‘Wait Until Dark’ – Written by Frederick Knott and adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher.Directed by Weylin Symes; Scenic Design by Katy Monthei; Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg; Costume Design by Deirdre Gerrard; Sound Design by Caroline Eng; and Fight Choreography by Naomi Kim. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company at 395 Main St, Stoneham, MA, through March 22nd.
By Mike Hoban
Greater Boston Stage has once again mined the suspense genre and struck theatrical gold with an exhilarating production of the white-knuckle thriller, Wait Until Dark. Featuring a stellar cast that blends GBSC regulars with a handful of talented relative newcomers, they adroitly deliver on the twists and turns of playwright Frederick Knott’s serpentine narrative with precision and heart.
Wait Until Dark has the feel of a complex murder mystery (although there’s little mystery, given that we see most of the murders committed), which isn’t surprising, given that the Hitchcockian play was written by Knott, who also penned the equally twisty Dial M for Murder(which was given an excellent staging by GBSC two years ago). Both plays were also updated and adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher.
The play was first produced on Broadway in 1966 (starring Lee Remick and the late great Robert Duvall) and was made into a movie the following year (starring Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin). Set in 1944 in a Greenwich Village apartment, the play opens with a pair of con men, Roat (GSBC comic stalwart Paul Melendy in a decidedly noncomic role) and Carlito (Bill Mootos), hoping to retrieve a doll filled with diamonds that was unwittingly transported to the apartment by WWII veteran Sam (Thain Bertin), a photographer. The search is fruitless, and while the men plot their next move, Susan (Eliza Barmakian), Sam’s new wife (who lost her eyesight in a car accident 18 months earlier), enters the apartment. The men freeze in breathless silence and escape unseen, but not before Susan senses their presence, mistakenly dismissing it as a prank by Gloria (Amalia Tonogbanua), the troublesome preteen who lives upstairs and helps her with chores.
That sets the twisting, turning storyline in motion as the gang’s leader, Roat, Carlito, and a third accomplice, Mike (Mamadou Toure), launch their scheme to retrieve the valuable doll from the seemingly helpless Susan. But unbeknownst to the crooks, she’s not helpless. In fact, her loss of sight has only sharpened her intuition and observational skills, allowing her to pick apart the inconsistencies in their stories and to devise a plan to save herself with the help of the brat-turned-resourceful ally, Gloria.
Eliot Norton Award winner Melendy is genuinely frightening as the psychopathic Roat, but still manages to sneak in a comical characterization of a milquetoast husband during an elaborate ruse designed to throw Susan off the scent of the gang’s true purpose. Multiple IRNE Award winner Mootos is effective as the calculating Carlito, and GSBC newcomer Toure charms as Mike, the alleged Army buddy of Susan’s husband. But it’s the newcomers that steal the show. Barmakian (who is actually blind, alternating in the role with the sighted Jenny S. Lee) brings an Audrey Hepburn-esque elegance and style to the role before transitioning into the warrior-like heroine. GSBC Young Company alum Tonogbanua gives a spirited performance as Gloria, perfectly capturing her mischievous nature and the joy of taking her first steps into adulthood.
Katy Monthei’s detailed set thoroughly conveys the claustrophobic nature of a 1940s-style Greenwich Village apartment, and Jeff Adelberg’s shadow-driven lighting and Caroline Eng’s atmospheric sound design create an unnerving atmosphere. Director Weylin Symmes paces the production so it never lags, despite the highly detailed plot, and the challenging-to-stage final scene is well-orchestrated, even if it is difficult to fully comprehend at times.
Like 2024’s equally clever M is for Murder, Wait Until Dark will keep you on the edge of your seat until the lights come up. See it.
For tickets and information, go to: https://www.greaterbostonstage.org/
