In its second show of the year, Scotch'n'Soda Theatre presented a lighthearted yet suspenseful musical, No Way to Treat a Lady, on December 1 and 2. Written by Douglas J. Cohen and based on a novel by William Goldman, No Way to Treat a Lady is the story of a serial killer and a police detective in their respective desires to make a name for themselves in the big city of New York. CFA freshman Scott Wasserman played Christopher "Kit" Gill, a failed actor who wishes to redeem himself in the eyes of his recently deceased mother by making a series of murders to achieve fame. Morris Brommel, the detective assigned to investigate the mysterious serial killings, was played by HSS sophomore Alex DiClaudio. The two main characters are supported by several female roles in the story, including Brommel's outspoken mother (HSS freshman Laura Thorén) with whom he lives, "Kit" Gill's victims (all played by BHA sophomore Rose Sengenberger), and Sarah Stone (HSS senior Courtney Kochuba), a classy art collector who falls in love with Brommel. This small cast, directed by BHA freshman Shannon Deep and SCS senior Michael Yin, packed a big punch on the stage in delivering No Way to Treat a Lady to Carnegie Mellon.

The play opens with the two main characters, Brommel and Gill, in their separate residences, both complaining about how they need to make a life for themselves. They both come to judge their success by their appearance (or lack thereof) in The New York Times.  After "Kit" Gill puts on a disguise and commits his first strangling, Brommel is assign to the case. In the investigation, he meets Sarah Stone, and soon falls in love. As the murders continue, the mystery of the killer generates popularity for both Gill and Brommel. They begin to develop a strange friendship over the telephone due to the fact that they depend upon each other to become publicized. As Brommel seeks to spend time with his newfound girlfriend and Gill starts to stalk Brommel daily, tensions become high-strung. The play ends with a tense scene wherein Gill and Brommel meet at last.

As a musical, No Way to Treat a Lady has smooth and almost unnoticeable transitions in and out of song. Also, all the actors sang their parts as well as they played them, making for a remarkable show as a musical. This surprisingly young cast performed very well, such that one would not expect four out of five of them to be first- and second-year students. The best vocalists of the cast, in fact, were the two freshmen: Wasserman playing Christopher Gill and Thorén as Brommel's mother, Flora. Future Scotch'n'Soda musicals should be a joy to watch as these two develop experience on the stage.

Outside of the acting talent, the musical support was notably charming in setting the mood for each scene. It was even more amazing in light of the fact that the music was provided three people: musical director and CFA first-year Matthew Aument on piano, CFA first-year Emily Hawkins on percussion, and CFA sophomore Greg Whittimore on bass. The set was also well designed for quick scene changes that kept up with the pace of the action. Although not of the highest quality painting jobs and props, the set was very well produced considering the short five weeks in which the show was put together.

Despite the serious subject matter of the play, No Way to Treat a Lady feels upbeat and almost humorous at times. The relationship between the hero and villain is informal and friendly, the love scenes are awkward and amusing, and the play reflects several natural human shortcomings that are no less than funny. All in all, Scotch'n'Soda's production of No Way to Treat a Lady was a thoroughly enjoyable show to watch.

Looking forward to more Scotch'n'Soda Theatre? Be on the lookout for The Pretentious Young Ladies by Molière and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley in February. SCS sophomore Daniel Dewey and MCS senior Karl Kempe, respectively, direct these shows – contact them or visit the Scotch'n'Soda website for additional information.

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