Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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14 UCW NOVEMBER 1 - 7, 2017 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM APRIL OLSEN, Contributing writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. (910) 484-6200. EVENTS "Wait Until Dark" delivers a solid production t hat showcases one of t he t hings t he Cape Fear Regional Theatre does best. It prov ides an opportunit y for local audiences to see excellent collaboration from a talented cast and crew. Director Talya Klein brings togeth- er a team of local, regional and na- tional artists who present a stor y that engages the audience. We must pay attention to what is seen and heard, as the details are important – from the props themselves and their placement to the characters' backgrounds and motives as revealed in the dialogue. Susy and Sam Hendrix live in a basement apart- ment in New York City's Greenwich Village in 1967. Susy is blind, and her husband, Sam, is a photogra- pher who unwittingly brings home a doll filled with heroin. While Sam is away, a trio of con artists tries to trick Susy into giving them the doll. As more nefarious deeds are revealed, the situa- tion gets increasingly dangerous for Susy, played by Leah Curney. She first works to clear Sam's name and then must devise a plan to learn whom she can trust. With skill, Curney leads the audience from seeing Susy as a possible victim to a character who uses her disability to her advantage. Perhaps the best part of watching "Wait Until Dark" was seeing local and regional artists work with nationally recognized artists, both onstage and behind the scenes. Also delivering noteworthy performances are the actors playing the con artists: Patrick Falcon, Justin Matthew Toyer and Greg King. King is no stranger to the CFRT stage, last appearing in "Trip to Bountiful." Toyer and Falcon are making their CFRT debuts. The sound, lighting and scenic design create an environment that pulls the audience in while delivering clues as the stor y plays out. Scenic designer Jonathan Dahm Robertson, lighting designer Caitlin Smith Rapoport, sound designer Jon Fredette and scenic artist David Rawlins bring a wide variet y of local and national experience to the stage. They are a credit to the production. "Wait Until Dark" was written by Frederick Knott and premiered on Broadway in 1966 followed by a movie adaptation in 1967. The play is billed as a suspense-thriller, but aside from a few surprises, I didn't find much suspense in the story. The first act prov ides the expo- sition of the characters and some of their motives. It also estab- lishes that our Susy is way too trusting for a blind woman who spends a good amount of time alone while her photographer husband is off on assignments. The second act is where our clever Susy begins to orchestrate a plan to reveal the truth about her antagonists. What I could not reconcile with the story is how this same clever Susy would entertain visits from these questionable characters in the first place. I wanted to stand up from the audience and shout, "Lock your door, Susy, don't let strang- ers into your apartment!" "Wait Until Dark" is a good choice for anyone who wants to see a talented cast and crew deliver a solid evening of entertainment. The show runs through Nov. 12 and is recommended for audi- ences 13 and above due to some violence. Ticket prices and show times are available at w w w.cfrt.org or by calling the box office at (910) 323-4233. 'Wait Until Dark' highlights talented cast and crew at CFRT by APRIL OLSEN Celebrate all your LIFE moments at FAYETTEVILLE'S FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT 48 CRAFT BEERS, DAILY DRINK SPECIALS DJ BINGO Every Thursday at 7:00PM QUALITY FOOD YOU EXPECT, SERVICE YOU DESERVE ALL FRESH NATURAL INGREDIENTS OFF THE BONE SMOKED RIBS, TENDER BEEF BRISKET, PULLED PORK AND OUR SIGNATURE TOMATO PIE MONDAYS 4PM - 10PM | TUES - THURS 11AM - 10PM FRI - SAT 11AM - 12AM | SUNDAY NOON - 9PM WWW.BLACKSTONESMOKEHOUSE.COM 2801 RAEFORD RD • 910.491.7029 SPECIALIZING IN: (ACROSS FROM CHICK-FIL-A) LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED • ALL ABC PERMITS