Review by Chase Johnson
Miami University Theatre put on two very different but very powerful pieces in Hidden Motives: An Evening of One Acts. They are Trifles and Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters.
The Plot of Trifles
The first, Trifles by Susan Glaspell, is in some ways a murder mystery. Yes, to figure out who killed the husband, a man named John Wright, but also what motive a wife would have to strangle her husband as he slept.
The men of the piece include the Sheriff (Eric Drees) The County Attorney (Evan Long) and Mr. Hale (George Bell). They are conducting an investigation into the murder that has just taken place. The women of the piece are Mrs. Hale (Sara Rose Detwiller) and Mrs. Peters (Megan Murphy). They have been tasked with getting personal effects for the jailed Minnie Wright. Neither John nor Minnie appear in the play; our group of investigators inspect their chilly home in rural Iowa. The men seek anything that would suggest a motive, mocking the women for discussing their friend’s life and her preserves and knitting. Ironically while the men belittle these things it is through them the women realize the truth. The smoking gun the Attorney seeks is hidden in a sewing box, and an empty birdcage. The evidence serves as a powerful metaphor for the relationship between Minnie and John. Yet it is only the two women who see it, and keep it to themselves.
The Plot of Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters
This is an absurdist show of five actors, the three of them sisters who are not sisters (Sara Rose Detwiller, Ashley Rickey Ricker, and Sophia Moore) the other two are brothers who are brothers(Evan Long and Eric Drees). They decide to play a game of murder and slowly one of the brothers kills all of the others except one sister who in turn kills him. The show is very avante garde in presentation and embodies a lot of good clowning and movement by the performers.
The Performances
All of the students do an excellent job at portraying their roles. The cast of Trifles really sells the circumstances and the coldness of the Iowa farm where it takes place, as well as the tension of the murder and gender politics on display. Evan Long in particular portrays the County Attorney as cold and cruelly mocking the house and its owner. By contrast Sara Rose Detwiller plays her role as Mrs. Hale as a bit of a firebrand who actually cares and actually figures out what has gone on from clues that the men overlooked. Directed by Jamie Ellen Ripperger, advised by Ann Elizabeth Armstrong, it is incredible to watch.
The cast of Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters does an admirable job with a script that is very absurd. It shows off their ability to act in unconventional ways and is rather entertaining. Directed by Colton Wolf. The performances are fairly silly, but it’s a fun time. It left me with more questions than answers, but it works as a good contrast to the more serious Trifles.
The Production Team
The set for Trifles is very period accurate and has a feeling of cold detachment, fitting for an Iowa farm house in winter. Especially where a callous investigation is going on. The cool lights help reinforce this and help build the overall detached feeling of the piece. The set for Three Sisters Who are Not Sisters is made of simple wooden acting cubes, but the lighting and projection help the manic feelings that the cast build. Scenic and Projection Design is by Gion DeFrancesco, Madeline Milas, Isaiah Serra, and Garland Weaver. Costume Design by Meggan Peters. Lighting Design by Marly Wooster, Assisted by Mary Johnson-Medina. Sound Design is by Lily Green and Technical Direction of Curtis Montimore. They do an excellent job..
Bottom Line for Trifles and Three Sisters
Educational theater is alive and well! So many students were in the audience, many taking notes and looking rather thoughtful as the shows unwind. Yay for Theatre 101 classes and more–today’s student is tomorrow’s professional–and tomorrow’s audience or board member. And as someone who loves theater, I look forward to seeing these students grow over the coming years. This production ran March 6-9, 2025.
UP NEXT for Miami:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream By William Shakespeare; Directed by Lewis Magruder running April 30-May 3, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. and May 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets online or by contacting the Miami Box Office 513-529-3200. The Miami Box Office, located in Nellie Craig Walker Hall, is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for walk-up purchases.
