Can anyone survive their encounter with the ghost of the woman in black?

Can family attorney Arthur Kipp? After visiting a remote village to examine the papers of a deceased client, he cannot relinquish the memory of the ghostly presence he encountered there. Desperate to free himself of the awful vision of the woman in black, he hires an actor to help him re-enact the horrors he experienced. But in so doing, he realizes that his terrors have only just begun.

This new ghost story is already a classic. It is one of the more unheralded and unexpected theatrical successes of recent times. The original London production has been running at the Fortune Theatre since 1989 and the play has played to critical acclaim around the world.

Based on a novel by Susan Hill, the stage adaptation was written by Stephen Mallatrat and first produced at Alan Ayckbourn’s theatre in Scarborough, England. When Mallatrat suggested to Hill that her story could be adapted by using very little in the way of scenery and props, with very few actors, and that the most chilling aspects of the play could be created by the audience’s imagination, she balked.

“I thought his idea couldn’t work. What a fool I was!” she wrote. “The play owes everything to Stephen. He read it, saw how it could be adapted, and did so brilliantly . . . and the rest is theatre history.”

Centerstage has assembled yet another superb cast for The Woman In Black. Vince Brady has already directed three plays at Centerstage, most recently Sleeping Beauty. Vince was born in Liverpool, England and worked as an actor and director in the U.K. and Europe before settling in the Pacific Northwest. He has
worked with Seattle Shakespeare Company, Secondstory Rep, Harlequin, Greenstage and Village Theater amongst others. He also spent five years as Artistic Director of Exchange Theatre.

Daniel Wood returns to Centerstage after appearing in last year’s production of Enchanted April. His most recent credits include Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (SecondStory Rep), Of Dice and Men (Critical Threat Theatre in association with the Penny Arcade Expo), An Inconvenient Squirrel (Theater Schmeater) and the Seattle Times Footlight Award winning production Edmond (Balagan Theatre). He has also performed with Book-It Repertory Theatre, Wooden O, Seattle Public Theater, Harlequin Productions, Annex Theatre, Sound Theatre Company and ArtAttack.

The Woman In Blackis directed by John Vreeke, whose national directing credits include the Alley Theater, Houston, Arkansas Repertory Theater, Attic Theatre, New York State Theatre Institute, Salt Lake Acting Company, First Stage in Milwaukee. He has also directed at Texas Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Repertory
Theatre, University of Michigan Theatre Department, University of Maryland Theatre Department, University of Utah Theater Department, Cornish College of the Arts, Williamstown Theatre Festival. In the Seattle area he has directed at Book-It Repertory Theatre, Annex Theatre, Alice B. Theatre, Arts West Playhouse, Seattle Public Theater, Balagan Theatre, Center Stage, Stone Soup Theatre. John was also Associate Producer and Casting Associate CBS TV Series: Northern Exposure.

Ticketsfor all 12 performances are on sale and available by phone at (253) 661-1444, online at www.centerstagetheatre.com, and in person at the Knutzen Family Theater box office. Single tickets are $25 for adults; $20 for seniors, military, students 18 & over with ID; and $10 for youth 17 & under. $17 tickets are available for groups of 10 or more. Centerstage has not raised its ticket prices in 4 years!

All shows are performed at the Knutzen Family Theatre. There are performances on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm.

The popular Wine with the Director Night continues,presentedby Pacific Rim Wines is Saturday March 26th. Centerstage patrons meet with the show's director at 7:00pm for wine and hors d'oeuvres. The Director will give a short presentation on the show you are about to see that night with a general audience Q&A for
anyone who wishes to stay after the performance. Tickets to Wine with the Director are $10.