By Kylie Masznicz | Photos: Bob Conrad
Reno Little Theater just began performances for its newest show, “Violet Sharp.” It follows the mystery of the Lindbergh kidnapping that actually took place in America in 1932. To this day, the case remains in dispute. The play focuses on one of the suspects, Violet Sharp, as she is interrogated and believed to be the murderer.
After baby Lindbergh is stolen from his crib one night, all the staff at the Lindbergh estate is questioned. Violet Sharp is among them, working as a waitress for the established family. There are some holes in her story, though, that causes her to become a suspect and have to endure further questioning.
The performance given by the actors was nothing less than compelling. The gradual loss of Violet’s sanity was done incredibly well, and Katie Hughes was the perfect fit for the role. In a highly emotional story, the characters were seen crying, afraid, and angry. Everyone did a magnificent job displaying all these emotions and causing the story to feel just as real as it must have in 1932.
A backdrop displayed photos throughout that went with the dialogue. Newspaper clippings from the time and photos of the family would periodically flash behind the actors, adding that extra sense of reality to the play. This aspect was done tastefully and wasn’t overused. It was never too distracting and was more of a fun nod towards the play being based from a true event. Overall, it was greatly appreciated and add another level of reality.
The performance given by Katie Hughes as her character starts to go crazy due to the intense interrogation sessions draws insight into the strategies utilized in these questioning situations and sparks a conversation regarding police interrogation tactics of the time. The way it’s shown in this play I would highly urge all to see this play. It is intense at times, but so much hard work was put into giving this effect. Despite not knowing the “whodunnit” part of the play, I still felt very satisfied by the ending. There were times, especially at the end, where I even began to tear up just imagining the pain these people must’ve gone through. There were also enough twists at the ending for me to be completely surprised. If you’re a fan of mystery or crime, or even just wanting to see a generally well-done show, head over to Reno Little Theater.The Details
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