[NEohioPAL]Actors' Summit opens THE WOMAN IN BLACK, a ghost play

Wed Oct 16 18:45:10 PDT 2002

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Actors' Summit presents
a ghostly tale, The Woman in Black,=20
Oct. 24 to Nov. 10 on its Hudson stage=20

Stephen Mallatratt's The Woman in Black, featuring Wayne S. Turney and Peter=
=20
Voinovich, will be presented Oct. 24 to Nov. 10 at the Actors' Summit Theate=
r=20
in Hudson. The spine-tingling thriller, based on the Susan Hill novel of the=
=20
same name, has been seen by more than 2=C2=BD million people since it was fi=
rst=20
performed in 1989. After more than 14 years on the London stage, The Woman i=
n=20
Black is one of the longest running plays in British Theater history, and=20
also is being performed in Japan, Spain, Austria, Australia, Mexico and all=20
around the U.S.=20

The Play
The Woman in Black is a ghost story set in a rented Victorian theater. The=20
players are an English lawyer named Arthur Kipps and an actor Kipps employs=20
to help him relive the source of his ghostly nightmares, which he terms "a=20
stew of fear and evil". When playwright Stephen Mallatratt first suggested=20
the idea of adapting The Woman in Black for the stage, novelist Susan Hill=20
wasn't sure it would work. "As soon as I read the stage adaptation I thought=
=20
it was absolutely brilliant because it is totally theatrical," Hill told an=20
interviewer. "I could see straight away that it would work." Hill still=20
marvels at the success of the stage adaptation. "It is amazing and I can't=20
see any reason for it ever to stop," she said. "It is done all over the=20
world=E2=80=A6 but I do think that the traditional English setting plays a p=
art. It=20
works better in winter - the traditional time of ghost stories."

The Cast
Wayne S. Turney, fresh from the Actors' Summit season opener, A Grand Night=20
For Singing, stepped into the role of Arthur Kipps in The Woman in Black,=20
when A. Neil Thackaberry, originally cast in the role, suffered a herniated=20
disc in his back. Turney, an actor, director, playwright and educator, has=20
been featured here in A Child's Christmas in Wales, Oedipus Rex (for which h=
e=20
provided the translation), I Do, I Do, Roar of the Greasepaint, Jacques Brel=
=20
is Alive..., and A Grand Night for Singing. He also co-produced 2=C2=BD Jews=
 for=20
Actors' Summit, has appeared at the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, the=20
Cleveland Opera, Cleveland Pops, and the Cleveland Orchestra, and is well=20
known for his long tenure at the Cleveland Play House and his NBC children's=
=20
show, Hickory Hideout. Turney lives in Bratenahl with his wife, the Reverend=
=20
Harper Turney, their ward, Judy, and son Jamin.=20

Peter Voinovich was last seen as Nick in Actor's Summits production of  Who'=
s=20
Afraid of Virginia Woolfe. Other roles here at Actor's Summit include Nick i=
n=20
Over The River And Through The Woods, Dylan in A Child's Christmas in Wales,=
=20
and Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet. Peter received a B. F. A. in Acting from Ohi=
o=20
University and is pleased to serve on the Actors' Summit Board.

The Playwright
Stephen Mallatratt says he was drawn to adapt Susan Hill's novel The Woman i=
n=20
Black for the stage because it was one of the most frightening books he had=20
ever read. Mallatratt worked hard to adhere as closely as possible to the=20
original words of the novel. "The real power of the book (and of course this=
=20
is true of any good book), was the way it had worked on my imagination," he=20
told an interviewer. "When we read it's as if the author is painting picture=
s=20
in our minds, and I believe those pictures are the very best illustrations a=
=20
story can have. Susan Hill had done such a good job at painting pictures in=20
my mind that I wanted the audience to see those pictures, and I knew the bes=
t=20
way for that to happen was for her words to speak to the audience just as=20
they'd spoken to me. If that could happen there'd be little need for things=20
like scenery, or ponies or dogs; all those things would be there - and real=20=
-=20
in the mind of every person in the theatre."=20

The Production Team
The Actors' Summit production is being directed by Neil Thackaberry,=20
occasionally from a supine posture. Costume design is by MaryJo Alexander,=20
associate artistic director. Mia Osherow is designing props. Set and lightin=
g=20
design is by Dan Polk.

Performance Dates and Tickets
The Woman in Black runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 10, 2002, at 8 p.m.=20
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $14 for all=
=20
seats at the preview performance on October 24, $25 and $22 on Fridays and=20
Saturdays, $22 and $20 on Thursdays and Sundays. Students and Seniors receiv=
e=20
a $4 discount. Group discounts are available.=20

Web site=20
Actors Summit Theater can be found on the web at www.actorssummit.org.=20
Actors' Summit is a professional, not for profit, 501-c-3 professional arts=20
organization. We are seeking volunteers and board members. For more details=20
please call MaryJo or Neil at 330-342-0800.=20

Actors' Summit is a member of PACT, The Professional Alliance of Cleveland=20
Theaters.=20

Actors' Summit is working under a developmental agreement with Actors' Equit=
y=20
Association (the union of professional Actors and Stage managers).

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<HTML>Actors' Summit presents
 a ghostly tale, The Woman in Black,=20
 Oct. 24 to Nov. 10 on its Hudson stage=20
 
 Stephen Mallatratt's The Woman in Black, featuring Wayn=
e S. Turney and Peter Voinovich, will be presented Oct. 24 to Nov=
. 10 at the Actors' Summit Theater in Hudson. The spine-tingling thriller, b=
ased on the Susan Hill novel of the same name, has been seen by more than 2=
=C2=BD million people since it was first performed in 1989. After more than=20=
14 years on the London stage, The Woman in Black is one of the=
 longest running plays in British Theater history, and also is being perform=
ed in Japan, Spain, Austria, Australia, Mexico and all around the U.S.=20
 
 The Play
 The Woman in Black is a ghost story set in a rented Victor=
ian theater. The players are an English lawyer named Arthur Kipps and an act=
or Kipps employs to help him relive the source of his ghostly nightmares, wh=
ich he terms "a stew of fear and evil". When playwright Stephen Mallatratt f=
irst suggested the idea of adapting The Woman in Black for the=
 stage, novelist Susan Hill wasn't sure it would work. "As soon as I read th=
e stage adaptation I thought it was absolutely brilliant because it is total=
ly theatrical," Hill told an interviewer. "I could see straight away that it=
 would work." Hill still marvels at the success of the stage adaptation. "It=
 is amazing and I can't see any reason for it ever to stop," she said. "It i=
s done all over the world=E2=80=A6 but I do think that the traditional Engli=
sh setting plays a part. It works better in winter - the traditional time of=
 ghost stories." The Cast
 Wayne S. Turney, fresh from the Actors' Summit season opener, =
A Grand Night For Singing, stepped into the role of Arthur Kipps in <=
I>The Woman in Black, when A. Neil Thackaberry, originally cast in t=
he role, suffered a herniated disc in his back. Turney, an actor, director,=20=
playwright and educator, has been featured here in A Child's Christmas in=
 Wales, Oedipus Rex (for which he provided the translation), I Do, I=20=
Do, Roar of the Greasepaint, Jacques Brel is Alive..., and A Grand Ni=
ght for Singing. He also co-produced 2=C2=BD Jews for Actors' Sum=
mit, has appeared at the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, the Cleveland Opera,=20=
Cleveland Pops, and the Cleveland Orchestra, and is well known for his long=20=
tenure at the Cleveland Play House and his NBC children's show, Hickory Hide=
out. Turney lives in Bratenahl with his wife, the Reverend Harper Turney, th=
eir ward, Judy, and son Jamin.=20
 
 Peter Voinovich was last seen as Nick in Actor's Summits producti=
on of  Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe. Other roles here at Acto=
r's Summit include Nick in Over The River And Through The Woods, Dyla=
n in A Child's Christmas in Wales, and Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet<=
/I>. Peter received a B. F. A. in Acting from Ohio University and is pleased=
 to serve on the Actors' Summit Board.
 
 The Playwright
 Stephen Mallatratt says he was drawn to adapt Susan Hill's novel T=
he Woman in Black for the stage because it was one of the most frigh=
tening books he had ever read. Mallatratt worked hard to adhere as closely a=
s possible to the original words of the novel. "The real power of the book (=
and of course this is true of any good book), was the way it had worked on m=
y imagination," he told an interviewer. "When we read it's as if the author=20=
is painting pictures in our minds, and I believe those pictures are the very=
 best illustrations a story can have. Susan Hill had done such a good job at=
 painting pictures in my mind that I wanted the audience to see those pictur=
es, and I knew the best way for that to happen was for her words to speak to=
 the audience just as they'd spoken to me. If that could happen there'd be l=
ittle need for things like scenery, or ponies or dogs; all those things woul=
d be there - and real - in the mind of every person in the theatre."=20
 
 The Production Team
 The Actors' Summit production is being directed by Neil Thackaberry, occ=
asionally from a supine posture. Costume design is by MaryJo Alexander, asso=
ciate artistic director. Mia Osherow is designing props. Set and lighting de=
sign is by Dan Polk.
 
 Performance Dates and Tickets
 The Woman in Black runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 10, 2002=
, at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are=
 $14 for all seats at the preview performance on October 24, $25 and $22 on=20=
Fridays and Saturdays, $22 and $20 on Thursdays and Sundays. Students and Se=
niors receive a $4 discount. Group discounts are available.=20
 
 Web site 
 Actors Summit Theater can be found on the web at www.actorssummit.org. A=
ctors' Summit is a professional, not for profit, 501-c-3 professional arts o=
rganization. We are seeking volunteers and board members. For more details p=
lease call MaryJo or Neil at 330-342-0800.=20
 
 Actors' Summit is a member of PACT, The Professional Alliance of Clevela=
nd Theaters.=20
 
 Actors' Summit is working under a developmental agreement with Actors' E=
quity Association (the union of professional Actors and Stage managers).=
</HTML>

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