John Richard Petersen

REVIEWS

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Wait Until Dark - The Ira Fistell Show, KABC Radio 790 AM Review

A Dark Play Lights Up the Lounge

By Cynthia Citron The Ira Fistell Show, KABC Radio 790 AM

If Cate Caplin were a three-year-old horse she would be well on her way to winning the Triple Crown. An award-winning dancer, a creative choreographer, and a dynamic director, Caplin runs on many turfs. Currently, she is directing Frederick Knott’s “Wait Until Dark” at the Lounge Theater in Hollywood. Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”, which she choreographed, has only recently closed.

“Wait Until Dark” is well-remembered as a scary 1967 movie starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, and Richard Crenna. So you wouldn’t think a local production on a stage about the size of a kitchen table would be something to write home about. But you would be wrong. This production has you literally jumping out of your seat.

As the blind heroine terrorized by thugs, Veronique Ory will have you convinced that she is really blind. As she maneuvers around her basement apartment, glassy-eyed and arms outstretched, her mounting terror is palpable. Jon Emm, as the “sympathetic thug” offers her a brief respite until she sees through him. But Lorin McCraley, playing multiple roles, veers from the ridiculous to the truly menacing. These two are aided by John Richard Petersen, the phony police sergeant who gives credibility to the plot. At least, Ory believes him.

The plot is a silly mishmash about a doll stuffed with drugs that her husband (Tim Maloney) has carried home from a recent trip to Canada. The drugs have a street value of $50,000, which hardly seems worth all the sturm und drang and the multiple murders perpetrated in its name. But this is Greenwich Village in 1966, so it’ll be another 40 years before we start talking about illicit money by the billions.

This is a dark drama, in more ways than one. The darkness in which the heroine lives becomes very real. Especially in the final scene, which is played with no lights. And set designer Jennifer Fulmer has managed to fill the tiny stage with a full array of kitchen furnishings, plus a washing machine, a staircase, a small photography studio, and several doors. How the nine actors manage to maneuver around all this without knocking each other over is yet another testament to the directing skill of Cate Caplin.

“Wait Until Dark” is a worthy production of the Athena Theatre Company; it is gripping and well acted, and highly recommended for a cold, rainy night.

The Lounge Theatre is located at 6201 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. “Wait Until Dark” will run Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through March 25th.

eyespyLA.com
			WAIT UNTIL DARK at the Lounge Theatre



	Who Says:		Mark Share
	Topic:		Theater Review
	Place:		Hollywood

03/13/2006
WAIT UNTIL DARK at the Lounge Theatre. Terror in a New York City apartment has never been so well written for the stage, and the frights in this well-acted production make even jaded LA audiences scream, or at least sharply inhale. If you don’t know, this play concerns a blind woman named Susy battling a psychopath named Harry (chillingly played with sluggish malice by Lorin McCraley). As Susy, Veronique Ory rules the evening, with or without her white cane scepter. Ory’s blind Susy is disabled yet with reserves of strength, dependent and self-assured.

Frederick Knott’s 1966 play by now is something of a classic, and is much more clever and convoluted than contemporary shockers. Instead of just one bad guy, there are three (McCraley plus Jon Emm and the irrepressible John Richard Petersen) with various private motives and dissonances. Susy has a husband Sam and a neighbor Gloria (the pixie Samantha Klein), and easy relations with neither. And there are still two more roles.

Cate Caplin gets to the point in directing, and her skills as a choreographer pay off as Susy engages in delicate and bloody encounters with the other characters in the tiny apartment. But in this show, everything depends on the lighting, and Michael Bergfeld knows how to light fear. Keith Jordan did a good job of building the sets, which includes a sink with running water and the complicated working light switches.

Recommended for a final winter chill. WAIT UNTIL DARK - The Athena Theatre Company at The Lounge Theatre. 6201 Santa Monica, Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038. Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. Through March 25, 2006.

--Mark Share (mshare@eyespyla.com)

Wait Until Dark

The Lounge Theatre

Back in 1967, Audrey Hepburn had the movie world on the edge of their seats in this mystery by Frederick Knott about a man who is asked to hold a doll at an airport, only to discover later that the doll becomes the central character in a murder plot that involves drugs, deceit and a blind woman who comes to the brink of death, using only her instincts to save herself.

Athena Theatre starts the year off with this spine tingling, hair raising thrill ride that redefines the proverbial cat and mouse game. Set back in the good old days where rotary phones were still in use and photographers used enlargers and chemicals, this is the story of blind Susy coping with two small time ex-cons who try to capitalize on her blindness as they search for the doll in her apartment. The tale unfolds tensely as the crooks invent a story of a police investigation of her husband, claiming that if she finds the missing doll, he can be exonerated. Mike and Carlino go to elaborate lengths to pull off their ruse, hoping to find the drugs stuffed inside the toy, but a third man named Rote enters the scene. A cold blooded killer, he is now controlling the two hoods and his stalking of Susy escalates as the story unfolds, begging the question; how will this blind woman defend herself?

Lorin McCraley - Jon Emm - Veronique Ory - John Richard Petersen

Veronique Ory delivers a top notch performance, stumbling and shuffling around the apartment as the recently blinded Susy who is still learning to maneuver in the dark but has keenly developed the other senses – a factor that will eventually become her salvation. Her stalkers vary from the bumbling Carlino, played with a hint of comic relief by John Richard Petersen, a great favorite in the Orange County theatre scene, to the madman Harry Roat. Lorin McCraley, a recent riot as an off beat psychiatrist in Shrinks, makes Roat a chilling, calculating murderer who almost destroys the apartment searching for the doll. In between, is Jon Emm, who plays Mike, posing as a friend of Susy’s husband. Mike straddles the line from being almost sympathetic to being an ominous menace, and having befriended Susy early on, would have had the chance to do more harm, but one gets the feeling he almost feels sorry for her.


Samantha Klein plays teen-ager Gloria, a girl who helps Susy with the shopping and other errands and helps to figure out the connection between the men who keep visiting the apartment. Klein is overly bratty and gets a little carried away with the precocious bit, but does a credible turn around at the end. Tim Maloney appears briefly as Susy’s traveling photographer husband - Peter O’Keefe and Rod Simmons play police officers.


Tightly directed by Cate Caplin, who normally works with dance and musicals, the key to this presentation is the lighting – or in this case, the absence of light. Caplin choreographs the tiny Lounge stage with consummate imagination, as the wonderfully gifted cast maneuvers around the sparse furnishings covered in shadows with thin light rays that spurt out from strategic parts of the room. It has to be a tribute to the actors and the director that the most climactic scenes are played in total darkness, as Susy attempts to level the playing field against her captors. You hear yells – screams fill the room – furniture and dishes crash – and once in awhile a beam of light shoots out from the refrigerator – from a workbench – from a match - and finally from the front door, which brings closure to the drama as it is flung open.

Comparing the play to the 1967 film would be a little like apples and oranges, but if the audience comments at the end mean anything, this show rates high on the fright scale. For sure it will enjoy a successful run through March 25^th. Reservations at: (818) 754-1423.

The Lounge is located at 6201 Santa Monica Blvd – Los Angeles, CA

"WAIT UNTIL DARK is engaging, excellent entertainment"

The Tolucan Times ~ Canyon Crier

February 22, 2006

"a natural John Richard Petersen"

"an evening of excellent entertainment. Recommended"

"Wait Until Dark"

Entertainment Today

February 24, 2006

"Athena Theatre's current production of this classic is a crowd pleaser, with well-defined blocking

and tuned-in characterizations under the direction of Cate Caplin."

Over the Tavern

a comedy by Tom Dudzick

"Over the Tavern" in Long Beach, as fun as it sounds

Seal Beach Sun

June 30, 2005

"Under warmhearted direction by David Colwell, a capable cast of seven and some mighty creative staging by Daniel Wheeler, Ron Wyand, Donna Fritsche and Laura Tesson transform the intimate, small, upstairs Studio Theatre stage into the busy Pazinski apartment."

"John Petersen and Karen Bukolt deliver moving insights as 1959 parents following the paths they grew up with, who now must deal with the fact that times have changed and their children aren't as willing to "buy into the old rules."

"So, while "Over the Tavern" serves up a lighthearted evening of warm reminisces, old TV Show references and plentiful humor, it's more than an evening of guffaws. Don't be surprised if you recall the misty-eyed moments even more than the punch lines."

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Perfect Balance Achieved In "Tavern"

Grunion Gazette

June 30, 2005

"It's an exceptionally well-cast play. The way Eddie, gawky, hormone-maniacal, doesn't like Ellen (believe he means Annie - the sister) but then creams the boy who saw her undress one night in front of her window is touching and true to mark. So are the ups and down of Ellen and Chet, their romantic beginning, to which they often refer, the morass into which they sometimes sink, their chemistry is dead-on."

"Levy reminded me of the guy in "Wonder Years," with eyes so wide open at so young an age. And you can read the clipped wing tragedy in Petersen's eyes."

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Young actors lead in Studio Theatre's Over the Tavern

by Vicki Paris Goodman

SIGNAL TRIBUNE

June 30, 2005

"David Colwell directs the strong cast in this production"

"Over the Tavern is chock full of entertaining moments, some moving, others hysterically funny. Levy and Pinchot achieve a remarkable chemistry. Overall, Over the Tavern is well worth the price of admission."

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Struggles of a blue-collar '50s family

by Kimberly O'Gorman

PRESS TELEGRAM

June 24, 2005

"Directed by David Colwell, "Over the Tavern" features a strong cast of characters in a play that is funny, sad and touching." "The strongest aspects of this show are the actors who carry their characters with such authority and sincerity. It is, to be sure, an exceptional cast. The family dynamic is real - with all the baggage that comes with being a family. At first, Chet feels the least fleshed out, but his character goes through its own growth so that by the end of the show even he is a little more sympathetic."

"Petersen is loud, obnoxious and unreasonable as Chet. Oh, and uncommunicative, unless they're talking about the tavern, which is perfect for this character. Throughout the play he struggles with relating to his wife and kids, and he comes to some insight about his limitations and his relationship with his father."

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'Over the Tavern' at Long Beach Playhouse

by Marchelle Hammack

BEACHCOMBER

June 24, 2005

"Lots of love and laughs permeate this comedy"

"All in all, this is a fine romp, with a lot of potential to be a big hit with the entire family."

As Charlie Davenport in the Lawrence Welk Resort Production of

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

"Strong leads, chemistry make Welk's 'Get Your Gun' a winner"

"Yandell and Husmann lead a strong cast. And Susan M. Bell and John Richard Petersen add spice as the sparring show people Dolly Tate and Charlie Davenport." Pam Kragan, North County Times, September 3, 2003

Click Here To Read The Entire Review

“The most successful musical in the careers of both legendary Irving Berlin and Ethel Merman explodes on stage at the Welk Resort Theatre. This production is solid gold, glorious in every aspect – and chock full of fun, fun, fun! Memorable performances are abundant – including those by…John Richard Petersen (Charlie Davenport). …this exhilarating work of art is judged to be 100- percent flawless. A must see adventure suited for the entire family – filled with whimsical choreography, song after song, fabulous sets and costumes and

a highly gifted – totally energized ensemble.

Bruce J. Singer, Entertainment Roundup, October 2003

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"Director/Choreographer Jon Engstrom brings to the Welk Resort Theatre a fantastic cast that delivers comically, musically, and dancingly, headed by the stellar performance of Joy Yandell as Annie. Other highlights include Annie and Wild Bill’s marketing guru Charlie Davenport (John Richard Petersen) giving a hard time to the delightfully obnoxious Dolly Tate

(Frank’s assistant and his wannabe bride) played by Susan M. Bell."

Rob Hopper, San Diego Playbill, September 2003

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Pat Launer's Don't Miss List and Review on San Diego Theatre Scene

with Jeffrey Arnold Wolf as Chief Sitting Bull and Susan M. Bell as Dolly Tate

The cast of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN performs the Star Spangled Banner

in front of thousands at the San Diego Padres Game!

as Amos Babcock Bellomy in

"FANTASTICKS LIVES UP TO NAME"

"As the sires, Jason Wesley Green (Hucklebee) and John Richard Petersen (Bellomy) lend fun and appropriate gravitas to their characterizations. Green and Petersen create a delightful duet in one of the staging's musical highlights,-'Plant a Radish."

Ben Miles, SUN NEWSPAPERS, July 3, 2003

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"The two fathers are classic geezers, and Jason Wesley Green and John Richard Petersen embody the mentality of small town, small time, small thinking rurals who believe they're doing the best for their children....The play moves fast, it's fun and the food and grog are above average. This will definitely be a unique evening for anyone who enjoys dinner shows, and no doubt you'll go home humming a couple of the tunes in the show."

Jose Ruiz, WWW.REVIEWPLAYS.COM, June 24, 2003

Read the full review - click here to go to REVIEWPLAYS.com

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"Gentle and fantastic is THE FANTASTICKS at the WestEnd....The Fantasticks seems designed for the warmth and intimacy of The WestEnd Dinner Theatre. The production is unpretentious, direct, charming and winning. The cast of eight....performs with pitch and tune, and lilt and lilt(ch), and fun."

Al Randall, News-Enterprise, June 25, 2003

Read the full review - click here

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"Look, the biggest thrill for someone who has been doing community theater is the money," said John Richard Petersen, a Chicago native and hard-working local stage actor whose TV credits include "MURPHY BROWN," "BLOSSOM," 'and "THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW," "When you finally get paid for doing your craft the feeling of self-respect is immeasurable."

Paul Hodgins, Orange County REGISTER, Sunday, June 29, 2003

SHOW SECTION COVER STORY

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in The Laguna Playhouse Production of

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER

"'Sawyer' is faithful to original"

"...Other adults contributing impressive performances are ... and John Richard Petersen, doubling as the sheriff and the local clergyman."

Tom Titus, COASTLINE PILOT, (www.latimes.com) May 15, 2003

in THE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE production of

THE WIZARD OF OZ

"John Petersen nicely interprets the squeamish gate guard in Oz (he also does a strong Uncle Henry in Kansas)."

Tom Titus, COASTLINE PILOT (www.latimes.com) 12/13/2002

THE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE production of

ANASTASIA KRUPNIK

"Anastasia Krupnik Splendid"

"John Richard Petersen and Carrie Pohlhammer play sympathetic but frustrated parents with a mixture of warmth and resolve. They field their daughter's questions about their previous romantic lives with diplomacy and present a loving family atmosphere despite

Anastasia's often-erratic flights of fancy."

Tom Titus, Coastline Pilot (www.latimes.com) 10/18/02

As Max Detweiler in The Saddleback Civic Light Opera Production of

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

"The rest of the cast was also excellent in their roles, leaving the audience feeling extremely pleased with the production as a whole. Special note should be made of ... Petersen (Max), who was delightful in every scene he appeared and was the embodiment of his character. He just took over the stage and sucked you in with his enthusiasm, reminding you much of Nathan Lane."

Darren Danforth and Kristy Bratton, www.CityofAngel.com

(The official ANGEL television show fan website!)

"John Richard Petersen plays the ultimate finagler, mooching off his rich friends and loving every minute of it..."

Peggy Blizzard, IRVINE WORLD NEWS, 08/08/02

"The glib, seemingly unscrupulous Max Detweiler (John Richard Petersen)...

Petersen's characterization also avoids stereotype, his Max's moral ambivalence [is] played for light comic relief rather than sinister potential."

Eric Marchese, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 08/09/02

As Mr. MacAfee in