Port Polson Players continue season with Gothic thriller
Lake County Leader | UPDATED 23 hours, 15 minutes AGO
Arthur Kipps (Neal Lewing) and The Actor" (Mike Gillpatrick) are the two primary characters in Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s Gothic novel, "The Woman in Black," opening this week at the Theatre on the Lake in Polson. (Karen Lewing/Port Polson Players)
A Gothic thriller, “The Woman in Black,” opens Friday, June 26, at the Theatre on the Lake in Polson. The acclaimed ghost story that's been playing across the U.S. continues the Port Polson Players’ 51st season.
Neal Lewing portrays attorney Arthur Kipps, while Mike Gillpartick is “The Actor.” Together, they comprise the two primary characters in Stephen Mallatratt’s eerie adaptation of Susan Hill’s popular Gothic novel. Anna Loehrke directs the show.
The play debuted in Scarborough, England, in 1987 and went on to open on London’s West End in 1987, becoming the second longest-running show in the theater hub. A made-for-television movie came next, and it was adapted as a film in 2012, starring Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame), as the young lawyer, Arthur Kipps.
In this haunting story, Kipps tries to rid himself of a curse by hiring an actor to help him stage and perform the terrifying events that occurred when he was a young man.
“Several larger towns in Montana have enjoyed great runs of 'The Woman in Black,' so we thought we'd try it since Neal Lewing and Mike Gillpatrick make the perfect duo to pull it off,” says co-producer Karen Lewing.
The show plays for three weeks in the air-conditioned theatre, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, June 26 through July 12. The show opens on a Friday, and there's no show July 4.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $19 for senior citizens and students, who must be at least 13 years old due to its sophisticated storyline. For reservations, go to PortPolsonPlayers.com or call 406-883-9212.