Wait Until Dark & memories of Audrey Hepburn

Why would you think people would go to watch a straight play in this season of back-to-back theater musicals? To us, the reason would simply be Audrey Hepburn!

The memory of Audrey as a blind woman who starred in the play Wait Until Dark released in 1967, haunts us to this day. It is not even her best. She didn’t win the Best Actress award for it. But it had us holding on to our seat awaiting what lays in store for this blind girl trying to fight off a bunch of hooligans out to kill her. 

Repertory Philippines (REP) opens its 77th season with Frederick Knott’s psychological thriller Wait Until Dark now running at the OnStage Theater, Glorietta 1 in Makati.

Susy, the blind housewife, is terrorized by three strange men after a doll filled with heroin was mistakenly loaded into her husband’s things and ended up in Susy’s apartment. The thugs discover what has happened, get into the apartment and want the doll back. But Susy doesn’t know where it is. With the help of a neighbor, Susy bides for time, using her own instincts and the darkness that has become her best aid in outwitting the dangerous thugs.

Wait Until Dark, the play, opened on Broadway in 1966 with Lee Remick as Susy. In 1967, Audrey starred in the film version. The film ranks 10th from the Top 100 Scariest Moments at the Bravo Network.

Audrey, who has been recognized as a film and fashion icon as well as humanitarian, was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third greatest female screen legend in the history of American Cinema. Among her films that we had watched are Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Love in the Afternoon, My Fair Lady, Paris When It Sizzles and War and Peace. She is one of a few who have won the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards.

Wait Until Dark appears to be Audrey’s sole thriller, although she had done all types of roles throughout her career as shown in the shortlist above.

Directed by Miguel Faustmann, the psychological thriller is led by Liesl Batucan as the blind Suzy Hendrix, a very likeable woman with an interesting dichotomy of innocence and inner strength. Playing the role of her husband Sam Hendrix is Arnel Carrion, former Marine and now professional photographer.  

The three con men are played by Joel Trinidad, Robbie Guevara and Jamie Wilson. Jamie plays Harry Roat, a creepy sociopath who is interested only in drugs and money. Joel is Mike Talman, professional con man, charming individual with a ruthless streak. Robbie as Sgt. Carlino, Mike’s partner, is a follower not a leader. Dani Gana plays Gloria, the young upstairs neighbor of Susy and Sam.

Co-presented by the City of Makati, Wait Until Dark is both exciting and scary, guided by veteran Faustmann into using his instincts to channel his gift of suspense and surprises from its intriguing start towards its electrifying and climactic finale.

Apart from Faustmann (who is both director and set designer), the artistic and creative team includes Baby Barredo (artistic director), Jethro Joaquin (sound and music design) and John Batalla (lighting designer). The production staff includes Gidget Tolentino (production manager), Gold Soon (stage manager), Pol Roxas (sound technician), Pablito Salvador (lighting technician) and Adul Lasin (set execution and scenic artist).

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