Psychological Thrillers on Stage

Last week I was considering the various stage adaptations of Dracula -- a show that can either be very spooky or very campy (and sometimes both). As much as I love the supernatural, I find psychological thrillers more intriguing -- and by far more scary. After all, when it is late at night and I'm all alone, it is easy to tell myself that vampires and werewolves don't exist. It's not so easy when I think about serial killers and sociopaths!

Suspense thrillers provide audiences with an intimate (and sometimes disturbing) insight into darker side of humanity. Unlike movies that rely on close-ups and creepy violin music in the background, the heart and soul of a stage play is the dialogue. And in the thriller, the exchanges are often a cat and mouse game of good versus evil. I prefer the plays that end with good triumphing in the final act, such as the 1960s classic Wait Until Dark. But then again, plays that allow evil to flourish certainly leave a lasting impact. (I still haven't recovered from the finale of The Bad Seed!)