Richmond Hill in Geneseo Presents Thriller, “The Woman in Black”
The Richmond Hill Players’ 2025 season continues with a thriller, “The Woman in Black,” adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill. The show will be presented Thursdays through Sundays, October 2-12 at the Barn Theatre in Geneseo. Dana Skiles, Geneseo, directs the play.
The framework of this spine-tingler (penned in 1987) is unusual: a lawyer (Arthur Kipps) hires an actor to tutor him in recounting to family and friends a story that has long troubled him, concerning events that transpired when he attended the funeral of an elderly recluse. There, he caught sight of the woman in black, the mere mention of whom terrifies the locals, for she is a specter who haunts the neighborhood where her illegitimate child was accidentally killed. Anyone who sees her dies!
Patrick Kelley and James Driscoll, with Tifany Simosky (in back) in “The Woman in Black” at Richmond Hill, Geneseo.
Kipps has invited some friends to watch as he and the actor recreate the events of that dark and stormy night in this classic tale of the Gothic mystery genre. The show is not recommended for children under 12, with a warning for discussion of child loss.
A review of an October 2024 Washington, D.C. production said: “For a self-professed ghost story, The Woman in Black starts with something unexpected: jokes. For nearly the first 10 minutes, the play is legitimately funny and lighthearted, with little to suggest that it will ever become spooky or suspenseful, let alone haunting.
Patrick Kelley, left, and James Driscoll in the new Richmond Hill production, running Oct. 2-12.
“But rest assured, The Woman in Black — written by Stephen Mallatratt based on the 1983 book by Susan Hill — does eventually become ghostly…This is, of course, a ghost story, so Kipps’ trip [to Eel Marsh House] naturally leads to a series of hauntings — told through a series of set pieces — that leave him increasingly worse for wear,” the review said. “Each of these set pieces feels genuinely spooky as the mood shifts and tension fills the air, with increasing effect. There are few jump scares, but there are long periods when you wait with bated breath for one that may or may not come.”
The Richmond Hill cast features Patrick Kelley (Kewanee), James Driscoll (Bettendorf); Tifany Simosky (Geneseo); Aimee Albrecht (Alexis); Cali VanZandt (Atkinson), David Shaffer (Moline) and Mike Kelly (Rock Island).
Patrick Kelley, left, and James Driscoll.
The staff includes stage manager/special effects coordinator David Shaffer, stage crew Aimee Albrecht, Cali VanZandt, Perry Farley (Geneseo) and Sarah Carrington (Galesburg); light and sound designer/operator Dana Skiles, and set builder Jim Skiles (Colona).
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sundays are 3 p.m. matinees with the doors opening at 2. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the Richmond Hill box office at 309-944-2244 or by visiting the website at rhplayers.com. Late seating is not permitted; no one will be admitted to the theater after the show has started. Admission to all performances is $12.
An audio description performance will be held Friday, Oct. 3. Richmond Hill also offers Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs), which can be requested at the time that reservations are made.
Patrick Kelley and James Driscoll in “The Woman in Black” at Richmond Hill Players, Geneseo.
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