Cat-and-Mouse Thriller Ignites the Stage

No need to stay outside in the cold this January if you want to get chilled - Stagecrafters' theatrical thriller, Wait Until Dark can do the job. The show runs January 14th through 30th at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in downtown Royal Oak. Visit www.stagecrafters.org for additional information and tickets!

Set in 1960's Greenwich Village, Susy Hendrix (Beth Tetrault of Troy) is a housewife who has recently become blind from an accident. After a business trip, her husband Sam (Tony H. LaMacchio of Troy) brings home a doll as a favor to a woman. Sam is unaware that the woman is now dead, and that the doll contains a hefty stash of drugs. Con-men are searching for the doll and will go to any lengths to retrieve it - even murder.

When Sam leaves the apartment, so begins the well-crafted game of cat-and-mouse. Harry Roat (Daniel Muldoon of Madison Heights), mastermind behind the con, convinces a fellow thug to pose as one of Sam's old Army buddies, Mike Talman (Ben Feliciano of Berkley), in a ruse to gain Susy's trust. He's hoping that Susy will hand over the doll to someone she trusts. Roat also brings in phony policeman, Sergeant Carlino (Paul Venditti of Shelby Twp.), to convince Susy that the doll may be incriminating evidence against her husband in a murder case, and by handing the doll over, she'd clear his name.

Although Susy's blindness makes her more vulnerable, her other senses are heightened and she begins to pick up clues of the deception. She enlists the help of the feisty girl who lives upstairs (Regan Castle of Pleasant Ridge, Emily Muench of Huntington Woods) in a game of her own as she turns her disability into her greatest weapon.

Director David Zublick (of Royal Oak) has a penchant for thrillers and suspense. He, himself, once portrayed Mike Talman in another theatre's production of Wait Until Dark and when the opportunity arose to direct it at Stagecrafters', he jumped on it. "As with film, the stage is a visual medium.  For this show though, it's what you can't see that is the most thrilling!" says Zublick.

Wait Until Dark, by Frederick Knott, opened on February 2, 1966 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. It ran for the next eleven months at various theatres for a total 374 performances. The cast included Lee Remick, Robert Duvall, and Mitchell Ryan. Remick was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Warner Bros.-Seven Arts purchased the film rights in 1966 soon after the play's Broadway premiere. It starred Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Jack Weston. Hepburn was nominated for both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress, and Zimbalist was nominated for a Globe in the supporting category.

The Thursday performances, January 20th and 27th, will be audio described for the visually impaired. The Baldwin's Main Stage auditorium is equipped with an infrared system that will allow those with visual impairments to use special headsets to hear the audio description. The headsets will work anywhere within the auditorium so specific seating is not necessary. Visually-impaired patrons are asked to reserve the headsets at the time of ordering their tickets.

In addition to the audio description on the Thursday performances, a special audience interactive talkback is planned. Guest speaker Joe Pelle of Huntington Woods will share his experience of losing his sight at age 30, and how it has impacted his life and heightened his other senses.

Advance tickets for performances are $16 and $18. Stagecrafters is offering a special of 4 tickets for $50 for the Thursday night performances.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.stagecrafters.org or by phone at 248-541-6430 using Visa and MasterCard. All seats are reserved.  If shows have not sold out, tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour prior to the performance for an additional $2.00 fee.

Show dates and times follow:
Friday, January 14      8:00 pm
Saturday, January 15    8:00 pm
Sunday, January 16    2:00 pm
Thursday, January 20    8:00 pm
Friday, January 21        8:00 pm
Saturday, January 22    8:00 pm
Sunday, January 23    2:00 pm
Thursday, January 27    8:00 pm
Friday, January 28        8:00 pm
Saturday, January 29    8:00 pm
Sunday, January 30    2:00 pm

About Stagecrafters
Stagecrafters, a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit community theatre, is in its 55th year of providing opportunities for members of the community to develop their talents and to volunteer their time to create an enriching, quality theatrical experience through its Main Stage, 2nd Stage, and Youth Theatre productions. Stagecrafters has been at the Baldwin Theatre since 1985.

Stagecrafters offers shows that appeal to a wide variety of ages and interests and prides itself on providing professional quality shows at affordable prices, making the performing arts accessible to individuals in our "regional" community. The remaining 2010-2011 Main Stage Season includes: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (musical), and Hairspray (musical comedy). The remaining 2010-2011 2nd Stage season productions include: Rent (rock musical), and Grey Gardens (musical).

# # #