By Joanne Engelhardt
For some people, the title Wait Until Dark conjures up memories of the scary 1967 movie starring Audrey Hepburn. But it was a play before it was a hit movie – written in 1966 by Frederick Knott.
The theatrical version opened at Hillbarn Theatre on Oct. 18 and runs through Nov. 3 at the Foster City theater, the second of Hillbarn’s 84th season. Sadly, though several of the actors make valiant efforts to keep things suspenseful, this reviewer found the presentation to be a tad more confusing than it needs to be.
” … Ed Hunter’s lighting is almost flawless …
Many in the audience likely never saw the film (it came out 57 years ago!), so they must decipher the storyline from what happens on the Hillbarn stage. With so many characters walking into the apartment occupied by Sam (Sahil Singh) and his blind wife, Susan (Sarah Jiang), it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out who is who, what they want – and why.
Knott’s play, which takes place in 1944, is a bit long-winded IMHO providing exposition (background information). Here’s the gist:
- Before returning from a business trip to Canada to his home in New York, Sam is asked by a woman to take a doll with him to give to someone. What he doesn’t know is that the doll is actually filled with heroin.
- This prompts three bad guys including the treacherous Roat (Scott Coopwood) to track down the doll with the intent of selling the heroin and getting rich. Roat’s plans to eliminate his two partners once he gets his hands on the drugs.
As Susan, Sarah Jiang makes a valiant effort to play a blind person. That she succeeds some of the time is to her credit, but to this reviewer’s eyes she seems to play Susan like a bit of a breakable doll, moving stiffly and jerking her body around a bit. Jiang gets a real workout in Dark as she walks up and down a short flight of stairs at the back of the stage at least 20 times.
This is a production that needs the lighting to work impeccably, and fortunately Ed Hunter’s lighting is almost flawless. Jeff Mockus’ sound also works well. Courtney Middleditch-Morgan’s costumes – especially for the bad guys – strike an appropriate note. And “props” to the properties designer, Stephanie Dittbern. Watching Susan frantically flip each switch in the authentic-looking light box added authenticity.
An actor who deserves special note for making his good guy/bad guy credible. As Mike, Ryan Tasker brought a good deal of warmth to his portrayal. His story of knowing Susan’s husband in the war rang true, and it was easy to tell that Mike wavered in his efforts to find out where the doll is hidden. He came close to admitting he didn’t want Susan to get hurt.
But finally, in this reviewer’s opinion, director Vickie Rozell might have let this mystery get away from her a bit. I think she needed to step back and concentrate on making her characters more dimensional.
Then perhaps, Hillbarn’s Wait Until Dark might have been more menacing.
-30-
Aisle Seat Executive Reviewer Joanne Engelhardt is a Peninsula theatre writer and critic. She is a voting member of the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (SFBATCC). Contact: joanneengelhardt@comcast.net
| Production | Wait Until Dark |
|---|---|
| Written by | Frederick Knott |
| Directed by | Vickie Rozell |
| Producing Company | Hillbarn Theatre |
| Production Dates | Thru Nov 3rd |
| Production Address | 1285 E Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404 |
| Website | www.hillbarntheatre.org |
| Telephone | (659) 349-6411 |
| Tickets | $34-$62 |
| Reviewer Score | Max in each category is 5/5 |
| Overall | 3.5/5 |
| Performance | 3.5/5 |
| Script | 4/5 |
| Stagecraft | 4/5 |
| Aisle Seat Review PICK? | ---- |