By JOHN BENSON

Special to The Gazette

When it came time to program the 2008-09 Medina County Show Biz Company season, officials decided to add variety in the form of a thriller.

The result is “Wait Until Dark,” which appears weekends Oct. 3 through 18 at the Broadway Street Hall in Medina.

“I think all community theaters now are struggling, and the economy has a part to do with it,” said Sandi Harris, Medina County Show Biz Company’s resident director. “People are careful where they choose to put their money. So it’s a time for us to think a little bit differently in different forms of art, hoping this will grab attention.

“We’re trying to find things that would draw an audience that would be different from who we normally have. People want musicals, musicals, musicals. That’s what they look for. They like comedies. Drama is kind of down on the list a little bit, and I think a thriller would be the right thing to put in to kind of entice people as something a little bit different. And a lot of people from my generation remember the movie.”

The Frederick Knott play debuted on Broadway in 1966 and was quickly snatched up by Hollywood, which released the 1967 movie starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna.

In a nutshell, the production revolves around blind housewife Susy Hendrix, whose husband transported a drug-filled doll from Canada.

There are also three drug dealers who attempt to get the doll back. You better believe there’s murder, mystery and intrigue that make up this classic story.

“As the director, I’m relying on several things,” Harris said. “You need good acting in the female lead (actress Jane Klingler), because she is blind. So it has to be someone who can be creative with her facial and body expressions. The other three men, the conmen, are so different and each a different character study on how they approach to win her over.

“Also we have special effects that are going to be tricky to pull off. The refrigerator has to have the right amount of lighting and has to be angled the right way. There’s a lot of matches for effectiveness within the darkness. There are knife throws that you make sure the audience can see go across the room. These are tricky things we’re working on that we’re hoping we can master by the time we open.”

While the Medina County Show Biz Company’s next production is musical “Brigadoon,” Harris is excited about “Wait Until Dark.” She believes it’s been well over 15 years since the Medina County Show Biz Company produced a thriller production.

It’s for this reason she hopes audiences will see the show expecting something different, something unique and something entertaining.

“Just come out and enjoy a wonderful interpretation of an old classic movie,” Harris said. “It’s so different from anything we’ve ever done before.”

You can see “Wait Until Dark” at 8 p.m. Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5 and 12 at the Broadway Street Hall, Medina County Administration Building, 144 N. Broadway, Medina.

For more information, call 330-722-5776 or visit www.medinacountytheater.com.