Theater Review / ‘Die, Mommie, Die!’ a quirky, darkly funny production

BY TERRY SCHMIDA

Remember the late 1960s?

Daring fashions. Acid trips. Student protests. And . . . murder?

Playwright Charles Busch’s “Die, Mommie, Die,” now playing at the Waterfront Playhouse, is a quirky and humorous murder mystery set in Beverly Hills, ironically, during ’67s Summer of Love.

The family of aging, ultraliberal Hollywood film producer Sol Sussman (David Black,) is so dysfunctional, the Manson clan appear Leave It To Beaverish in comparison.

Kardashian-like kids Edith (Erin McKenna) and Lance (Matt Hollis Hulsey) love and loathe their father and mother, respectively, all under the watchful eye of longtime housemaid Bootsie (Traci Reynolds.)

And then there’s the woman of the house, Angela Arden (Randy Roberts,) whose faded career and reclusive nature, pay homage to the Garboesque mystique of leading ladies such as Bette Davis, Lana Turner, and Joan Crawford, during the twilight of their careers.

Mix in a mob-financed film project, and Arden’s smarmy, greasy lover Tony Parker (Rock Solomon,) with an oversized package, and a shocking secret, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a family feud with the potential to turn deadly.

To wit: Sol returns from an overseas trip, armed with the aforementioned shady financial backing, and a dossier on Angela’s dallying with Tony. Edith is freakishly happy to see her daddy, as is, not-so-secretly, Bootsie. But Angela is less than pleased at her husband’s return, especially after he informs her of his intentions to sabotage her nearly-dead singing career, and cancel her precious credit cards.

Before long, Angela is plotting Sol’s demise.

But these plans are rudely interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Lance, whose mental instability – and even his homosexuality – are laid squarely at the feet of Angela, by Sol, for popping pills during her pregnancy.

Proving the age-old adage that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend,” however, the two quibbling siblings find common cause in a quest for the elusive truth about their heartless mother’s dealings – and even her very identity.

These complicated family dynamics set the stage for an explosive finale, during which all is revealed about the House of Sussman, and the supporting characters caught in its web.

The entire cast shines in this production, which is notable for its able lighting, shining set design, and salty language.

If there’s a standout in the cast, it would have to be Roberts, who breezily and wickedly vamps his way though a role he appears born to play. The whole production kinda makes you wish the ’60s had never ended . . .

“Die, Mommie, Die!” runs through May 28 at the Waterfront Playhouse. Tickets cost $40, except for Spring Special Thursdays, and “Friday Night Date Nights.”