Red Curtain Productions' "Laura" delivers top-notch community theater

This weekend is your last chance to catch Red Curtain Productions' whodunit, "Laura."

I thought it was one of the best dramas I've seen at Historic Everett Theatre in quite a while and the show does prove what good stuff local community theatre has to offer.

I'm terrible at guessing the "who" in any whodunit – even with all the crime shows I watch. So having never seen the movie version of this show, I was totally surprised at the end.

The plot of "Laura" revolves around a murder case that has Detective Mark McPherson obsessed with the dead victim who suddenly turns up not so dead after all. Then he's got a real mystery on his hands.

The suspense and surprise ending are part of the perfect package of this production, but the show also contained some darn fine acting across the board.

A few standouts include Justin Tinsley, who delivered a pompous and witty Waldo Lydecker; Anderson Shaw who played the moody detective and Vanessa Langston, whose piercing scream along with some sharply pointed off-the-cuff remarks made her one of my favorite characters.

I did enjoy Kendal Bogan's leading lady performance; her beauty and grace on stage made her mesmerizing to watch. And she had to do quite a bit of heavy lifting in terms of stage time which she did without skipping a beat. But here comes the but – I wasn't sure what type of character she was trying to play. Flirty? Sultry? Devious? Ditzy? That still remains a mystery to me.

Director Scott Randall stated in the program notes that he hoped this production would "elevate your opinion of what community theater can be."

Well, see this show and prepare to be surprised – at the ending and at this gift of community theater.

"Laura" plays for a final weekend at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday Feb. 8, 9 and 10 at Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave., Everett. Tickets are $16 and $13.50. Call 425-258-6766 or go to Brown Paper Tickets.