FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2013
CONTACT: Megan Mabry, Marketing & Social Media Manager
Triad Stage
232 South Elm Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
336.274.0067 ext. 201
megan@triadstage.org
TRIAD STAGE OPENS THE LUCKY SEASON WITH WAIT UNTIL DARK
Bank of North Carolina presents Frederick Knott’s thriller in the dark, September 1 – 29, 2013
(Greensboro, NC) — Triad Stage’s 13th season kicks off with an extended run of Frederick Knott’s Wait Until Dark, directed by Preston Lane. An apartment in 1960’s Greenwich Village becomes the site of theater’s most terrifying game of cat and mouse. Desperate to reclaim a mysterious doll stuffed with illegal drugs, a con man lays a trap to ensnare a blind woman. With the help of his criminal sidekicks and a few clever disguises, he spins a tale to fool the innocent and unsuspecting woman. But when the doll can’t be found, the situation spirals out of control. From the author of the Triad Stage favorite Dial “M” for Murder, Wait Until Dark proves that what you can’t see can most definitely hurt you. Wait Until Dark runs September 1 – 29, 2013. Opening Night is Friday, September 6. The production is sponsored by Bank of North Carolina, with support from Bernard Robinson & Company, LLP and Graffiti Ads. Wait Until Dark is also part of Arts Greensboro’s 17 Days art festival.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Dial “M” for Murder, was Frederick Knott’s first play. Originally a telecast on the BBC, it eventually opened on London’s West End in 1952. An instant hit, the play was immediately taken to Broadway later that year, achieving a successful sixteen-month run. Knott also wrote the screenplay for the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film version, which was shot in the very popular 3-D. The film starred Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. Knott had moderate success with his next play, Write Me a Murder, in 1961, but nothing compared to his 1966 Broadway hit, Wait Until Dark, starring Lee Remick, who was nominated for a Tony Award® for her portrayal of the play’s blind heroine. The play proved to be an even bigger hit on the London stage. The film, released in 1967, received an Oscar nomination for its star, Audrey Hepburn. This turned out to be Knott’s last play, and though his body of work was not large, he enjoyed being one of the most produced playwrights in the world.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Mysteries and thrillers are often looked upon as a cheap thrill, an easy scare. But director Preston Lane is determined to change that perception. “Frederick Knott understood psychology in a really remarkable way, and he understood characters,” says Lane. “The game that is played by these con men and the levels of deception that go on within that game are absolutely extraordinary. And what other great mystery writer would create a strong, determined, female central character who is denied her sight and is able to, through the fear of what is going on around her, find enormous courage and enormous perseverance.”
Wait Until Dark is a great period piece. Through the scenic design by John Coyne, Triad Stage will be transformed into the perfect 1960s Greenwich Village apartment. “There’s a style and sophistication that came with the 1960s,” says Lane. “We wanted to find a way to create sleekness and a sparseness that is inspired by the fashion photography of the decade.” Triad Stage’s thrust stage will also be reconfigured to bring the apartment closer to the audience by removing the upstage section of seats on the sides of the stage.
The creative team includes: scenic designer John Coyne (Trouble in Mind), costume designer Bill Brewer (Kingdom of Earth, Trouble in Mind, The Illusion), lighting designer Norman Coates (My Fair Lady, Trouble in Mind, Dial “M” for Murder, The Glass Menagerie) and sound designer Jonathan Fredette (Reverse Psychology). The dramaturg is Bryan Conger, Christine Morris is the resident vocal coach, and Dale Anthony Girard is the resident fight director. Cindi Rush is the casting director, and the stage manager is Emily J. Mails.
THE CAST
Making his Triad Stage debut is Laurence Lau as the master con man Harry Roat, Jr. Fresh off the national tour of August: Osage County, Lau is known for his turn as series regular “Greg Nelson” on All My Children, “Dr. Jamie Frame” on Another World and “Sam Rappaport” on One Life to Live.
The cast also includes familiar faces to Triad Stage. Cheryl Koski (Picnic, The Glass Menagerie, Masquerade) is the blind woman Susy Hendrix, Mickey Solis (The Illusion) is cast as Mike Talman, Rob Kahn (My Fair Lady) is Sgt. Carlino, and David Coolidge (My Fair Lady) is Susy’s husband, Sam Hendrix. Gloria will be portrayed by 9-year-old Amy Claire Feldmann who has been seen at Triad Stage in Providence Gap, A Doll House and all three seasons of A Christmas Carol.
Biographies of the cast and creative team, and more information on the production can be found online at www.triadstage.org.
PERFORMANCE AND SPECIAL EVENT INFORMATION
Tickets for Preview performances of Wait Until Dark on September 1, 3, 4 and 5, are all $24 each. From Opening Night, September 6, through the run of the production, single ticket prices range from $10 to $48. Prices vary depending on the day of the week and seat location desired.
All performances are at Triad Stage at The Pyrle Theater, located at 232 South Elm Street in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina (between Market and Washington Streets).
Show times for Wait Until Dark are 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. There are no matinee performances during previews.
Pay-What-You-Can performances are Tuesday, September 10, sponsored by BB&T, and Wednesday, September 11, at 7:30 p.m. Wine Tasting Friday sponsored by Genuity Concepts is Friday, September 13, prior to the evening’s 8:00 p.m. performance. A Sign-Interpreted performance is on Tuesday, September 17, at 7:30 p.m., with services provided by the Greensboro Communication Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Technically Talking, a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the design team is Tuesday, September 3, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. preview performance.
The InSight Series, the free humanities program with a noted expert who will be discussing the world of the play will be held on Sunday, September 8, immediately following the 2:00 p.m. matinee performance.
PostScript, a lively, open discussion with the cast, will be held on Thursday, September 12, in The UpStage Cabaret immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performance. The PostScript series is sponsored by Locke T. Clifford and Andrew C. Clifford.
ABOUT TRIAD STAGE
Triad Stage is a professional not-for-profit regional theater company based in Greensboro’s downtown historic district. All Triad Stage productions are created in Greensboro using the best of local and national talent. Triad Stage gratefully acknowledges the support of its Season Sponsors: Blue Zoom, the North Carolina Arts Council and Arts Greensboro. The starring sponsor for Wait Until Dark is Bank of North Carolina with additional support from Bernard Robinson & Company, LLP and Graffiti Ads.
Triad Stage’s 2013-2014 MainStage Season continues with The Mountaintop by Katori Hall, a co-production with Playmakers Repertory Company (October 20 – November 10, 2013); a new production by Preston Lane with original music by Laurelyn Dossett, Snow Queen (December 1 – 22, 2013); Anna Christie by Eugene O’Neill (February 9 – March 2, 2014); a country musical, Pump Boys and Dinettes, by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann; and in honor of Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, All’s Well that Ends Well (June 8 – 29, 2014).
All Triad Stage productions feature the bold acting and breathtaking design that have been nationally recognized by The Wall Street Journal and by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards®, which named Triad Stage one of the top ten most promising theatres in the country as a recipient of the 2010 National Theatre Company Grant. Triad Stage has also earned accolades including “Best North Carolina Production of 2010” for The Glass Menagerie by Triangle Arts & Entertainment magazine; “One of the Best Regional Theatres in America”, New York’s Drama League; “Best Live Theater” (nine years running), Go Triad/News & Record and The Rhinoceros Times; and “Professional Theater of the Year” (2003, 2011), North Carolina Theatre Conference.
To purchase tickets or for performance information on Wait Until Dark, call the Triad Stage Box Office at 336.272.0160 or toll-free at 866.579.TIXX (8499), or visit www.triadstage.org.
###