Wittenberg University

Wittenberg Student-Directed Play To Be
Performed in Blair Hall Theatre

Director David Herzog watches a scene unfold during a rehearsal in Blair Hall Theatre.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Drawing a world of inspiration from the theatre, David Herzog, class of 2006, is more than just an actor on stage — he’s also a performer behind the scenes. For the past few months, the Springfield, Ohio, native has been directing a version of Frederick Knott’s 1966 thriller Wait Until Dark, to be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, in the Blair Hall Theatre.

Herzog’s desire to bring Wait Until Dark on stage for his senior project was inspired when he watched a film version of the play during the Victoria Theatre’s annual classic film festival in nearby Dayton. In 1967, the play was made into a motion picture starring Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin. The story centers around a blind woman, Susy Hendrix, who is terrorized by three ex-convicts, Harry Roat, Mike Talman and Sgt. Carlino, in search of a heroin-stuffed doll hidden in Susy’s apartment.

Starring in the Wittenberg production are Nick Arsena of Cleveland, Ohio; Devon Bergum of Northfield, Minn.; Dale Coburn, of New Carlisle, Ohio; Matthew Allan Skinner of Springfield, Ohio; Max Stein of Mamaroneck, N.Y.; Kari Strife of Cincinnati, Ohio; Emily Stover of Bexley, Ohio, all class of 2007; and Anna Reilly, Pittsburgh, Pa., class of 2009. Admission is free. Tickets are available at Blair Hall one hour before the show.

“I’m excited about this particular production because of the effect that I’ve seen this show have on an audience,” said Herzog, a theatre major and religion minor. “The best part of the shaping of this show entails finding what parts are going to make the audience jump right out of their seats or which moments will make them shiver with anticipation.”

Matthew Allan Skinner (left) and Max Stein rehease a scene from Wait Until Dark

The role of director is familiar to Herzog, who produced a few plays as a student at Catholic Central High School, including Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s A Grand Night for Singing. In 2004, Herzog directed The News from St. Petersburg as part of Wittenberg’s One-Act Festival, a series of one-act plays directed and performed by theatre majors and minors.

In addition to playing a role behind the stage, Herzog has also performed in a number of Wittenberg productions, including Our Country’s Good, in which he starred as Capt. Arthur Philip, My Fair Lady as Alfred Doolittle, and Godspell as John the Baptist.

“I enjoy theatre because it is the best window we have into society and humankind,” said Herzog, who’s favorite genre is psychological drama. “It evokes raw emotions from an audience where real life situations cannot.” Herzog will continue to study theatre after graduating in May. This summer, he will participate in a training program at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.  

- Sarah Gearhart '06

050-06

Related Links: Department of Theatre and Dance

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