When choosing to attend a local theatre production, I opt for shows that pique my curiosity about a challenging concept being presented on a small stage. Last year, I picked the absurd comedy, The 39 Steps, knowing it’d be fun to watch the actors dash about the limited stage area yelling and slamming doors, performing slapstick comedy, and keeping a complicated story moving. It was terrific. When I saw that a local playhouse in my new hometown of St. Augustine was going to present Wait Until Dark — where the blind heroine must ward off two criminals hellbent on retrieving a doll containing heroin hidden somewhere in her New York City apartment — I thought, “I’m in.”
The Limelight Theatre is a thirty-plus year-old community playhouse in St. Augustine, Florida, and their upcoming season of live entertainment was noted in a local newspaper. In addition to Wait Until Dark, a suspenseful psychological thriller written in the mid-1960’s by Frederick Knott (Dial M For Murder), the roster for this season also included The Music Man, Tuck Everlasting, A Doll’s House, and 9 to 5: The Musical. They weren’t fooling around, and I was impressed. I remember watching the Wait Until Dark classic movie from the 1960’s with Audrey Hepburn as the main character, and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna and Jack Weston in the cast, and both The New York Times and Roger Ebert gave the film good marks for its acting and build-up of suspense.
In this case, my curiosity focused on how a local production of such a busy, active story would play out. Would the leading lady be believable in her portrayal of the blind “Susy,” or would it come off wooden and obvious? How would the major scenes be staged, like when the crooks come and go with mayhem, hollering, changing characters, running up and down steps, hunting through drawers while terrorizing poor Susy? Or the part where the scene is performed entirely in the dark, with lights out, so the crooks are on the same playing field as their target – would it make sense? In fact, that scene ended up as a believable device which gave the audience an opportunity to put themselves in Susy’s shows — relying solely on the other senses to figure out the movement of the criminals and stay one step ahead.
Anna Vera and Burt Keirstead (Photo by Josh Andrews)
Part One provided a slow, and steady build-up of the tension, with actors who performed their roles with passion and energy. In Part Two, we saw the action ramp up in intensity toward its satisfying conclusion. Much of today’s entertainment relies on computer gadgetry, so it was gratifying to feel the suspense via human performances and a few sinister props. Actor Anna Vera stands out for her portrayal of Susy, giving an inspiring performance of a blind woman whose husband is out of town, and afraid for her life. With a mix of vulnerability and street smarts, Vera cleverly stalls the criminal’s discovery of the doll to keep herself alive.
Woman Around Town reached out to director Tyler Hammond specifically for his preparation on directing that role. “I watched several videos and spent some time with a few blind friends from college,” says Hammond, “so I had a good understanding of how they move throughout space, utilizing the senses while minimizing unnecessary noise interference. Anna Vera is the kind of actor a director dreams of working with. Her attention to detail and ability to follow new impulses is extraordinary. She continues each day to add nuanced action that is the result of her truly embodying the role of Susy Hendrix. Vera doesn’t play pretend on that stage; each performance is grounded and connected so the audience experiences the authenticity we’ve strived to create.”
Once the lights went down, and the curtain rose in this 125-seat theatre, the performances brought audience members into Susy’s world, and had them cheering for her. Kudos to the other actors in the show: Burt Keirstead, Chip Prestera, Carlos Julian Semidei, Joseph Stearman, and Lucy Farrow. At the play’s conclusion, the audience continued to cheer, and rise to their feet in appreciation for an enjoyable night at the theatre.
The Limelight Theatre was founded in 1992, and over the years has offered productions in local venues. In 2001, it moved into its permanent home in uptown St. Augustine through a foundation grant; in 2006, thanks to a State of Florida grant, the building received needed capital improvements. In addition to offering eight mainstage productions each season, Limelight offers year-round theatre education for ages 4 to adult.
For more information, go to the website for the Limelight Theatre
Top: Anna Vera – Photo by Josh Andrews
All other photos by MJ Hanley-Goff
