Nightmare Room, The

Milwaukee’s In Tandem Theater presents the U.S. premiere of John Goodrun’s psychological thriller, The Nightmare Room. The play is based on a story by Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so one enters the theater expecting plenty of plot twists and turns. The play does not disappoint.

In our current society, murder carries such severe consequences, doesn’t it? Mostly, the courts must decide the fate of who is right and who is wrong. In this play, however, our imaginations are let loose. A wronged wife is able to wreak vengeance without thinking about all those nasty things that come afterwards, such as prison.

In essence, The Nightmare Room is about two women, friends since childhood, who are feuding over the same man. He’s a Hollywood film star. One of the women is married to him, and another, her best friend, has been conducting an affair behind her back. Now they are both locked in a stark, white room that has been made completely soundproof. The room also contains a table, a pitcher of water, two empty glasses and a vial of colorless, tasteless poison. Which woman will win her freedom and the man they both love? Don’t make a bet too soon, or you’ll surely be out of the money by the time the play ends.

In Tandem artistic director Chris Flieller makes all the right moves in setting this mystery in motion. In the early scenes, Libby Amato, as the mistress, does a wonderful job of setting the play’s tense atmosphere. Her initial fear is palpable. She is dressed more casually than Catherine, as befitting her station in life. She’s merely an office girl, while the wealthy Catherine has become even wealthier as a real estate developer. She is not used to being crossed, and she makes it clear that her friend’s betrayal will not be tolerated.

The two actors are well-matched in their conflict. Catherine (Mary C. McLellen), a blond, is well-composed and a bit stiff. The dark-haired Helen (Libby Amato) is a bit wilder and streetwise. Like many mistresses, she is almost relieved that her deception has been discovered. But she’s not about to give up her lover without a fight.

Not everything adds up quite as nicely as one would hope. Some gaps in logic are a bit too wide to ignore. But if one is willing to sit back and enjoy the performance – devoid of close examination – The Nightmare Room is a completely enjoyable way to spend the evening. Bravos to a set design that creates a skewed perspective of the locked sterile room.