‘Woman in Black’ premiering just in time for Halloween season

ROYAL OAK — Stagecrafters is putting on a seriously spooky production of “The Woman in Black” Oct. 18-27 at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette Ave.

“The Woman in Black” is sure to leave the audience with a shiver, and the two actors who are in the production are going to utilize their acting skills in these two very difficult roles.

The Woman in Black is a two-man show and is being directed by Jason Dilly. The two performers are Ryan Scott Lax as “Kipps” and Jude Purcell as “Actor.”

Both Lax and Purcell mentioned that everyone involved in the production has a lot on their plate.

“The Woman in Black” is a thriller show, about a man named Kipps who is “long haunted by the memory of his encounter with the woman in black, a frightening specter he cannot forget,” according to stagecrafters.org.

“I spent several months, once I learned that we were going to do that play, assembling the finest craftspeople to design the best sets, lights, sound and props,” Dilly said. “I’ve really assembled an all-star team, and I couldn’t have been more proud of the work that they’ve put forth. It has blown my own expectations out of the water.”

Lax said that this is the hardest play he has ever had to act in, but he is grateful to be a part of it.

“When I finally got the part I was over the moon, and then I got the script and I looked at the script and I said, ‘What have I done?’” Lax said.

The character Kipps is the younger adaptation of Actor. The Actor is the older version of Kipps who hires an actor — Kipps — to help him retell the troubling events and “exorcise” himself by making a public reading of it, according to Dilly.

“It’s funny, this is confusing even when you read the play, so we are doing our best on stage to make it obvious,” Dilly said. “It is more obvious when you see it played out live.”

Lax said that he has been an actor for most of his life, and he has never been so nervous for a performance, which is in a way a good experience for him.

Dilly said that the author of “The Woman in Black,” Stephen Mallatratt, was very particular in the way he wrote the story, and said the reason he calls the Kipps character ‘Kipps’ is because it is supposed to be a play within a play.

“I have never done anything like this. One of the really cool things about this experience is that it’s sort of like Everest, in the sense that you think, ‘If I can do this, the next five things I do are going to be the easiest things in the world,’” Lax said. “So that is very, very gratifying. I am so fortunate to be in this show.”

Purcell mentioned that the idea of playing seven different characters throughout the duration of the two-hour production is “horrifying.”

“It’s a very daunting task, playing seven different characters, and somehow making them all distinct, and you know, different from each other, is terrifying,” Purcell said. “I had to break it down into pieces and not try to do too much at once. So, I had to take different scenes and analyze the different characters so I can make them their own individuals.”

Purcell said juggling different character personalities was one of the most difficult aspects of this role.

“The most difficult part early on was if you’re using a different accent for a different character, it is being able to switch on a dime and just become that character,” Purcell said. “That was extremely challenging, you know, and it’s still something I have to work on and warm up to.”

Dilly said that he has wanted to direct this play since he saw it on stage in the West End of London 30 years ago.

“I saw it and I could not shake it. Thirty years later and here we are, still being haunted by it,” he said. “It’s a labor of love for the macabre.”

Dilly left some questions unanswered, saying that the only way to find out is to watch the production.

“People have asked about who is playing the woman, and I will give you my response is, ‘What woman?’” he said. “The mystery will continue. I don’t want to say too much beyond that. I will say, technically, this is a two-person play; any other appearances would certainly be ghostly in nature.”

“The Woman in Black” will be showing Oct. 18-20, and Oct. 24-27. Tickets go for $25 plus a $3 per ticket fee. For more information on “The Woman in Black” production, and tickets, visit stagecrafters.org.