'Woman in Black': D.J. Rotach (left)and Ted Carney are the cast in VPA's thriller.
Just in time for Halloween, Valley Performing Arts has put together a chilling ghost story. Imagine yourself caught in a horror movie, the characters have come to life and reality seems far away.
Arthur Kipps is sent to a small market town to appear at the funeral and organize the affairs of and elderly widow, Mrs. Alice Drablow. It’s at the funeral that Kipps sees the woman dressed in black for the first time. Though she was dressed appropriately for such an occasion, she looked out of place with her pale and wasted face. The mysterious woman in black continues to appear throughout Kipps visit. As her appearances grow more frequent, Kipp’s anxiety intensifies. Her story, it seems, is too disturbing for the locals to share. Kipps finds himself lost in a world of heart pounding terror while he struggles to unravel the events that took place long ago.
The most interesting and impressive part of this performance is that fact that the cast consists of only two men: Ted Carney and D.J. Rotach, who portrayed a variety of characters. On a stage within a stage the men performed the horrific story that Arthur Kipps needs to share with his family and friends by living it again. The two actors showed great talent as they transformed from character to character in order to display the disturbing tale.
It’s important to remember that behind the two-person cast was a rather large and talented production crew. Director Grant Olson, with the help of assistant director Rae Cunningham and their crew, painted the grim, eerie atmosphere, sure to send goose bumps up your arms.
— Ahriel Porter, Wasilla
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THE WOMAN IN BLACK will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 30. Tickets are $15 Student/Seniors and $17 Adults and can be purchased at Valley Performing Arts office located at 251 W. Swanson Avenue in Wasilla or at www.valleyperformingarts.org.
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