Wait Until Dark 

The New England Youth Theatre dives into the heart of darkness and danger as it presents Frederick Knott’s chiller-thriller psycho-drama, Wait Until Dark opening on Thursday, April 10th.  Both on Broadway and in the subsequent movie, starring Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin, this play has left an indelible image in the minds of theatre goers world-wide.  The final white-knuckle scene, pitting blind Susy Hendricks against the sinister killer, Harry Roat Jr., played by Jacob Lepkoff, ranks with Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho as the most intense, best written and performed, final finale ever produced.
 
Wait Until Dark is the story of a newly blind woman, Susy Hendricks, played by Allie Bliss.  She lives in Greenwich Village with her ex-marine husband, Sam (Riley Goodemote), who is determined that, despite her blindness, she live a normal, independent life.  All of her newly learned skills of coping in a dark world are brought to the fore as she is terrorized by three con men looking for a doll stuffed full of heroin which they believe is hidden in Susy’s apartment.  As the plot unfolds, she takes on her relentless pursuers in a deadly cat-and-mouse game.
 
It is only through sheer force of will that Susy marshals all her resources to climb from the depths of physical and mental darkness into the light of self-reliance, dignity and hope.  Utterly trapped by the killers, a powerful urge ignites within her and she finds herself uttering the words that each and every one of us must find the courage to speak: “But I do, I DO have a choice”.  Susy means that she has a choice between giving up, accepting the role of victim, and fighting to the end for what is just and right.  As the three villains block her every means of escape, she, and her nine-year-old neighbor, Gloria (Molly Gurney), outwit them in a surprise ending that is truly a marvel of playwriting craftsmanship.  No one who has seen it can ever forget it. This is a story full of heroism that celebrates human dignity, courage, faith, and the best in all of us.

 

Wait Until Dark is sponsored by Brattleboro Orthodontic Specialists and First Homeland Mortgage.  NEYT asks that no children under the age of 12 be brought to this performance, unless accompanied by a parent or adult, due to occasional language and violent situations.  Performances are April 10-12,17-19, and 21 at 7:30 PM, April 13th and 20th Sunday matinees are at 3:00 PM.  Tickets: Adults $12 Students $9.  For reservations: call 802-246-NEYT (6398).  For more information: www.neyt.org

You can now purchase tickets online at www.neyt.org. NEYT is located at 100 Flat St. in downtown Brattleboro, VT