"Wait Until Dark" Now Showing At The James F. Dean Theatre In Summerville Is Entertaining-Don't Miss It

The marquee lights flashed brilliantly, illuminating the way on Euclid Avenue to the big swinging doors underneath. Everyone was dressed to the hilt, suit and tie and evening gowns. "Your tickets please," was the greeting from the white-shirted attendants upon entering. The surroundings inside were lush and the architecture lavish. The colors were royal with an abundance of red accented with flecks of gold. The predominant marble gave the huge foyer the feel of antiquity. There was no mistaking the reason you were there, the signs were everywhere. The atmosphere was heavy with excitement. The anticipation for what was to come elevated the senses. "May I show you to your seat," the usher courteously requested. The seating area was alive with the loud talk of families and couples until the lights were dimmed and the curtain rose. It was showtime at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland, OH and I loved a good show.

Today, I live in Summerville, a beautiful, historic town near Charleston. It is a far cry from Cleveland, some 722 miles. I have now lived here for over six years and because of my interest in live stage performances, have always been curious about what goes on at the little theater on the corner of South Main Street and East Richardson Ave. called the James F. Dean Theatre. The event was the monthly Third Thursday in Summerville and my main objective was to satisfy that curiosity, aroused specifically by the fact the play "Wait Until Dark" was being advertised.

The James F. Dean Theatre was originally a movie house converted to accommodate live stage performances. The theater marquee is modest and the entrance a single door. Inside, the decor is simple. There are no lush reds with flecks of gold or marble pillars. I was greeted by a young man by the name of Cody Smith, from whom I requested permission to take some pictures. We briefly conversed about the theater, which gravitated into a discussion about the upcoming play. I brought up the old movie, which in its climax contained one of the top 100 scariest movie moments. I wondered how the performers would duplicate that famous scene. Cody graciously offered me comp tickets for the opening night on March 2nd to see for myself.

cast members

Opening night finally arrived. The front door attendant and ushers were all volunteers and local residents. In fact, the front door attendant was my neighbor. The ticket holders were for the most part dressed casually, no suit and tie, but the excitement and anticipation that filled the theater was notably present. The stage and props were well placed and appropriate for the setting, a basement apartment where a blind woman by the name of Susy Hendrix(Tiffany Eliason) lived along with her husband, Sam(Robert Carroll). The lights dimmed and the two small-time con artists, Talman(Chad Estel) and Carlino(Robert Vincelli), entered the apartment to find out they are in for more than they bargained for and relunctantly become partnered with a cold-blooded killer, Harry Roat(Cody Smith), who was looking for a cloth doll.

Cody, Tiffany, Chad, and Katie

In my humble opinion, I was thoroughly entertained, and satisfied the director(Christine Eliason) and the cast pulled off the dramatic conclusion. Tiffany, in her first large role, did a very good job simulating a blind woman and projecting the emotional state of the original character. I was pleasantly pleased at the performance of 12 year old Katie Batton, who played the part of Gloria, an upstairs neighbor. Gloria had somewhat of a bratty personality and Katie looked the part. I don't want to give away any of the details, but there was that one scene where alot of things were being thrown around by an insolent Gloria. Now, we come to the sinister Harry Roat played by Cody Smith. For me, the sunglasses and the long switchblade did the trick. Not just any sunglasses, but the Harry Roat type of sunglasses. The cool, calculating killer he was. Cody's mannerisms were expressive and he wielded the knife in an intimidating way. Tiffany and Cody succeeded in gradually raising the suspense for the final, climactic scene involving the refrigerator. Sorry, you will have to purchase a ticket for the rest. It is worth an evening out. Everything seemed to flow smoothly for a live stage performance. Other cast members were Deacon Gerald and Kelsey Palmer. Hats off to Christine and Ernie Eliason.

Christine and Ernie Eliason

The Flowertown Players are an acting group in a small theater with a big heart. They feature local talent and invite all with an interest in the performing arts to join them. I look forward to future interactions with the James F. Dean Theatre.

It Was A Third Thursday With The King Of Rock'n Roll And The James F. Dean Theatre

The rain and clouds had cleared out. The 6 o'clock skies were beginning to darken. The day was bidding a final farewell to the setting sun and embracing the arriving night. The air was comfortably warm for a February Thursday. "It's Now or Never." The downtown festivities were underway and no one would be asking "Are You Lonesome Tonight." Starry-eyed amatuer astronomers were setting up their telescopes on the corner of Old Central and W. Richardson Ave with hopes of catching a glimpse of a distant neighbor in the Milky way.

Happy patrons were already filling the restaurants and shops "You Can't Help Falling in Love" with along South Main Street. Sounds of "don't you step on my blue suede shoes" and "a hunk, a hunk of burning love" filled the courtyard near O'Lacy's Pub. A black modified zamboni operated by a man dressed in a star-studded white jump suit and cape with long sideburns, a funky black wig, and sunglasses breezed on by belting out tracks of "Fools Rush In" and "Love Me Tender." My "Suspicious Mind" arrived at the obvious conclusion it was Elvis Presley Night in Summerville. It was another edition of Third Thursday.

Third Thursday is an signature event sponsored by Summerville D.R.E.A.M. and celebrated each month throughout the year. The goal is to foster community spirit and ensure Summerville's economic vitality by promoting its businesses. Residents and visitors from throughout the Lowcountry and from around the nation come to experience its famed historic downtown district which offers live music and entertainment, fine arts and crafts and more. It begins at 5:00 pm and runs till 8:00 pm.

My focus this past Third Thursday was the historic James F. Dean Theatre near the corner of South Main Street and W. Richardson Ave. This old theater was built in 1935. It flourished as Summerville's movie house until the mid 1960's, then also known as "The Show." In 1976 the Flowertown Players bought and renovated the theater installing state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment with an emphasis on highlighting local talent. The theater group offers some unique opportunities for those interested in the acting arts and the processes involved in live stage productions. You can volunteer to help design the costumes, the building of the sets, or be an usher with the benefit of seeing the show for free. You can also audition for one of the acting parts.

I was taking pictures and making an attempt at politely soliciting some inside information on the upcoming production "Wait Until Dark," a play that was made famous by the movie bearing the same name released in 1967 just a few years after the Summerville theater closed as a movie house. So, it is likely the movie starring Audrey Hepburn was never shown at the downtown theater.

"Wait Until Dark" highlights one of the scariest movie moments in film history. When I heard the play was appearing at the James F. Dean Theater, my curiosity was peaked. During my visit, I got a preview glimpse of the set, which was receiving the final touches for opening night. Now, I am keenly interested in seeing how the play will duplicate the famous scary scene. The theater staff graciously offered me two complimentary tickets to the first showing. It opens March 2nd at 8:00 pm. It was a successful Third Thursday.

The next Third Thursday will be March 15th. Come and join the party. At some point in the night you will find me at Aura Lee's Jewelry, Handbags & Accessories making southern small talk and drinking northern beer, which is made available for free courtesy of Aura Lee's. Stop by and say hello. I would very much like to meet you.

Charleston's Theaters Offer High Class Entertainment And Opportunity For The Talented

Dock Street Theater stage

I recently did something I don't normally do. I watched the SAG Awards. I don't know what came over me. The beginning of the program captured my attention and from there I just lingered. At the opening credits, different actors and actresses who were nominated for awards recounted how they got into acting.

Listening to the nominees speak of their first experience with acting took me back many years ago, back to my first part on a stage in a live performance. I was eleven years old. It was a school play. I played the lead role as Robinson Crusoe in an adaptation of the novel written by Daniel DeFoe called "Robinson Crusoe." I also played a minor role as a pirate in the play. In my role as a pirate I wore the typical pirate eye patch. There was this one scene where I got the two characters crossed. I stepped out onto the stage as Crusoe wearing the eye patch. I forgot to remove it after the conclusion of a previous scene as the pirate. I didn't realize my wardrobe mistake until I looked out at the audience, and there was no turning back. Somewhat embarrassed, mostly self inflicted, I muddled through the scene. My error went unnoticed, not a word was said about it. The play was a success.

Dock Street Theater mezzanine seating

If you enjoy acting and would like to participate in a live stage performance, Charleston theaters offer opportunities for individuals to audition for parts in upcoming plays. I have personally given consideration to auditioning. I think it would be an enjoyable experience. I am just waiting for a good pirate role to come available. On a recent outing into Charleston, I walked through two of its theaters, talked to some of the staff, and took pictures. It was richly informative and no, I didn't see or hear any ghosts.

Charleston Stage is the resident acting company performing at the Dock Street Theater. The Dock Street Theater was the first building in America built exclusively to be used for theatrical performances. The original building burned in the Great Fire of 1740, which destroyed many of the buildings in Charleston's French Quarter. In 1809 the Planters Hotel was built at the location. The Hotel ultimately fell into disrepair and slated for demolition. It was saved and efforts began to turn it into a theater once again. It reopened in 1937 as the Dock Street Theater. In 2007, it closed again and after a three year 19 million dollar renovation, the theater opened its doors again in 2010.

Dock Street Theater bar

The Dock Street, located at 135 Church Street, is a beautiful proscenium space theater with seating for 430 people--proscenium space refers to the front stage between the curtain and orchestra. The ornate wood interior gives it a warm, rich feeling. It has mezzanine seating with an excellent view of the stage and is outfitted with state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The theater hires actors from the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions for their Resident Acting Intern Program, which is held in February of every year. If interested contact Charleston Stage auditions. You can also volunteer to work backstage or on costumes and scenery. If interested contact Charleston Stage volunteer opportunities.

Footlight Theater stage

The Footlight Players are associated with the Footlight Theater located at 20 Queen Street. The building was originally an old cotton warehouse built in 1850. At first, it was only used for storage and scenery construction. After a dramatic renovation in 1986, the Footlight Players moved into the building for good. During my walk through, I noticed all the seats had a small metal plate mounted on the backs with names of people engraved on it, some stating "In memory of" and others "In honor of." They are individuals who made donations to the theater, some still living, some not. When those still living buy tickets for plays they can request their permanently reserved seat, if they choose to do so.

Painting on a wall in Footlight Theater

The Footlight Players are very similar to the Flowertown Players when it comes to auditions. It is open to the public. They are presently taking auditions for "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)" scheduled for opening March 29 and will run to April 7. March 4 and 5 auditions will be held for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Six men and seven woman will be needed to fill the roles. March 18 and 19 auditions will be held for "Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)." Two men and two woman will be needed for that play.

The Flowertown Players, James F. Dean Theatre in Summerville, held open auditions on January 10th and 11th for the 1966 stage play written by Frederick Knott called "Wait Until Dark", which will be presented beginning March 2nd. The film adaptation released in 1967 starring Audrey Hepburn thrilled audiences and was ranked tenth on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments for its climactic scene. Perhaps, you remember the climactic scene when the theater dimmed its lights, then turned them off after each light on-screen was shattered one by one by Susy Hendrix(Audrey Hepburn), resulting in the theater being plunged into complete darkness. Seconds ticked off in that heightened state of suspense. Then surprisingly, the killer leaped from the shadows. My friends literally jumped out of their seats. It will be interesting to see how the Flowertown Players will duplicate that infamous scary scene.

So, join in the fun of acting, if you dare. If not, buy a ticket and enjoy the show. You can not beat the feel of a live performance. Maybe, you will see some crazy guy up on the stage wearing an eye patch, wielding a sword, and inviting you to "Drink up me hearties. Drink up."