“Night Must Fall” promises to surprise audiences in more ways than one
Main Street Productions (MSP) is bringing a show to Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St., Westfield, that Director Ian Hauer says he believes many people have never seen, even though it has been around since 1935 and has been adapted to the screen three times: in 1937, 1954, and 1964.
In order to avoid spoiling any of this mystery’s surprises for audiences, The Reporter has chosen to be vague in our details of the plot and focus instead on the process of getting this show on stage this month.
Hauer describes the show as a “proto-Agatha Christie-esque piece. It’s about a young man who ingratiates himself to a wealthy elderly woman and her household and wins them over, over the course of the play, but there is something that is just ‘off’ about him.”
Hauer submitted the script to the MSP board for consideration about a year ago. He had not read the script before, nor had he seen it on stage or in any of its screen adaptations.
“I tend to be drawn to be drawn to darker stories – to mysteries, to thrillers,” Hauer said. “I like the mirror that it holds up to nature, as it were. I like being able to play with complex characters. I like working with actors to be able to create a nuanced approach to plot and character. This really has all that. I described it as proto-Agatha Christie. Put a bunch of people in a contained area and see what happens over the course of the show. It’s very textured. It has rich characters. It moves along nicely. At the end you are kind of questioning how you are feeling about certain characters, and I like that.”
(From left) Matt Hartzburg (Hubert Laurie) and Ashley Engstrom (Mrs. Terence). (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Casting this play was a bit of a challenge for Hauer.
“There are several characters who require a lot of nuance and the ability to shift between different emotions and different states, in once case very quickly,” Hauer said. “I was actually very surprised. We had excellent turnout for auditions. There was competition at nearly every role. Not only were there a lot of people who showed up, there were a lot of talented actors who showed up. While it is difficult to find the right person for some of these roles, in most cases the right person showed up. As a director of community theater, that is not always the case, so I am very pleased with the cast we put together.”
Hauer has directed none of the eight cast members before. He has, however, acted with two of them. This is his 15th time at the helm – which, as he says, is not as many of some directors, but is more than many in community theater.
Hauer’s name has been in our pages in recent years both as an actor and as a director. He says he likes the balance between both activities.
“I like to go back and forth between the two because I find that working as an actor helps me to be a better director,” Hauer told The Reporter. “It keeps me in mind of what that experience is like. It helps me speak to the actors as a fellow actor, not just as a director. But directing too helps me to become a better actor and work towards the expectations and the overall vision that a director will cast.”
Hauer has acted in 38 plays. Last year he played Claudius in Hamlet for the second time. That was with the Noblesville Cultural Arts Coalition.
“I have a deep love for Hamlet particularly of Shakespeare’s work,” Hauer said. “Being able to sink my teeth into a complex villain like Claudius was so much fun.”
That role goes to his appreciation for nuanced material in live theater.
Hauer asked us to note how much his cast is invested in making this the best show possible.
“The entire cast is working very hard to put on a good show,” Hauer said. “We’ve got some very talented people, a couple of whom have not acted in a long time. It’s always exciting to bring people back to the stage after a long absence.”
Hauer is looking forward to bringing something to the stage that could be a truly new experience for audiences in the area.
“It’s a lot of fun to work on a script that I have no prior production history with, and I don’t think most audiences will be familiar with it either,” Hauer said. “The ability to bring something essentially new to the community is a real treat and I don’t take that for granted.”
The Reporter didn’t spoil it for you, so don’t google it to spoil it for yourself. Just get your tickets and enjoy the show!
Night Must Fall stages from Feb. 9 to 19 at Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Go to westfieldplayhouse.org/showstickets or call (317) 402-3341 for tickets.