Posted 12:18 am Friday, October 26, 2012
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New Tyler Civic Theatre Center show a tense thriller
BY STEWART SMITH
ssmith@tylerpaper.com
Tyler Civic Theatre Center will draw the curtain on its latest production tonight with the opening of the thriller, “Wait Until Dark.”
ssmith@tylerpaper.com
Tyler Civic Theatre Center will draw the curtain on its latest production tonight with the opening of the thriller, “Wait Until Dark.”
The story follows Suzy Hendrix (Grace Worcester), housewife who finds herself embroiled in the middle of a plot by three con men to get their hands on doll filled with drugs.
We open with Carlino (Corey Folmnsbee) and Mike (Ray Deal) separately breaking into the home of Suzy, each receiving instructions from an anonymous source to meet there for the opportunity to quickly make a large sum of cash.
It turns out they’ve been summoned by Roat (Jeff Olver), who knows that Suzy’s husband, Sam (Mark Cox), has unwittingly agreed to transport the drugs across the border from Canada. The only problem? No one knows precisely what Sam has done with the doll.
Roat and his newfound partners, however, are certain that Suzy does know, and figure they can extract the information with ease. Suzy is blind, and they figure that by posing as a succession of old friends, police detectives and even random strangers that they can trick her into revealing the location of the doll.
However, this trio of criminals severely underestimates its target. Suzy may lack eyesight, but she’s not blind and quickly realizes that something isn’t quite right with these men who keep showing up at her doorstep. And with the help of Gloria (Lexie Rains), her young neighbor, Suzy begins to turn the tables on her predators.
“Wait Until Dark” will be familiar to Audrey Hepburn fans as it was made into a film in 1967, however this is an adaptation of the original Broadway play penned by Frederick Knott.
The machinations of the plot aren’t anything out of the ordinary, necessarily, but the twist of having the main character as blind certainly makes things a bit more interesting. This is especially true in the play’s tense finale when Suzy finally gains the upper hand by forcing Roat to get a taste of blindness by killing all the lights in the apartment.
It turns out they’ve been summoned by Roat (Jeff Olver), who knows that Suzy’s husband, Sam (Mark Cox), has unwittingly agreed to transport the drugs across the border from Canada. The only problem? No one knows precisely what Sam has done with the doll.
Roat and his newfound partners, however, are certain that Suzy does know, and figure they can extract the information with ease. Suzy is blind, and they figure that by posing as a succession of old friends, police detectives and even random strangers that they can trick her into revealing the location of the doll.
However, this trio of criminals severely underestimates its target. Suzy may lack eyesight, but she’s not blind and quickly realizes that something isn’t quite right with these men who keep showing up at her doorstep. And with the help of Gloria (Lexie Rains), her young neighbor, Suzy begins to turn the tables on her predators.
“Wait Until Dark” will be familiar to Audrey Hepburn fans as it was made into a film in 1967, however this is an adaptation of the original Broadway play penned by Frederick Knott.
The machinations of the plot aren’t anything out of the ordinary, necessarily, but the twist of having the main character as blind certainly makes things a bit more interesting. This is especially true in the play’s tense finale when Suzy finally gains the upper hand by forcing Roat to get a taste of blindness by killing all the lights in the apartment.
Most of the weight is hefted upon Worcester’s shoulders. Other than the opening wherein the trio first meet, Suzy is in every scene. Couple that with the difficulty of accurately and believably portraying a blind person while also remembering to act, and, well, it’s a challenging role to tackle to say the least. I can’t pretend to be an expert on the behavior, habits and mannerisms of a blind person, but Worcester certainly acquits herself in a capable manner and carries the role well.
For my money, though, the standout is Olver. He first impressed when he stole several scenes in “Love, Sex & the IRS” last year. Here, he shows that he can be frightening as easily as funny, flipping on his “nasty” switch for the play’s finale.
“Wait Until Dark” isn’t going to blow anyone’s doors off, but it’s an effective piece that has a unique approach to the genre to keep things interesting with a capable cast behind it.
Tonight’s performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For additional performance dates and times or to purchase tickets, call 903-592-0561 or visit www.tylercivictheatre.com.
For my money, though, the standout is Olver. He first impressed when he stole several scenes in “Love, Sex & the IRS” last year. Here, he shows that he can be frightening as easily as funny, flipping on his “nasty” switch for the play’s finale.
“Wait Until Dark” isn’t going to blow anyone’s doors off, but it’s an effective piece that has a unique approach to the genre to keep things interesting with a capable cast behind it.
Tonight’s performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For additional performance dates and times or to purchase tickets, call 903-592-0561 or visit www.tylercivictheatre.com.
