NIGHT WATCH
November 2008
by Lucille Fletcher
directed by John Coppola
YCP TheaterWorks produced the thrilling mystery, Night Watch, by Lucille Fletcher and directed by John Copploa in November 2008 at at the Van Cortlandtville School Theater on Route 6 in Mohegan Lake.
Suspense writer, Lucille Fletcher, of Sorry, Wrong Number and The Hitchhiker fame saw Night Watch made into a successful Broadway show in 1972 and a captivating 1973 movie with Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey. It is a psychological thriller with a twist.
Unable to sleep, Elaine (Jean Kadela) paces the living room of her Manhattan townhouse, troubled by unsettling memories and vague fears. Her husband (Floyd Gumble) tries to comfort her, but when he steps away for a moment Elaine screams as she sees (or believes she sees) the body of a dead man in the window across the way. The police are called, but find nothing except an empty chair. Elaine's terror grows as the plot deepens with suspense as it draws towards its riveting and chilling climax.
Elaine Hartel plays the psychiatrist called in and Frank Gatto and Steve Schnapper play the police sent to investigate the goings on. Phyllis Kirigin, plays the maid, Joel Karpoff, the nosy neighbor, John Schettino, the deli man, and Abby Jennings, the best friend, all contributing to the building mystery.
YCP TheaterWorks’ mission is to provide our audience with diverse, quality theatrical entertainment that nurtures and challenges our actors, directors and production personnel. YCP has been producing excellent community theater in the Northern Westchester area for 49 years with such diverse works as Neil Simon’s many plays to Chekhov to Terrance McNally and other cutting edge shows.
About the director:
John Coppola is multi-faceted in all phases of theatre, intermingling acting, set designing and directing. In his spare time he is a Consulting Engineer with Carnell Engineering in Valhalla, an Instructor at the Institute of Design and Construction in Brooklyn, a trombone player with the Mamaroneck Concert Band and an avid Met fan. In Westchester and Connecticut, he directed Harvey, The Runner Stumbles, Babes in Arms, Baby, Arsenic and Old Lace, Picnic, Ten Little Indians, Forty Carats, Frankenstein, etc. As an actor, he appeared in many productions but his favorite roles are Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple, FDR in Annie, Walter Hollander in Don't Drink The Water and the character singing roles of Andrew Carnes in Oklahoma and Womper in How To Succeed in Business without really Trying. As always, he thanks his family for their love and support, especially the two latest additions who are too young to even know about it.
