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Studio Players Shine In Wait Until Dark
There is a condition worse than blindness, and that is, seeing something that isn’t there. —Thomas Hardy
by Kim Thomas
What a difference a month makes. At last Sunday’s “fight call” for Frederick Knott’s famed stage thriller, Wait Until Dark, at Studio Players, the mood had switched from the exploratory anticipation first on display at a snowy Valentine’s Day rehearsal to a raw, intense atmosphere, and a nailing-down-the-details feeling filled the air as director Singleton, Eric Seale and Sharon Sikorski worked out the intricate details of struggles that had been carefully choreographed by Lexington’s own on-stage combat guru, Henry Layton. The theatre was now bustling with activity: the actors went through their paces and polished up their sparring, the sound technicians working out the final kinks, props were being brandished, and although the spine-tingling tale is a dark one of fear and terror, everyone onstage and off did their part to keep an overall lighthearted atmosphere on the circa 1960s set.
Singleton’s directorial style is to welcome feedback from the actors, and he seems to value their input as equal to - if not more than - his own instinct. With the suspenseful dialogue and action, the off-stage comic relief seems to be as important as the serious, edgy focus, and Singleton’s sense of humor keeps the players’ energy from falling into the abyss of emotion the script provides. He is joined in his jocularity by Seale, who, despite being a jovial and affable fellow, convincingly plays a creepy sinister nightmare of a conman in Wait.
Sikorski, as Susy, worked with a mobility trainer, Asbury College theology student Linda Chung, who has lost most of her sight and because the character of Susy is blind (the role was made memorable by Oscar-nominated Audrey Hepburn in the movie of the same name). Chung, who cheerfully anticipated needs and questions, spoke of how she became a linear thinker when she lost her sight, “I never remain at a diagonal position when I enter a room or cross a street, I focus on being ‘squared’ to the doors and walls. When an occasion arises that one gets lost, I always tell my students [she is an instructor who assists people who have recently become blind] to not panic. When that happens, I just think of ‘where did I go wrong, where do I remember being confident about my whereabouts?’—and then go back to that point and start over.” Chung clearly appreciates the nuances Sikorski will utilize to accurately portray Susy, and her expertise raises the believability bar.
Director Bob Singleton explains that Wait Until Dark is a technically demanding play, as written, from a set design standpoint, special effects, coordination of timing and tricky cues, heavy on the props and set pieces (and set in the 60s). Of course, no matter how early you start, there is always a final rush, there are always things that go off the rails. I’ve probably called in every favor I had.”
Today, the stage looks entirely different from the recent True West production, and Singleton emphasizes that he “Aesthetically and practically, the set is awesome (and I think we have one of the highest platforms in Studio history), but the set piece that has been the biggest challenge to acquire is a front-loading washer from the 60s. Research was done, people like Ellen Hellard and David Bratcher stalked through all kinds of Re-stores, Habitats, old appliance stores…scrolled through eBay and other online merchants…it got to the point where we were resigned to having to build it. David had one final idea, and although I was skeptical about the outcome, he contacted me and said he had found a 60s era washer/dryer combo that was exactly the size we needed in the (limited) space we had available, and we could loan it at no cost. It had been in storage for quite awhile. Never thought I’d be so happy to see a pigeon-shit covered, 40+ year old appliance. Perseverance and good cleaning products, 2 mainstays of theatre success!”
He points out that the contributions of both Linda Chung and Henry Layton were invaluable in bringing the play from page to stage. “Linda provided the understanding of Susy’s situation and the practical application of how Susy navigates daily life and unexpected encounters. We are lucky to have the opportunity to work with Linda. Her skills and experience (both as an individual with a visual impairment and as someone who helps others with transitioning into living with such an impairment) were extremely beneficial, and her upbeat personality and her spirit were bonuses. It was impressive to watch her come into a place she had never been to before, and within minutes see how she was able to skillfully navigate her way around, all while demonstrating and teaching us how she does it.”
Like many local theatre directors, Singleton is quick to sing the praises of Layton. “Henry was one of the first people I called; the fight choreography is crucial and very involved. The fact that it involves a blind woman adds to the challenge ... and finally, the twist that is written into the script takes the choreography to a whole new level, so it’s imperative to have someone with Henry’s ability and experience. He knows how to demonstrate the proper techniques, his attention to detail is great, and he just has the ability to absorb the characters, storyline and stage setup and synthesize all the elements into a creative, believable and very effective sequence. The fight scenes will have people hanging onto their seats.” Singleton notes that he believes Chung’s and Layton’s “importance and their contributions simply can’t be overstated, even by me, and I can be pretty good at overstating things. Not in this case.”
He adds, “This is a good ol’ suspense/thriller with memorable characters, and lots of twists and turns as you watch the con-men work on Susy, and as you watch Susy start to see through the con and realize the danger she’s in, how she manages to level the playing field. And of course, there is a unique twist to the show that will have people holding their breath during it, and talking about it for a long time after.”
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Sharon Sikorski performed a scene from Wait Until Dark for an acting class in college, “and ever since, I’ve wanted to do this show. There’s such a range of relationships, and Susy goes through so many experiences. In the course of a day, her strength and resourcefulness are pushed to the limit. I think the biggest challenges with playing Susy are, of course, playing someone who’s blind and also handling the steady build in pace and intensity. Of course, Linda has given helpful technical advice, but I think just as helpful were her confidence and sense of humor. Linda is both strong and very human. That’s how I want Susy to be.”
Eric Seale played conman Harry Roat in high school, and always “wanted a shot at it again when I was older. My father was also a fan of the character so when he passed away, I really wanted to take a run at it again. I like playing villains; they are incredibly free. Villains, especially extra nasty ones like Roat, have almost no boundaries. With a character like this you have no backstory, nothing in the script gives you a foundation for who the person is, you have to look at their actions and their words and really extrapolate to figure out where they come from and how to portray them.”
WAIT UNTIL DARK, by Frederick Knott
Directed by Bob Singleton
Performance Dates: March 18-21, 26-28, & April 2-4, 2010
Opening Night, Fridays & Saturdays: 8pm
Sunday Matinees: 2:30pm
Tickets: 859.225.0370 / lexarts.tix.com
More Info: http://www.studioplayers.org
Kim Thomas also writes about arts and activism at Kimmyville.blogspot.com
by: Ace
We asked around about Tread. Here is what some leading photographers and photo editors said:
Tread’s photography combines a touch of the ordinary with a surreal pinch of gothic South narrative imagery as seen through a crappy plastic lens. Throw in a little bit of Meatyard—his photographic mentor and local hero—with a fistful of rock and roll and you come out with an unforgettable pastiche of soulful, witty images filled with Southern charm and humor.
Bill Vaccaro, Fine Art Photographer, Chicago
http://billvaccaro.visualserver.com/
The nice thing about Tread - a guy I have never actually met - is that he seems to have a bit of twisted genius to him. His imagery has a kinetic maybe I should try that quality of someone who probably makes images easily, with a seeming punk rock lack of concern with perfection. And he then puts words together that bring a rhythmic bourbon and onion smack you with them. Photo tribes tend to repeat themselves endlessly and so the people that propel any group forward are fewer and further between and probably will come from without as often as not. Tread seems to fit the scout or outlander mold, the guy that just might bring the knowledge of ice to the glandlocked photo villagers. The combination of words and images may or may not always work but the combination will definitely leave an impression and I have the sense that, like most psycho-hobo wayfarers, Tread will have already moved on to something else, more or less unconcerned by the various critiques and interpretations of those in his wake.
Gordon Stettinius, Richmond, Virginia
http://www.eyecaramba.com
When I first saw his work i was very much taken by it. I work as photo editor for Vice magazine and I have this website for talented photographers, so I see many pics every day. I am generally not too much into Holga photography, because I think that few people really know how to create a very interesting image, whilst many just find it interesting for the random “strange” pictures they take. Well, Tread is definitely one who knows what to do with it.
Lele Saveri, (has used Tread images in a couple of shows around Europe, some publications), Milan, Italy
http://www.ithoughtiwasalone.com
Tread exploits toy cameras of all kinds with stunning results. The endearing characteristics of these less than perfect cameras don’t define his images. Instead they inform and accentuate the unrefined process of becoming a man. Light leaks, blur, aberrations and frayed edges all work together, illustrating the imperfections of change and memory.
When I first got involved with the online toy camera community, I immediately gravitated towards Tread’s style and content. The hallmarks of growing from boy to man are captured and studied, reminding us of those joys and fears but without affectations. He not only tells these stories photographically and verbally but reaches a little deeper, urging me to be a better father, a better man.
Warren Harold, Photographer, Houston, Texas
http://www.thatwasmyfoot.com
by: Matt Sparks
Tonight’s Mayoral Forum “Digital Democracy” begins at 6.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=284783602938
Seating is limited.
Follow http://twitter.com/AceWeekly for updates.
by: Ace
Campus Housing
Homeowners and Council Members continue to square off
[excerpt of email submitted by homeowner Kate Savage to Council Member Cheryl Feigel.]
Sunday, February 21, 2010 1:01 PM
To: Cheryl B Feigel
Cc: Jim Newberry - Mayor; Diane Lawless; Jim Gray; Kevin Stinnett; Julian Beard; Peggy Henson; KC Crosbie; Charles Ellinger II; George Myers; Linda Gorton; Tom Blues; Andrea James; Jay McChord; Doug Martin
Subject: Neighbourhood Rezoning
Council Member Feigel:
I was out of town for last Tuesday’s Planning Committee meeting. However, since getting back I have taken time to watch the GTV3 archived broadcast.
I was utterly astonished by your suggestion that the neighbourhoods adjacent to the university be turned into a newly created zone for “students,” similar in theory to zones designated for “commerce” or “industry”.
Was this idea not discussed at length during the Housing Task Force meetings? This Task Force was made up of all interested parties, and you served on it. The consensus was that this was a bad idea. But now, out of the blue, as if you’d trumped the ace, you present this idea as neoteric.
I have lived in my house on Columbia Avenue since 1990. I bought it as a single parent in my late thirties. The properties here were affordable. My reasons for the choice of this neighbourhood reflect those of other residents. I was close to my work, my son could walk or ride his bike to school, then later to college, the community was diverse, decent, and all the amenities of life were close by. For twenty years I have sat on this egg, it is the only investment I have. I have pinched at times to make the mortgage, I have scrimped and saved to make repairs, improve the landscaping, replace worn out furnishings. My son grew up here. Our pets are buried in the back yard. It’s the only house I’ve owned. It is my home.
Do you think I should roll over whilst you propose condemning my neighbourhood by rezoning it to R3? Sit here and watch a transient population of students wash in and wash out year after year? See my investment shrivel up with the decline of the area as house after house is transformed to accommodate 8-10 individuals? Allow you to rubber stamp the scofflaw behaviour of avaricious landlords by giving them the nod to continue converting small cottages and bungalows into massive rental units? Be part of a firewall for your District 5?
The affordability of the houses here has been shamelessly exploited, the needs of a ready made population requiring accommodation exploited, the ambiguities of the zoning ordinances and the failure of repeated governments to enforce them exploited. Landlords have been laughing as they take their money to the bank in wheelbarrows. And you have the audacity to suggest that all this be sanctioned with a zone change?
I know I’ve said it before, and I really don’t care what the Legal Department’s opinion is but, as a landlord and property owner in this neighbourhood, you should have recused yourself from all discussion on this topic a long time ago. How other than self-serving can your suggestions be perceived?
I imagine that UK has been glad to have permanent residents interspersed throughout the ambient neighbourhoods, acting as a buffer, providing stability, maintaining standards, keeping a check on behavioural issues in loco parentis. Take away the residents and in no time the normalizing balance and what’s left of the neighbourhood integrity will vanish. Every day will be Game Day! I can’t imagine this picture is one UK would wish to entertain.
Absentee landlords who have amassed large portfolios of property in this neighbourhood are now crying “foul.” They have the jitters. They fear their game is up. There was talk of licenses and inspections. Their unscrupulous practices have been exposed. They’ve been tumbled to. They talk peevishly about having invested in the community. Ha! Their interpretation of this is different to mine. They have dumped a lot of money in these neighbourhoods building large scale additions to maximize their profits. They have not altruistically invested in improving and enhancing the neighbourhood, merely plundering it. They are worried about their investments. I don’t blame them. I’ve been worried about mine too!
The Council needs to show its teeth. As Doug Martin said “this problem is the ghost of councils past”. But we do not need your senseless nostrum. It’s time to admonish the bad guys, not reward them. What sort of precedent are you setting? ...
Kate Savage
Excerpt of Response email from Council Member Cheryl Feigel
Ms. Savage—Thank you for sharing your views with me. Unfortunately, I believe you read more into my comments that what I said. I wasn’t talking about your neighborhood or any other neighborhood in particular as a student zone. My comment was to say that this is a community problem that has gone too long unaddressed. We have allowed student populations to settle at will, rather than designating a place for them to go. My suggestion is to very fundamentally grasp the real problem and address it so that everyone’s neighborhood is protected. In fact, it was an article from the American Planning Association given to us by the Law Department that suggested the idea of creating a zone—so that everyone knew what to expect.
On a couple occasions, I have talked with the Mayor about working with UK and the Governor to approach this issue from an economic development issue. Housing is needed and there are large old warehouse areas that need to be redeveloped. If we created an incentive for developers to build additional developments like Center Court or the Lex, we could control where the majority of students actually reside. In fact, I’m working hard for a new development at Lexington Mall, which ideally would provide shuttles to UK. As you know, UK does not plan to house more than 25% of students on campus, for whatever their reasons are, even though they are striving to double enrollment. However, UK is being pulled into this debate, and rightly so. They should be a part of the ultimate plan for addressing student housing needs. Obviously, this would not happen overnight but would begin to address this problem strategically so that it isn’t tossed from one council to another.
You have worked hard to make a lovely home for your children and you shouldn’t have to deal with the bad behavior of some of the UK students in the neighborhood. However I must disagree with the current proposal to simply send them to another neighborhood. That isn’t a solution, from my standpoint, merely shifting the problem.
I would like to work with a group of people who want to create a real solution for all of Lexington - one that protects all neighborhoods. If you would like to talk more about the long term issue of student housing, I would be very happy to talk with you.
Again, thanks for your email. Cheryl
Cheryl B. Feigel, 5th District Councilmember
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
by: Ace
left to right: Katie Jo Cox (Announcer); Zach Dearing (James); Leah Dick (Jane); Allie Darden (Diane) photo courtesy of Thomas Eisenhauer Photography
See Jane Quit
BCTC’s production on stage at Downtown Arts Center
by Kim Thomas
See Jane.
Jane is a chain-smoking, single, thirty-year-old waitress, living with her aging-Southern-belle grandmother, Bessie. But her life’s not so bad – she has a calm, sweet big brother named James; her brother’s wife, Diane, is her best friend; and there’s finally a new romantic prospect in Jane’s life: social activist Charles. The picture is pretty rosy until the day Jane decides to quit smoking. Her family is thrilled to hear the news… unfortunately, each of them has an upsetting secret they need to share with her, but now none of them want to stress her out and give her the excuse to light up. When the secrets start mounting, the audience gets to see Jane’s friends and family trip their way through a classic farce, all in the name of helping Jane quit smoking.
When playwright Beth Kander is in Lexington for the Southeast Theater Conference, it will be her first opportunity to see her engaging comedy come to life as See Jane QUIT makes its mark at the Downtown Arts Center, under the meticulous and ridiculous direction of Tim X. Davis, Theatre & Film Coordinator at Bluegrass Community & Technical College.
Davis and his cast and crew were so entertaining at a recent Mardi Gras rehearsal, it was impossible to leave after just one act, even though the Cats game against Mississippi State was about to begin. It came as no surprise that this work by Kander won the 2009 Mississippi Theatre Association Playwriting Competition.
See Jane QUIT is about the intersecting lives of would-be non-smoker Jane (played by feisty Leah Dick) and her family and friends. Jared Sloan keeps the pacing quick as stage manager; Jane’s brother James (Zach Dearing) and his wife Diane (Allie Darden) keep the sparks flying as their relationship is tested by Jane’s grandmother, Bessie (Kathy Crabtree Swango), with whom they all live.
The proceedings are knit together by an engaging narrator (Katie Jo Cox), who speaks directly to the audience as the plot develops. Philip Sharkey, as Jane’s boyfriend Charles is also a kick to watch, his comedic timing is spot on and he garners a lot of well deserved chuckles.
Info, Southeast Theater Conference visit: http://www.setc.org/conventions/index.php
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Director Tim X. Davis is BCTC’s Coordinator of Theatre & Film and does not shy away from new works, as he’s shown in recent years with the debut of his own Dancing With Dani, a play he wrote and directed in 2008; he also performed the role of Mason in Actors Guild of Lexington’s successful production and world premiere of Silas House’s Long Time Travelling last spring under the direction of Rick St. Peter.
Self-described “husband, father and prisoner of rock-n-roll” Davis likes to tell the story of how he met the author of See Jane QUIT while having dinner one night. “Beth is the significant other of one of my best friends from down in Mississippi. They visited us Thanksgiving weekend, and Beth (who I found very charming) mentioned that she was a playwright and had some full length material. Almost offhandedly, I asked her to send me something, and when I read what she sent, I was blown away at how strong her writing is (and of course the fact that the play won this year’s Mississippi Theatre Association’s playwrighting competition didn’t hurt)! I am MORE than happy to be giving this piece its premiere.” (Kander will be at the performance Friday, March 5th. There will be a reception at 7pm, the performance at 8, and a Q and A with Beth and the cast and crew immediately following.)
Kander will be in town for the Southeastern Theatre Conference, which will be held this year in Lexington. Davis emphasizes the importance of the the SETC: “Having it in our fair city is an amazing opportunity, and one that should not be missed. The conference has hundreds of workshops on every imaginable area of the theatre (tech, acting, directing, movement, etc.), and a number of High School and Community theatre performances from all over the region.”
“The pre-professional screening auditions are also an important part. I have been the state coordinator of these auditions for the better part of the last decade, and this year we had 148 college students from the state of Kentucky go through the screening auditions (held this past November in Morehead), and of those, 60 were selected to audition for over 100 professional theatre companies who will be attending the festival. I’m pleased to say that three of our BCTC students were among those selected to audition, so we’re very excited about that. There will also be hundreds of high schoolers auditioning for a large number of undergraduate programs, and Undergrad students who will have the opportunity to audition for graduate theatre programs. They also have a job contact service for technical folks, directors, PSMs and more.”
SETC’s administrators and board of directors make the decision as to where to hold the conference every year, but as Davis explains, “many of our KTA board members showed them what we had to offer when they visited Lexington last year (Jeremy Kisling at LCT was particularly instrumental in this). The conference hasn’t been in Lexington since 1978, so this is a pretty big deal.
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Davis’ upcoming developments at BCTC will be especially good news for those interested in obtaining a fine arts degree. “We are working on putting together a theatre degree (an Associates of Fine Arts) which we hope we’ll be able to offer as early as next fall. We also hope to expand our production number to three per school year. We’ll continue to partner with Talon and LexArts and we also anticipate working with the Keeneland Concours de Elegance folks again for their show in July. We also hope to have some student-directed material, which will be performed later in this semester.”
Davis also pointed out the college’s participation in the American College Theatre Festival. “It’s a national organization sponsored by the Kennedy Center, and our region is the largest in the nation (10 states). We enter our shows every year, with the possibility that we may be selected for inclusion at the regional festival (held every year in February- this year down in Murfreesboro, TN at Middle Tennessee State). Though our show was not selected, we were the ONLY community college theatre program that was recommended and in the running, and I’m awfully proud of that. We also had four students compete in the ACTF Irene Ryan Acting competition at the festival, and they acquitted themselves nicely and had a great time at the Festival, seeing shows and going to workshops.”
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Leah Dick is honored to play the lead for the first time in a world premiere, and to be “paving the way for hopefully many Janes to come.” She doesn’t view it as a difficulty but rather, thinks it’s easier to perform a new work. “This isn’t A Streetcar Named Desire - no one’s going to compare my Blanche to Vivien Leigh’s. There are infinite possibilities which means that I can do what actors do best—explore!
Allie Darden says, “This is not the first play I’ve been involved in that is a world premiere—I did another world premiere at Actors Guild of Lex in 2005; it’s called Checking In written by Brian Hampton. Last winter, he asked me to come to NYC and perform it in a staged reading at the Blackbird Theatre, and it was a hit! That performance led to it being accepted into the Midtown Manhattan International Theatre Festival in July, and I was asked to come back to NYC for a month to perform it. I was luckily able to take the time off work and go, and it was a hit. The playwright, Brian, is still working on ways to get it even more exposure. The new playwright’s job is truly never done.”
Kathy Crabtree Swango (an associate professor at BCTC) plays crotchety but lovable Bessie, took her first acting class in Spring 2007 with Davis, “whom I adore. He’s a wonderful teacher and director. He has such an eye and ear for what will work on stage. This is the first new work I’ve done, and it’s been such fun. We’ve somewhat created it as we’ve gone—no preconceptions or audience expectations, but it also has been a challenge because there’s nothing to compare it to.” Swango plays Bessie, the grandmother, “who is a somewhat intolerant woman. She loves her grandchildren, but she can be pretty unpleasant and demanding. She also doesn’t want to be a burden to her grandchildren, so that’s an endearing quality. It’s been fun to create her ‘from scratch,’ giving her voice and form.” Swango adds that she’s looking forward to meeting the author when she’s in town for the SETC next week.
Zach Dearing (at work on his first novel in his spare time) plays James, Jane’s older brother. Dearing says, is a veteran of five of Davis’s BCTC productions, and says, “Tim is a miracle worker. We don’t have a theatre, we don’t have a rehearsal room, we don’t have a WHOLE LOT of other things that other programs do have, and yet we consistently fill houses, and in my opinion, we often put on better shows than you’ll find at neighboring schools. I defend that statement with the list of actors (myself included) that have gone on to the next level of college theatre and traveled to compete in national competitions like the Irene Ryan competition. We have great talent but very limited resources and yet somehow, Tim has managed not only to keep his brainchild alive but to expand it over the course of two years.”
Dearing adds he feels that “unfortunately, BCTC productions are the best kept secret in the local theatre community.”
See Jane QUIT
Showtimes are: Feb 25th, 26th, and 27th at 8 pm
Mar 4th, 5th, and 6th at 8pm
Tickets, LexArts at (859) 225-0370
by: Ace
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