Published: Sunday, February 24, 2008 - 2:00 am in The Greenville News

Chris White and Amanda Cumbo rehearse a scene of “Wait Until Dark” at Centre Stage. (Collin C. Chappelle, Greenville News staff)

By Ann Hicks
Arts Writer
ahicks@greenvillenews.com

It's a dark thriller that really works well on stage, director David Sims says of "Wait Until Dark."

Sims is making his directorial debut at Centre Stage, where the taut Frederick Knott play opens Thursday.

Many supposedly scary plays are hard to pull off, Sims says, but that isn't true of "Wait" because of its theatricality. The stage goes completely dark at several points during the play, creating "some truly frightening moments."

Those who have seen the 1967 movie with Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin will find Knott's script to be much more streamlined and intelligent, Sims says.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, it centers on blind Susie Hendrix, who is being terrorized by three con men -- a killer and his bumbling companions. They're looking for a doll filled with heroin, which a stranger at the airport gave to Susie's husband, Sam. He innocently brings the doll home to take it later, as he was told to do, "to a sick child."

While Sam is away, the bad guys enter the couple's apartment to search for the doll. Once she realizes that she's in mortal danger, Susie levels the playing field by enlisting the help of her 11-year-old upstairs neighbor, who smashes all the light bulbs to plunge the apartment into complete darkness. In that world, Susie has the upper hand.

The directorial challenges are more technical than organic, Sims says. There are many props, some of them quite big, and lots of physicality as the crooks chase their victim.

In a unique fashion, the stage will be tilted about 30 degrees to the left, Sims says, intentionally blocking off one entire side section of the seating area.

Why the tilt? The couple's New York apartment is supposed to be below street level, and the tilt gives it that feel, the director says.

"As you enter the theater it could be a little confusing, which is just the way I like it," he says with a laugh. "I like to throw audiences off to heighten the senses."

Amanda Cumbo, who plays Susie, had her own senses heightened after a couple of visits to the S.C. School for the Deaf and Blind to better understand her role.

Cumbo shadowed two blind mentors and also did some research on the National Federation of the Blind's Internet site to further explore her character's world.

What did she learn?

Among other things, she says, she was told not to put on a blindfold at home to practice being blind because it would create the wrong sensations, including making her fearful.

"You don't count out how many steps there are before you get to the couch for example," she says. "Instead, you map it out in your mind, and one more important thing," she adds, "don't let fear control you because fear will create confusion in your mind."

Susie does something very important, adds Cumbo. She controls much of the situation by using her hearing and listening skills.

Cumbo, 22, first began acting while in high school -- "I was petrified but my brother pushed me into it," she says -- and earned an undergraduate degree in theater at North Greenville University. After graduation, Cumbo worked for a while at The Cliffs, but all along missed acting. When the opportunity arose, she entered a general audition to be called later for any appropriate role.
As fate would have it, blind Susie -- close to her age and recently married as is Cumbo -- turned out to be her chance to make her debut at Centre Stage.