'Wait Until Dark' builds suspense

The play premiered on Broadway in 1966.
By STEPHANIE UJHELYI
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
SALEM -- Laura Phillips didn't go into her latest role blind.
Phillips plays one of the main characters in the Salem Community Theatre's latest productions, "Wait Until Dark." A thriller by Frederick Knott, this challenging production provides plenty of intrigue and action.
According to the show's director, J.E. Ballantyne Jr., "Wait Until Dark" premiered on Broadway in 1966 and hit motion picture screens after 374 performances. Lee Remick portrayed Susie, and Robert Duvall was Roat in the stage version. Remick earned a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a play.
The film starred Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna, and Hepburn garnered Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal. The Bravo network ranked the film 10th on its list for 100 top scariest moments.
Movie theaters across the country took full advantage of the suspense factor as they dimmed theaters to the legal limit to help make the climactic ending more powerful.
The show was revived in 1998 with Marisa Tomei and Quentin Tarantino.
Salem production
Set in a Greenwich Village basement apartment during the early 1960s, Dan Haueter and Wayne Morris portray two con men who respond to an anonymous call to come to 27B Grogan St. Once arriving for the clandestine meeting, they find that a mysterious man who arrives later killed their former female "business partner" to get information on a missing doll containing a heroin shipment.
Harry Roat Jr., portrayed by Ballantyne, offers the two men 7,000 each to assist him in his mission, which requires that they get the female occupant to willingly turn over the doll to them. The woman, who is blind, is home alone while her photographer husband (Joe Malys) is away on business.
Powerful performance
The three manipulate Susie Hendrix, who was blinded after a traffic crash, in the attempt to secure the doll. Phillips provides a powerful yet charming performance as the blind housewife. She convincingly maneuvers her way through the many steps and doorways and around the furniture in this physically and emotional charged role.
Phillips explains she does this by not allowing her eyes to focus on anything while she is on stage. She said she loves the challenge of this role.
As Ballantyne explained, "Putting oneself into the daily life of a blind person is by no means an easy task. Add to that the various things with which she must deal, and you have a monumental endeavor."
Rounding out the cast is Richard Stelts, Ryan Kyle and Li Stebner.
The show continues Friday and Saturday with 8 p.m. shows and concludes with a matinee at 2 p.m. next Sunday.
For tickets or information, call (330) 332-9688.