Great Lakes Theater Presents Frederick Knott's Classic Thriller Wait Until Dark at the Hanna Theatre

CLEVELAND, OH - Great Lakes Theater (GLT), Cleveland’s Classic Company, commences the second half its 2017-18 season with Frederick Knott’s classic thriller, Wait Until Dark. The production will be performed in the company’s intimate and audience-friendly home at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square, February 17 – March 12, 2017.Joseph Hanreddy directs the production. Wait Until Dark is presented through special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

Generous production support for Wait Until Dark was provided by Lubrizol. Great Lakes Theater is also supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Season support is provided by The Cleveland Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. Media sponsors for GLT’s 55th season are The FORM Group, Ideastream (WCLV 104.9 FM and WCPN 90.3 FM) and WKSU 89.7 FM.

Like his infamous hit script Dial “M” for Murder, Frederick Knott’s Wait Until Dark is an intense and darkly gripping thriller. A 1960s Greenwich Village apartment is the scene for a deadly game of cat and mouse when a group of con-men manipulate and terrorize an unsuspecting blind woman to reclaim a mysterious doll. When the doll can’t be found, the situation spirals out of control. With murder afoot and suspense building, the woman deftly decides to “wait until dark,” in an attempt to outwit her assailants. The thrills begin when the lights go out. Wait Until Dark’s chilling conclusion is proof positive that what you can’t see can hurt you.

Director Joseph Hanreddy has served as the artistic director for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the Madison Repertory Theater and the Ensemble Theater Company in Santa Barbara. Recent productions include King Lear and Richard III for the Great Lakes Theater/Idaho Shakespeare Festival; Julius Caesar, Sense and Sensibility, Macbeth and Private Lives for the Utah Shakespeare Festival; Sense and Sensibility for People’s Light Theater (Philadelphia); A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Door Shakespeare Festival (Wisconsin); Our Country’s Good for the Resident Ensemble Players (Delaware); O Beautiful for the Connecticut Repertory Theater; The Blonde, The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead for the Writer’s Theater (Chicago); and The Misanthrope for the Pearl Theater (off-Broadway, nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival).

Great Lakes Theater’s acclaimed home at the Hanna Theatre features a visionary“Great Room” inspired design that integrates the artist and audience experience into a single unified environment. Hanna patrons select from a variety of seating opportunities including traditional theater seats, club chairs, lounge/bar seats, banquette couches and private box seating. Arranged in an intimate 550-seat thrust configuration where the audience surrounds the stage, no seat is further than 12 rows from the performance.

Great Lakes Theater offers patrons a robust series of Experience Enhancement Programming that is organized by day of week. The series highlights the Hanna’s unique amenities and affords access to artists.

• “Director’s Night” offers audiences the opportunity to take part in a lively pre-show discussion with GLT’s Producing Artistic Director, Charles Fee before the Friday preview performance. (Offered: Feb. 17)

• “Salon Thursdays” feature an engaging pre-show discussion/presentation beginning one hour before curtain with a Great Lakes Theater artist. (Offered: Feb. 23 & March 2, 9)

• “Happy Hour Fridays” afford audience members the opportunity to gather, socialize and enjoy appetizers or beverages for sale in the Hanna’s bar and lounge beginning ninety minutes before the performance. (Offered: Feb. 17, 24 & March 3, 10)

• “Playnotes Pre-Show Discussions” inform patrons with illuminating introductions to the content and history of each play in GLT’s season presented by a guest scholar before Saturday matinee performances. (Offered: Feb. 25 & March. 4, 11)

• “Nightcap Night Saturdays” are designed to encourage audience members to stay after the evening performance and mingle with the GLT artistic company in the Hanna’s lounge. The Hanna’s bar is open ninety minutes after Nightcap Night Saturday performances.”(Offered: Feb. 25 & March. 4, 11)

• “Ice Cream Social Sundays” offer patrons the opportunity to enjoy a London theatre tradition brought state-side. Audience members are invited to purchase a cool, personal ice cream treat before the show or at intermission. Ice cream will be offered at every performance in Deathtrap’s run, but on “Ice Cream Social Sundays,” the treat is half price. (Offered: Feb. 19, 26 & March 5, 12)

Great Lakes Theater will continue to afford patrons extraordinary access to its artists and production process at every Hanna Theatre performance of Wait Until Dark. The Hanna always opens its doors ninety minutes before each performance allowing patrons to observe the complete pre-show preparation process of GLT’s actors and technical staff. Elements traditionally hidden from audiences such as stage combat rehearsals, dance calls, prop/scenic pre-sets, technical cue rehearsals and actor warm-ups will be conducted in full view of patrons, offering GLT audiences an unprecedented glimpse into the theatrical process.

Great Lakes Theater will also renew its New Deal pricing initiative this winter - designed to increase accessibility for audiences. As part of the program, adult tickets begin at $15 and student tickets for any seat at any performance are $13 - making GLT one of the most affordable entertainment options in the region.

The Opening Night (also Press Night) performance of Wait Until Dark is scheduled for Saturday, February 18th. A preview performance is scheduled for the preceding Friday night evening (February 17th). Curtain times for all evening performances will remain at 7:30 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m. curtain time for Saturday matinees and a 3:00 p.m. curtain time for Sunday matinees. A special weekday matinee is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22 at 1:30 p.m. All GLT productions will continue to offer sign-interpreted and audio-described performances.

Single performance tickets range in price from $15-$80 (Student tickets are $13) and are available by calling (216) 241-6000, by ordering online or by visiting the Playhouse Square Ticket Office. Groups of ten or more receive discounts of up to 25% by calling (216) 453-4457.

Great Lakes Theater, the first resident company of Playhouse Square, has brought the pleasure, power and relevance of classic theater to the widest possible audience since 1962. On its main stage and through its extensive education programming, Great Lakes Theater positively impacts the lives of over 100,000 adults and students annually.

Posted on: January 18, 2017

Category: Press Releases