Theatre 98’s last show of the 2013 season, the suspense thriller “Night Watch,” opens on Thursday, Oct. 17. This gripping play, written by the award-winning Lucille Fletcher (author of the film noir classic “Sorry, Wrong Number,” and of the notable Twilight Zone episode “The Hitchhiker”) is directed by Leslie Johnson, a Theatre 98 veteran. Leslie won top honors a few years ago as Best Actress in our ten state region at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Community Theatre Festival for her role in Theatre 98’s production of “The Trip to Bountiful,” and is making her directorial debut with this production.

An emotionally fragile heiress with a history of mental breakdowns believes she sees a murder victim through the window of the house across the street. But when the police investigate they find nothing. Is she imagining it, or is she the victim of a plot to send her back into madness? And if so, who is responsible: her loving husband, her devoted nurse/best friend, the peculiar and rather sinister man next door, or perhaps the nosy maid? You may think you’ve figured it out, but there is a twist at the end that you won’t see coming.

The cast includes:

Elaine Wheeler- Anastasia Ferrell

John Wheeler- Rick Drummond

Helga- Robin Kemp

Patrolman Vanelli- Ryan Peacock

Curtis Appleby- Josh Aaron

Blanche Cooke- Pat Marion

Lieutenant Walker- Hal Knox

Dr. Tracey Lake- Joyce Vath

Sam Hoke– John Shoulders

Performances are Oct. 17-20 and Oct, 23-27 at 8 p.m., except for Sunday performances, which are at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for students. The box office opens Oct. 14, and box office hours are 5-7:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call 251-928-4366 and leave a message with a return phone number. You may also purchase tickets before the box office opens online at the theatre website, theatre98.org, or on the Theatre 98 Facebook page.