'The Woman in Black' Coming to Pheasant Run Mainstage

is ready to celebrate the Halloween season with one of the longest-running suspense thrillers in history, The Woman in Black. Directed by Fox Valley Rep Artistic Director and Wheaton native John Gawlik, performances will take place at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage at 4051 E. Main St. in St. Charles.

The Woman in Black will preview at 8 p.m. Oct 14. The show will open Oct. 15 and will run through Oct. 30.

Tickets for Friday shows are $29 and $39 for Saturday and Sunday performances. Dinner show packages are available from $49. Group rates and overnight packages are also available.

The Woman in Black, adapted by Stephen Malatratt and based on the novel by Susan Hill, involves a London lawyer who hires an actor to help recount a story to family and friends that has long troubled him since he attended the funeral of an elderly recluse.

The Woman In Black was first performed at the Theatre-By-The-Sea in Scarborough in 1987. The original production received rave reviews, paving the way for future productions throughout the country. It reached London's West End in 1989 where it has been a major success ever since. It has also experienced global success, having spread to the U.S., South America and through to the Tokyo theatre scene, and beyond. And now, a major motion film is scheduled to be released in early 2012.

"Celebrating Halloween with one of the longest-running suspense thrillers in history is very exciting for us. We've been lucky to pair accomplished actor Ron Rains with Alex Hugh Brown, who was recently featured as one of Chicago Tribune's 'Hottest New Faces of 2011', for some fantastic storytelling on our stage," Gawlik said. "The show has been a hit in London and across the country, and we're thrilled that the Fox Valley area will be celebrating this haunting tale with us."

The cast of The Woman in Black features (in alphabetical order): Alex Hugh Brown (previously in FVR's Red Herring), Jeff Award-nominated actor Ron Rains (known for his recurring role as Bob Cratchit in Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol), and alternating the roles of The Woman in Black will be FVR Academy Students Delaney Carani, 15, of St. Charles; Faith Weitzner, 16, of Bloomingdale, and Stephanie Dittemore, 17, of Lombard.

Gawlik directs the show after recently directing Dead Man's Cell Phone at The Theatre at Western Springs, as well as the remount of The Gift Theatre Company's The Ruby Sunrise at Theater on the Lake, named one of the Top Ten shows of 2009 by TimeOut Chicago Magazine. Other recent directing credits include Fox Valley Rep's Around the World in 80 Days, Always Patsy Cline, Red Herring, Over the Tavern, smash hit Altar Boyz and the holiday classic A Christmas Story, as well as the Jeff-nominated productions of W;t for The Gift Theatre and Dated: A Cautionary Tale for Facebook Users for Collaboraction's Sketchbook Festival (Festival Best Director).

The Woman in Black performances will be at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. A Thursday performance will be presented at 2 p.m. Oct. 27 and a special Hallow Eve performance will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 30. The show is rated PG-13.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

is at 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL. For tickets, call the Pheasant Run Box Office at 630-584-6342 or visit www.ticketmaster.com. Additional performance information may be obtained at www.foxvalleyrep.org.

Article provide by Fox Valley Repertory.