'Wait Until Dark' a Tricky, Gripping Drama

Imagine a humble apartment in Greenwich Village, where a young blind woman waits for her husband to return from a trip.  Waiting, she is intermittently terrorized by three con men who want something in her possession, and a bratty neighbor girl who might be the lynchpin that helps her overcome them.   

Hatboro’s  present Frederick Knott’s “Wait Until Dark” this month, a  quick-witted, suspenseful drama, where, according to director Ron Green, the lights and sound are practically a character themselves. Opening Friday, it will run weekends through the March 26. 

Knott, also known for his Hitchcock screenplay “Dial M for Murder,” wrote “Wait Until Dark” in 1966, which was followed by a 1967 Audrey Hepburn film with the same title.

Green is also the Players’ vice president, who will become their president this summer. He chose the play because it had always had a special meaning for him.  It was one of the first plays he ever saw, actually, years ago, on a date. “I kind of went because of this girl I liked, so I kind of volunteered to go and I went and wound up loving the show and wanted to direct it ever since.”

Having participated in community theater for almost 20 years, this is the Players’ fifth March play Green has been involved in, and the first drama that he has directed. 

The lead role of Susy Hendrix is played by Angie Schlauch, a Players veteran who has also had roles in an independent film, most notably “Portraits of Sari” by local writer and director Daniel Magro.

In addition to basic preparation for the role, Schlauch faces a special challenge: pretending to be blind. She practiced walking with her eyes closed, and is conscious of not making eye contact during the show. “They have to keep telling me ‘Slow down, I don’t think you would walk that fast!’ ”

John Agostinelli, who plays con man Mike Talman, has enjoyed working with the play and his fellow cast members. “It’s a relief from your day job," Agostinelli said. "You get that other side of you."

Green is pleased with his cast, saying that they best convey the characters in his mind.

Community theater is not without its challenges. With a smaller budget, and always on the lookout for backstage volunteers, everyone must pitch in. They had to have a pair of vintage blinds made, and Green feels lucky to have found someone to make a custom knife for one of the play’s con men, who eerily names it ‘Geraldine.’ 

But it is a labor of love. “Community theater is so different because everyone’s here because they want to be here, not because they have to pay a bill,” says stage manager Catherine Tomasi. Tomasi also plays a police officer, and her daughter Samantha stays up past her bedtime to play Gloria, Hendrix’s troublesome young neighbor. 

Green loves what he does. “You can find just as good entertainment here as you can on Broadway for a fraction of the cost,” he says, proudly.

For more information and ticket reservations, visit The Village Players' Web site