EDMONDS — Imagine watching a 1930s movie. That’s the way Driftwood presents this story.
Fact is, Broadway playwright and composer George M. Cohan’s “Seven Keys to Baldpate” — a medley of mystery, melodrama and farce — was made into a movie numerous times and enjoyed revivals onstage in New York and Chicago.
The story involves the writer Billy Magee, who bets a rich friend a big chunk of change that he can write a 10,000-word dime novel in just 24 straight hours.
The millionaire friend takes the bet and has caretakers give Magee the key — the only key — to the friend’s remote Baldpate Inn, closed for the winter, so Magee can write in complete seclusion.
Magee begins to give up on the bet early on when a succession of people who also have a key to the inn begin showing up.
By intermission we have met a lineup of characters that include the inn caretaker and his wife, a corrupt politician, the temptress, a crooked cop, a hermit, a feisty girl reporter and a gang of criminals.
Not only has Magee done no writing, he has allowed himself to be totally involved in the mayhem. He spoils a move by the crooks to steal some money from the hotel safe and he falls in love with the young reporter.
All the while he keeps mentioning that he has written about these sorts of characters before. Again and again.
OK, here’s the spoiler alert. Stop reading now if you want to be surprised.
Eventually Magee finds out that all the people with keys are actors hired by the millionaire to make sure he doesn’t finish the dime novel.
What won’t be revealed here is whether or not Magee finishes the novel.
Directed by Gianni Truzzi, the talented cast includes Boyd Morrison as Magee, along with Terry Boyd, Rob Gaston, Caitlin Gilman, Nicholas Horiatis, Danette Meline, Sean Roddy, Annie St. John, Edwin Scheibner, Asa Sholdez and Justin Tinsley.
It must be mentioned that the artistic team has done a fabulous job with the costumes, the set, lighting, sound and more.
The tempo of the opening night show was much too slow, but by now the cast is surely zipping through their lines, keeping the audience on its toes and laughing at every turn.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.
If you go
Edmonds Driftwood Players presents “Seven Keys to Baldpate” at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 27 at the Wade James Theatre, 950 Main St., Edmonds. For tickets, $25 general admission, go to www.edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org or call 425-774-9600, option 3.
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