The woman in black
Info
Run dates: October 2-5 & 9-12, 2025
Directed by Dana Skiles
Description
The framework of this spine-tingler is unusual: a lawyer hires an actor to tutor him in recounting to family and friends a story that has long troubled him, concerning events that transpired when he attended the funeral of an elderly recluse. There he caught sight of the woman in black, the mere mention of whom terrifies the locals, for she is a specter who haunts the neighborhood where her illegitimate child was accidentally killed. Anyone who sees her dies! The lawyer has invited some friends to watch as he and the actor recreate the events of that dark and stormy night. A classic of the genre.
"A real theatrical spine chiller...A truly nerve shredding experience." - The Daily Mail
"Provides a pleasurable ripple of fear down one's spine and an uncomfortable lurch in the pit of one's stomach." - Time Out New York
Cast
Cast requirements: 2 adult males, 1 adult female
Mr. Kipps - Male 30s-50s.
Kipps is a traumatized man who seeks out an actor to help him get his story off his chest and out in the open. He takes on the role of all the people he met along the way and begins to feel lighter and more confident as the story unfolds.
This role requires different voices for various characters. The voices need to be distinctly different but they can all be variations of an English accent. If you can do a Scottish accent, that will be wonderful.
Actor - Male 40s-60s
The Actor (unnamed) is obsessed with turning Kipps' story into an amazing stage show - at the start. In the reliving of Kipps' story, he takes on the role of Kipps and gets drawn in so deeply that he begins to experience the terrifying hauntings of the woman for himself.
This is a very physically demanding role and requires an English accent.
The Woman - Female - Adult (preferably tall and slender)
The woman is a spectre and a mystery. Her tragic story is revealed throughout the show, partially through her haunting pre-recorded lines that echo through the air.
When she physically appears, she needs to unnaturally 'float' when she moves. If you can walk with a book on your head, you're halfway there.