ENMU students performing 'Wait Until Dark'

Eastern New Mexico University this week is putting on the play, "Wait Until Dark," by Frederick Knott.

The performances will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the University Theatre Center, said Jon Barr, the chairman of ENMU's Department of Theatre and Digital Filmmaking.

The play was adapted into a movie starring actress Audrey Hepburn in the 1960s, Barr said.

The main character, Susy, is a blind woman who lives in an apartment in New York City.

The plot, Barr said, is gangsters "are coming to get her (the blind woman)" because in her possession-unknown to her-is a doll containing heroin the men smuggled into the country.

"Her strategy is to cut out all the lights in the apartment and she knows how to move around and then they can't see," he said.

The season selection committee chose this play because it filled a niche they wanted to fill, he said. "It's sort of a classic (set in) the post 1950s era."

"The play has simulated violence and reference to drugs, but no cursing," he said.

Josh Blackwood is the director and designer of the play, he said.

Liam Hurley, a senior at ENMU, plays the part of Sam Hendrix, husband of Susy Hendrix, the blind woman.

The play is a psychological thriller, which "is a different step I feel that the department is taking," Hurley said. "Different in a positive way."

The actors experience a different emotion and "getting to experience that emotion as an actor is interesting," he said.

ENMU junior Santiago Chacon plays the part of Sgt. Carlino, one of the con men.

"I like that the setting is in 1960s New York City," he said. The costumes are interesting and there is photographer in the play that uses a vintage camera.

"Lighting does play an important part in this play," he said. "It is not as well lit (as a typical play) -- as a result, you really do have to pay attention to the dialogue."

Senior Chloe Earp plays the character of Susy.

"The last little bit –there's a surprise with the lighting and that's interesting," Earp said.

Playing the part of a blind woman, she said, she had to get comfortable with the set. She wanted to "nail" the part and portray a blind woman accurately.

Israel Stacy, a junior at ENMU, plays the part of Mike, a con man.

"This is the first dramatic piece I have worked on –you don't usually see thriller types of shows onstage," Stacy said.

What is interesting about the play is "the main character, Susy, is blind and that creates an interesting dynamic with the other characters throughout the show," he said.

Freshman at ENMU, Jacen Jimenez, plays the part of Mr. Roat, one of the con artists.

"The dynamic shift in power in the play" is interesting, Jimenez said. At first the con men think they have the "upper hand" because Susy is blind.

"As the play goes on, the audience sees Susy's solutions to the problems in front of her as something that she uses to her advantage," he said. "That's the most interesting part of the play other than the action segments ...that are pretty cool."

Sophomore at ENMU, Allison Miles, is the stage manager.

The lighting intensifies the scariness of a scene because the play takes place substantially in the dark, Miles said.

ENMU sophomore, Alexis Whitteker, plays the part of the "upstairs neighbor."

This play is much more demanding than some "because there are more physical movements-ways we have to go about on set. It's quite dark and that's more demanding," Whitteker said.