Magenta Theater Goes 'Dark' and GrittyThursday, October 1
by Mary Ann Albright
Columbian
Magenta Theater expanded its stage out and up for "
Wait Until Dark," and the production is stretching the group's mission as well as its physical space.
Magenta Theater historically has focused on family-friendly fare appropriate for people of all ages, often skewing toward comedies and female-centric shows such as "Steel Magnolias" and "Anne of Green Gables." "Wait Until Dark," a tense production not recommended for children younger than 10, is a departure for Magenta.
"'Wait Until Dark' is truly stepping out on a limb and doing something we haven't done before," said Jaynie Roberts, Magenta's artistic director and the show's producer.
The shift came in response to audience demand, said Roberts, 54, of Vancouver.
"Some of our patrons, especially our seniors, were wanting something that's a little more gritty," she said.
"Wait Until Dark," which opened Oct. 1 and is written by Frederick Knott and directed by Dave Roberts — no relation to Jaynie, is edgier fare, with violence, drug references, manipulation and intense situations.
The play is set in 1960s New York City in a basement apartment. To create the illusion of a basement in the theater, Magenta built a two-story set, with the second level representing the street. Audience members will see feet walking by a window as if they're looking out of the apartment.
The story centers on Susy Hendrix, played by Vancouver actress and director Dorinda Toner. Susy is a blind woman caught in a cat-and-mouse game with con men who think she knows the whereabouts of a drug-filled doll her husband, Sam, supposedly agreed to bring across the Canadian border, presumably unaware of what was inside.
The con men, led by mastermind Roat, played by Portland actor Dirk Wallace, try to befriend Susy and turn her against Sam to retrieve the doll.
Dave Roberts, who founded and served as artistic director of the former theater group Vancouver OnStage, calls "Wait Until Dark" a "reverse mystery." The audience knows what's going on and is waiting to see if, how and when Susy will figure it out, said the 40-year-old from Battle Ground.
One of the biggest but most fun challenges of playing Susy was "learning all the intricacies of how non-sighted people navigate the world," said Toner, 34.
Brooke Strand, a Magenta actress and teacher at the Washington State School for the Blind, who is legally blind, coached Toner and gave her assignments such as wearing a blindfold around the house. Dave Roberts also had Toner rehearse in the dark.
Toner said her favorite scene comes at the end of the play and takes place in the dark, offering the audience a sense of what Susy's life is like and giving her the upper hand over Roat.
"It's incredibly intense, and that fight-or-flight (instinct) really kicks in," she said.
Many of the cast and crew first became acquainted with "Wait Until Dark" watching the 1967 film starring Audrey Hepburn as Susy and Alan Arkin as Roat. It's one of the first movies Wallace can recall from his childhood, and it stuck with him.
"It just captivated me," said Wallace, 32, who has had several small roles in films but will be making his stage debut with this production.
The chance to follow in Arkin's footsteps and take on the role of Roat was an appealing challenge.
"I'm excited to potentially play the heaviest heavy that's ever been on the Magenta stage. It's fun to be part of something that's a departure from what they normally do," he said.
"Wait Until Dark" is kicking off Jaynie Roberts' plan to offer a more adult thriller every year around Halloween. It's part of catering to the whole family, men and grown-ups included, she said, but don't expect the rest of future seasons to deviate from Magenta's typically family-friendly fare.
"It doesn't mean that we're going to be this worldly, wild theater company," she said.
LOOKING AHEADMagenta Theater's 2009 season continues Oct. 30 and 31 with "Mystery on Main," an interactive show written and directed by Charlie Granade and produced by Jaynie Roberts.
"We're going to take a time machine back to 1971 and find out what really happened to D.B. Cooper," Granade said.
The season concludes with "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)", which runs Dec. 3-19. In the show, three actors decide to perform Christmas stories and carols from around the world instead of the ubiquitous "A Christmas Carol."
Magenta's 2010 season has changed from Roberts' original plan. She intended to offer "Barefoot in the Park" and make her Magenta theatrical debut playing Mrs. Banks. But the script contains a racial slur and Roberts' request to change that line was denied. So, she dropped "Barefoot in the Park" from Magenta's lineup.
Instead, she'll audition for the roles of Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine de Bourgh in "Pride and Prejudice."
Roberts also had to move the Noel Coward play "Present Laughter" up in the season, since there's a Broadway revival of the show happening later in the year, and that was the only way she could secure licensing rights.
Here's what Magenta patrons have to look forward to in 2010:Feb. 12-27
"Crossing Delancey" by Susan Sandler. Directed by Andrea Adams. Isabel is a modern young woman who lives alone and works in a bookshop. Her grandmother and a matchmaker think they've found a man for Isabel: a pickle vendor named Sam. But will she see what a good catch he is?
April 16-May 1
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, adaptation by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan. Directed by Dorinda Toner. This comedy-drama of manners set in late 18th century England centers on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's quest to find wealthy husbands for their five daughters.
June 11-26
"Present Laughter" by Noel Coward. Directed by Jaynie Roberts. In this comedy, Garry Essendine, a popular and pampered actor, is busily making preparations for an extended tour. His apartment is invaded by Daphne, a beautiful, stage-struck young woman. When his wife, his partners and his numerous admirers arrive, Garry is hard-pressed to escape an embarrassing and easily misinterpreted situation.
Oct. 1-16
"Murder in Green Meadows" by Douglas Post. Directed by Dave Roberts. Thomas Devereaux, a successful architect and local contractor, and his beautiful wife, Joan, have just moved into their dream house in the quiet suburban town of Green Meadows when they are visited by their new neighbors, the Symons. A friendship quickly develops, but underneath the cool middle-American exterior, something is truly rotten in this thriller.
Dec. 3-18
"She Loves Me" by Joe Masteroff, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Stage direction by Amanda Goff, musical direction by Eric Toner. Georg and Amalia are two feuding clerks in a European parfumerie in this musical set in Eastern Europe in the 1930s. Unbeknownst to each other, both have romantic pen pals. When George and Amalia find out they're each other's correspondents, they must rethink their previous perceptions.
If you go...-- What: "Wait Until Dark," presented by Magenta Theater.
-- When: Continues at 7 p.m. Oct. 2-3, 9-10 and 15-17; 2 p.m. Oct. 17.
-- Where: Magenta Theater, 606 Main St., Vancouver.
-- Tickets: $10-$14 in advance, $11-$15 at the door. Students with I.D. can receive $5 off select seats for the Oct. 15 show, however, the play is not recommended for children younger than 10, due to violence, drug references and tense scenes. As part of the Free Night of Theater program, Magenta is offering 12 free seats to the Oct. 9 and Oct. 15 performances. These tickets must be arranged in advance by calling the box office. These requests will be handled first come, first served.
-- Information: 360-635-4358 or magentatheater.com. To learn more about Free Night of Theater, visit freenightoftheater.net.
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!), by Michael Carletonn, James FitzGerald and John K. Alvarez - with original music by Will Knapp - and directed by Dorinda Toner, is nothing short of outrageously fun holiday hilarity. 
