black Coffee” really wanting to like this show. I wanted to leave the theatre being able to wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone that would listen to me talk about it. Shout it from the rooftops as it were.


On Saturday evening of opening weekend, I sat with my plus one, anxiously awaiting the performance. Quick side note - the coffee bar area is slowly coming back to its former glory - with a range of non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks once again being served. Kudos to Taproot for taking their time to do this right (sippy cups were used that you can bring back for a $2 discount for a future drink). But I digress.


Agatha Christie needs no mention in the world of literary arts. Even someone like myself that doesn’t read nearly the amount of books that I should, has read and/or seen an Agatha Christie novel/film adaptation. She is one of the legends of the literary world.


“Black Coffee” sets itself up well as a “who done it” in Act I. The audience is introduced to a cast of characters, one of whom ends up dead, and then the fun begins. Or supposedly.


The cast throughout the production was top notch. I recognized many veterans of the Taproot Theatre stage - including the lead character of Hercule Poirot played by Richard Nguyen Sloniker. Richard Nguyen Sloniker was brilliant in the role as the fan favorite character of Hercule Poirot. Having seen Richard in a handful of other Taproot (and non Taproot) productions, he always elevates his characters and Hercule Poirot was no exception. The sheer amount of dialogue he had to go through during the show was astounding, let alone his acting chops which, again, were brilliant.


There honestly wasn’t a weak link in the cast. There really wasn't.  They all held their own which should make for a home run of a performance. Director Marianne Savell is no stranger to directing at Taproot as she has directed and co-directed a few favorites of mine in the past.


So where does all of this leave me?


I liked “Black Coffee” but I didn’t love it. Act II saved it for me as the story (of course) showed the reveals for many of the characters which led to the well produced finale.


It must have been difficult to figure out how much dialogue the company runs with to set the foundation of the play without cutting out too much of which would then leave the audience confused. I wasn’t confused but I did find Act I to be way too dialogue heavy. It just seemed to be line after line after line and I was aching for something to kick the scenes into another gear (action, humor, a surprise reveal). There was the occasional light humor but it was for the most part played straight and it reminded me of reading a book to be honest. Again, I understand the dilemma the creatives must have wrestled with to figure out the balance between dialogue and too much dialogue. Unfortunately for me it was just too much dialogue in Act I.


The acting, the sets, the lighting design, etc. - all of it was of the standard I know Taproot Theatre to hold themselves to. I can always count on that aspect when I walk into the Jewell Mainstage (or the Isaac Studio).


However, “Black Coffee” gets a reserved recommendation from me.


“Black Coffee” runs through August 13th. Tickets are available here:  TICKETS!


Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts

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