‘The Woman in Black’ comes to Center Theatre

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Center Theatre announces performances of the play “The Woman In Black”, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt, based on the book by Susan Hill. 
    “We are excited about every production here at the Center Theatre,” says Executive Director Angela Bonacasa, “and this show is no exception. In addition to the wonderful acting performances and exceptional design elements, getting to share the process with those who are just learning about theatre is always an exciting process.”

    As part of the “The Woman in Black” rehearsal process, there are several people interning and learning the “behind the scenes” jobs of directing, stage managing, stage lighting and master carpentry. “What you see on stage is only part of the process,” says Bonacasa, “and there is always a large group of people working behind the scenes to put on a production. It truly is a group effort.”
    “The Woman in Black” was first performed 1987, receiving rave reviews and allowing for future productions throughout the country. It reached London’s West End in 1989 and has been playing to full houses ever since. Unanimously acclaimed by the critics and now in its 23rd year in the West End, “The Woman In Black” combines the power and intensity of live theatre with the cinematic quality of film noir.  It was also made into a motion picture in 2012, starring Daniel Radcliffe.
    Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow, the house’s sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman dressed all in black at the funeral that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold. This feeling is deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black and her terrible purpose.
    Year later, as an old man, he recounts his experiences to an actor in a desperate attempt to exorcise the ghosts of the past. The play unfolds around the conversations of these two characters as they act out the solicitor’s experiences on Eel Marsh all those years ago.
    “The Woman in Black” runs Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 7 p.m., as well as Oct. 20 and 26 at 2 p.m.
    For more information, please call the Center Theatre at 564-8943 or stop by 20 East Main Street. To purchase tickets or to learn more about upcoming events at the Center Theatre, please call the box office at 564-8943 or visit the theatre’s website at www.centertheatre.org. For information about the Slightly Off-Center Players, please e-mail SOCP Coordinator Teresa Myers at SOCP@centertheatre.org. The Center Theatre is a non-profit performing arts center dedicated to making the arts a part of life in the Maine Highlands.