A little play with a lot of substance

Theatre ‘d Art's "Little Murders" opened last week at the Osborne Studio Theatre, one floor below Theatreworks in University Hall, their first play of 2010 and a continuance of last semester's theme: Illusion.

"Little Murders," by cartoonist and dramatic satirist Jules Feiffer, debuted on Broadway in 1967 – and expired after only a week's run. Feiffer had written it in response to President John F. Kennedy's assassination four years prior, specifically, about the "false sense of security America has developed, and what happens when that's shattered," explained Carol Sinon, an actress, production photographer and sometimes-public relations guru for Theatre ‘d Art.

Frank Rich of the New York Times, who reviewed "Little Murders" in May 1987, postulated that the play's first attempt (in 1967) was a year too early – for in 1968, crime and murders became ample fodder for TV. "Little Murders" hit the second stage in 1969, to much wider popularity, possibly because the populace was more open to its then-edgy content.

"Little Murders" revolves around the Newquist family, an average collection of average Americans with above-average levels of dysfunction. Rife with opposing philosophies, godlessness and paranoia, this satirical comedy can readily be considered "dark" but, as Rich pointed out, the play becomes more humorous as the decades go by, and "the unorthodoxies [the characters] find so shocking and threatening – atheism, homosexuality, pacifism, nihilism – [become] mainstream fare for contemporary Middle America."

Angie Kinnett, the director of Theatre ‘d Art's "Little Murders," professes that the theme of Feiffer's work is not without contemporary relevancy. In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans felt again the destruction of their sense of security. Sinon pointed out that a lack of trust between even people as close as neighbors and the lengths to which one will go to protect family are still symptoms of that event, and are well-addressed in a tale like "Little Murders."

"Little Murders" will run through March 14, playing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for reservation at Theatre ‘d Art's new number, (719)357-8321, and are $10 for general admission, $5 with a student ID, and free for UCCS students.