Studio Players Shine in Wait Until Dark

 

There is a condition worse than blindness, and that is, seeing something that isn't there. -- Thomas Hardy

by Kim Thomas

What a difference a month makes.  It was a snowy Valentine's Day when photographer Erin Cutler and I brought our curiosities to the Carriage House to follow the progress of  Studio Players' Wait Until Dark.  The first meetings had begun and the actors were starting to settle into their characters; set-building was in its early stages, and in the lobby, lined up like trophies, were the remains of Studio's last production: a dozen or so demolished typewriters that had suffered death by golf club by Bob Singleton's character, Lee, during the recent run of Sam Shepard's True West. 

However, at last Sunday's "fight call" for Frederick Knott's famed stage thriller, Wait Until Dark, the mood had switched from exploratory anticipation to a raw, intense atmosphere, and a nailing-down-the-details feeling filled the air as director Singleton, Eric Seale and Sharon Sikorski worked out the intricate details of struggles that had been carefully choreographed by Lexington's own on-stage combat guru, Henry Layton.  The theatre was now bustling with activity: the actors went through their paces and polished up their sparring, the sound technicians working out the final kinks, props were being brandished, and although the spine-tingling tale is a dark one of fear and terror, everyone onstage and off did their part to keep an overall lighthearted atmosphere on the circa 1960s set.

Singleton's directorial style is that of a gentle but whirling dervish as he visualizes and offers his multi-faceted insights as they come to him in thoughtful, supportive ways. It's also impressive that he welcomes feedback from the actors, and seems to value their input as equal to - if not more than - his own instinct.  With the suspenseful dialogue and action, the off-stage comic relief seems to be as important as the serious, rather edgy focus, and Singleton's sense of humor keeps the players' energy from falling into the abyss of emotion the script provides. He is joined in his jocularity by Seale, who, despite being a jovial and affable fellow convincingly plays a creepy sinister nightmare of a conman in Wait. 

Sikorski, as Susy, worked with a mobility trainer, Asbury College theology student Linda Chung, who has lost most of her sight and because the character of Susy is blind (the role was made memorable by Audrey Hepburn in the movie of the same name, for which she was nominated for an Oscar).  Chung, who cheerfully anticipated needs and questions, spoke of how she became a linear thinker when she lost her sight, "I never remain at a diagonal position when I enter a room or cross a street, I focus on being 'squared' to the doors and walls.  When an occasion arises that one gets lost, I always tell my students [she is an instructor who assists people who have recently become blind] to not panic. When that happens, I just think of 'where did I go wrong, where do I remember being confident about my whereabouts?' -- and then go back to that point and start over."  Chung clearly appreciates the nuances Sikorski will utilize to accurately portray Susy, and her expertise raises the believability bar for Studio Players involved with Wait Until Dark.  

With Singleton's attention to detail, Sikorski's devotion to her role, Henry Layton's expert on-stage combat instruction, and a top notch supporting cast and crew, this thriller is certain to send chills down your spine, even though Spring will be knocking on the door when it opens on March 18.

Director Bob Singleton explains that "Wait Until Dark is a technically demanding play, as written, from a set design standpoint, special effects, coordination of timing and tricky cues, heavy on the props and set pieces (and set in the 60s). Of course, I have to make it more difficult with the way I wanted to work with sound as well, but hopefully all the issues have been solved.  One of the keys is starting early, and another crucial point is to find the right people to handle the different elements. Of course, no matter how early you start, there is always a final rush, there are always things that go off the rails. I've probably called in every favor I had. One specific example would be "Geraldine," a prop that figures prominently. The first attempt at acquiring Geraldine was an unfortunate failure. So, I do some searching on the internet, contact Natalie Cummins, beg plead and promise, and she flies in and saves the day."

Today, the stage looks entirely different from the True West production, and Singleton emphasizes that he "wanted the set to be awesome anyway, to look the part and also to play a part in telling the story, and of course Studio has had some great sets, and I didn't want to break that streak.  Aesthetically and practically, the set is awesome (and I think we have one of the highest platforms in Studio history), but the set piece that has been the biggest challenge to acquire is a front-loading washer from the 60's. Research was done, people like Ellen Hellard and David Bratcher stalked through all kinds of Re-stores, Habitats, old appliance stores...scrolled through eBay and other online merchants...it got to the point where we were resigned to having to build it. David had one final idea, and although I was skeptical about the outcome, he contacted me and said he had found a 60's era washer/dryer combo that was exactly the size we needed in the (limited) space we had available, and we could loan it at no cost. It had been in storage for quite awhile. Never thought I'd be so happy to see a pigeon-shit covered,  40+ year old appliance. Perseverance and good cleaning products, 2 mainstays of theatre success!"

He points out that the contributions of both Linda Chung and Henry Layton were invaluable in bringing the play from page to stage. "Linda provided the understanding of Susy’s situation and the practical application of how Susy navigates daily life and unexpected encounters. We are lucky to have the opportunity to work with Linda. Her skills and experience (both as an individual with a visual impairment and as someone who helps others with transitioning into living with such an impairment) were extremely beneficial, and her upbeat personality and her spirit were bonuses. It was impressive to watch her come into a place she had never been to before, and within minutes see how she was able to skillfully navigate her way around, all while demonstrating and teaching us how she does it."

Like many local theatre directors, Singleton is quick to sing the praises of Layton. "Henry was one of the first people I called; the fight choreography is crucial and very involved. The fact that it involves a blind woman adds to the challenge ... and finally, the twist that is written into the script takes the choreography to a whole new level, so it's imperative to have someone with Henry’s ability and experience. He knows how to demonstrate the proper techniques, his attention to detail is great, and he just has the ability to absorb the characters, storyline and stage setup and synthesize all the elements into a creative, believable and very effective sequence. The fight scenes will have people hanging onto their seats."  Singleton notes that he believes Chung's and Layton's "importance and their contributions simply can’t be overstated, even by me, and I can be pretty good at overstating things. Not in this case."

Singleton advises the show is not sold out yet, but tickets are selling well. "This is a good ol’ suspense/thriller with memorable characters, and lots of twists and turns as you watch the con-men work on Susy, and as you watch Susy start to see through the con and realize the danger she’s in, how she manages to level the playing field. And of course, there is a unique twist to the show that will have people holding their breath during it, and talking about it for a long time after."

When asked what's coming up for Studio Players, Singleton advises the next production, "after Wait Until Dark, is an hilarious farce that is sure to be a smash ending to this season. Definitely make plans to come see the show or, if you’re so inclined, come to auditions on April 3 & 5." More information at http://www.facebook.com/l/55570;www.studioplayers.org

Sharon Sikorski talks about why she was interested in the role of Susy Hendrix. "She lives in Greenwich Village with her husband Sam in the late '60s. She's been blind for about a year and is coping pretty well, but she's human, and gets tired and frustrated with her husband who is always pushing her toward greater independence."  Sikorski performed a scene from Wait Until Dark for an acting class in college, "and ever since, I've wanted to do this show.  There's such a range of relationships, and Susy goes through so many experiences.  In the course of a day, her strength and resourcefulness are pushed to the limit."

Apart from her desire to play such a demanding role, Sikorski knew she would be comfortable working with Singleton and Seale. "Bob has directed me before in Wit for Studio Players and in A Christmas Story for Woodford County Theater.  Eric and I worked together in Wit and in Shakespeare in Hollywood, both for Studio Players.

Sikorski brings a empathetic but determined vitality to her role. "I think the biggest challenges with playing Susy are, of course, playing someone who's blind and also handling the steady build in pace and intensity.  Of course, Linda has given helpful technical advice, but I think just as helpful were her confidence and sense of humor.  Linda is both strong and very human.  That's how I want Susy to be."

Eric Seale plays the role of Harry Roat Jr. and Sr.  Roat is a mysterious conman who put together the whole scam on Susy Hendrix by forcing two other con men to work for him. His real name is never revealed, but during the course of the story  he plays both the old man Roat and his son in helping trick Susy to find the doll."

Seale played Roat in high school, and always "wanted a shot at it again when I was older. My father was also a fan of the character so when he passed away, I really wanted to take a run at it again. I like playing villains; they are incredibly free. Villains, especially extra nasty ones like Roat, have almost no boundaries. With a character like this you have no backstory, nothing in the script gives you a foundation for who the person is, you have to look at their actions and their words and really extrapolate to figure out where they come from and how to portray them."

When asked about the much sought-after prop called Geraldine, Seale revealed, "Geraldine is Roat's knife. It's disguised as a small statuette of a female figure, but contains a sliding knife. Geraldine is the name given in the script, again I get the fun job of trying to discover why he picked such a name."

WAIT UNTIL DARK, by Frederick Knott
Directed by Bob Singleton
Performance Dates: March 18-21, 26-28, & April 2-4, 2010
Opening Night, 

Fridays & Saturdays: 8pm
Sunday Matinees: 2:30pm

Tickets: $15 ($10 Students)

Reservations: 859.225.0370 / lexarts.tix.com
More Info: www.studioplayers.org

All photographs courtesy of Erin Cutler!  Here's a link to all her photos taken at fight call this past Sunday at the Carriage House for Studio Players' WAIT UNTIL DARK...enjoy ;-) 

http://picasaweb.google.com/erincutler/WaitUntilDark?feat=directlink