FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington’s first theatrical production this fall, “Wait Until Dark,” will be staged at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20 through Saturday, Oct. 22, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23, in the UMF Alumni Theater.

Frederick Knott’s psychological thriller is directed by Jayne Decker, UMF director of theatre. The play tells the story of Susy Hendrix, a blind woman, who is targeted by drug dealers when her husband transports a doll laden with heroin. The trio of sinister con-men will do anything, including murder, to recover the doll.

Jonas Maines, left, and Tucker Atwood rehearse a scene from UMF's "Wait Until Dark." UMF photo

They quickly hatch a plot to deceive Susy and take advantage of her disability forgetting how the dark of the night can be a great equalizer.

First performed on Broadway in 1966, the play was quickly followed by the suspenseful film version in 1967 with Audrey Hepburn. Both the play and the film garnered multiple Tony, Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. The film’s climax is ranked tenth on Bravo’s “100 Scariest Movie Moments.”

In complement to Knott’s suspenseful play, UMF’s Alumni Theater will take this opportunity to reveal its new modular stage floor. Created by Stan Spilecki, UMF technical director for Alumni Theater and Emery Community Arts Center, and a crew of dedicated work study students, the new configuration brings the audience very close to the stage and intimately close to the action.

This Theatre UMF production is sponsored by the UMF Department of Sound, Performance and Visual Inquiry. The play’s subject matter is of an adult nature.

Tickets cost $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for students with I.D. Tickets are available at the time of the performance and can be reserved by calling the Theatre UMF box office at 778-7465.

For more information, call 778-7319, or email jdecker@maine.edu.

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