WILLIAMSTON, Mich. – For the opening of Williamston’s 11^th season, they’re presenting a show that mixes not one, not two, but five genres in an evening of comedy that showcases one of Joseph Zettelmaier’s newest works.

Pulp is a salad bowl that tosses together film noir, romance, science fiction, horror, and masked crime-fighting. How does Zettelmaier manage to fit so many genres in a two-hour show? By murdering a literary agent and making the four suspects each a representative of a different pulp genre. The private eye hired to solve the case is the hardboiled, fedora-wearing detective out of film noir and the play is presented in that style.

Directed by Tony Caselli, this mish-mash works splendidly because all the elements make such an outstanding contribution to the telling of the story. The script is clever and witty. The actors commit to their archetype. And the crew creates the technical elements that set the scene and the running crew gets into the act with their own costumes and scene-changing performances.

The film noir detective, Frank Ellery, tells the audience several times that what makes him a success is his attention to the details. He is, in those moments, a mouthpiece for the playwright. Zettelmaier’s scripts work because they are so well-researched and he pays attention to the details. With each genre he tackles, he shows a clear familiarity with them. He immerses each of his characters in their archetype and brings it to life for the audience. He works in twists and witty bits of cleverness that keeps the audience paying close attention and giving them plenty to laugh about.

Caselli pulled together a cast of actors who are all at the top of their game, many familiar to Williamston audiences, all of them familiar to Michigan theater-goers.

John Lepard, executive director of the Williamston theater, plays the hard-boiled Frank Ellery. He was brilliantly directed by Caselli with his poses and movement, painting each scene and turning him from flesh and blood actor to something larger-than-life. Lepard was center stage as narrator and primary actor of the play, delving into each suspect’s life and genre (sometimes literally). He embodied the role and effect of the character, slowly revealing his own secrets while exposing everyone else’s secrets and taking the audience along to learn as he did. He found the perfect balance of portraying the necessary brokenness while still letting the inherent comedy of the show shine through.

Alysia Kolascz was Desiree St. Clair, the romance novelist who hires Ellery to discover the killer and clear her own name. She slid across the stage, exuding sex appeal and making each of her scenes sizzle. Her femininity was never weak, even when she was cast into the role of victim. As the only woman in the five-person show, she not only held her own, but left an indelible mark on the show.

Aral Gribble returned to the Williamston stage after several years’ absence to play the science fiction writer Bradley Rayburn. Zettelmaier gave him special challenges in this script which would be too much of a spoiler to reveal here, but suffice it to say that Gribble was up to the challenge and created a character with divergent physical and vocal demands. He starts out as the nervous, younger writer, filled with hope but scared and nervous after discovering the agent’s dead and mutilated body.

Mark Colson wins the ribbon for creepiest character as R.A. Lyncroft, the horror writer. Zettelmaier offers him scenery to chew and Colson does so with relish. He is appropriately mysterious, more than half-mad, and commanding in his presence. Even in a comedy, Colson finds a way to make goosebumps climb up the backs of the audiences.

Joe Bailey rounds out the cast as Walter Cranston-Smith, the crime-fighting, adventure writer. It marks his first time on Williamston’s stage, but he is very familiar to audiences at The Ringwald in Ferndale. His character competes with Ellery as a hero who attempts to solve the mystery even while being a suspect himself, with a powerful motive. Unlike Ellery’s bordering on tragic detective, Bailey’s Walter Cranston-Smith is comic in nature, even while embodying all the clichés of the genre from capes to crime labs to obscure fighting techniques. He’s the perfect fit for his character and commits to bringing him close to the line of being a buffoon without quite crossing it.

With a script that takes the cast careening from one location to another as Ellery investigates the murder, it wouldn’t be possible to pull the story off without some clever imaginings and work from the technical staff and stage crew.

Matthew Imhoff’s scenic design features pulp covers as the main backdrop, immediately setting the scene and time period. His backdrop features a few hidden surprises that help create new locations while limiting the number of set pieces that have to be moved in and out and around the stage.

Shannon Schweitzer’s lighting design is a huge part of what creates the film noir feel. He creates a moodiness with shadows, pools of light and a hint of darkness that never obscures what the actors are doing with their bodies and faces.

Elspeth Williams puts each character in a period outfit that illustrates their role in the play while Michelle Raymond’s props design gives each person something to play with that makes them fit their genre. Several entertaining fights are choreographed by Christina Traister, each one playing to the weaknesses of the characters engaged in battle.

Finally, the stage crew members are decked out in period hats and overcoats and frequently intermingle with the characters, changing each scene in a fluid manner that keeps the play moving and makes it work in the confined spaces of the Williamston theater.

Pulp is a comedic romp through a literary playground. While the story and dialog alone could entertain a general audience, it is the details of each genre brought to life that makes this play a unique and satisfying story. It’s taken to a whole new level by a team of artists who are all clearly pursuing a unified vision that transforms this show into a memorable evening of theater.

Click here for show days, times and details.