Your Chicago Guide’s tickets for two to the press viewing of Night Watch courtesy of Raven Theatre.
In time for the pinnacle of spooky season, Chicago’s Raven Theatre Company staged a revival of Lucille Fletcher’s classic psychological thriller, Night Watch, directed by Georgette Verdin. The production runs through November 12, 2023 at Raven Theatre, on Chicago’s North Side.
Night Watch cast includes Aila Ayilam Peck as Elaine, Kroydell Galima as her husband John, and Jodi Gage as Blanche, with Matthew Martinez Hannon as Appleby and Vanelli, Christopher Meister as Walker and Hoke, and Kathy Scambiatterra as Helga and Dr. Lake.
First staged in 1972, the play earned rave reviews before being adapted into a film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey in 1973.
What’s more nightmarish: not being able to trust those around you… or not being able to trust yourself? Moonlit streets, a restless mind and a large window have become Elaine’s nightly routine in her luxurious city townhouse. But insomnia is the least of her worries when a dead body appears in the window of an abandoned, squalid unit across the street. To make matters worse, the body disappears before her husband, best friend or maid have a chance to witness the atrocity. This suspenseful revival is filled to the brim with tricks and twists, leaving audiences on a psychological rollercoaster until the very last second.
Unable to sleep, Elaine Wheeler paces the living room of her Manhattan townhouse, troubled by unsettling memories and vague fears. Her husband tries to comfort her, but when he steps away for a moment, Elaine screams as she sees (or believes she sees) the body of a dead man in the window across the way. The police find nothing except an empty chair. Elaine’s terror grows as, shortly thereafter, she sees another body—this time a woman’s—but by now the police are skeptical and pay no heed to her frantic pleas. Her husband, claiming that Elaine may be on the verge of a breakdown, calls in a psychiatrist, who agrees with his suggestion that Elaine should commit herself to a sanitarium for treatment. The plot moves quickly and grippingly as those involved—Elaine’s old friend and house guest Blanche; the inquisitive and rather sinister man who lives next door; and the nosy German maid Helga—all contribute to the deepening suspense as the play draws towards its riveting and chilling climax.
Those in the audience familiar with the plot of Gaslight would hardly be taken by surprise by most of plot twists in Night Watch. The story line moves quickly and efficiently, along a well-traveled path, until the very end. The acting is entertaining, albeit slightly cartoonish at times, playing up commonly held stereotypes. But overall, Night Watch is a solid choice for the season, keeping some things firmly under wraps of suspense, particularly for those uninitiated. Hitchcock it is not, but great fun nonetheless.
Raven Theatre’s Night Watch runs through November 12, 2023, on the Johnson Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 North Clark Street, in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. To purchase tickets and for more information about Raven Theatre’s 41st season, visit www.raventheatre.com.