Glendale Centre Theatre stages the late Peter Shaffer's 'Black Comedy'

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Acting as if they are in the dark, Colonel Melkett, played by Paul Michael Nieman and Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean navigate through a room during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve.

(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean, sits down hard on a sofa pushing Clea, played by Tayah Howard, and Harold Gorringe, played by Ted Wells, fall off of the sofa during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve.

(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean, kisses his old girlfriend Clea, played by Tayah Howard in the dark during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show, which mixes up light and pitch black, kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Angry about being duped, Harold Gorringe, played by Ted Wells and Colonel Melkett, played by Paul Michael Nieman draw swords to attack Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Georg Bamberger, played by Don Woodruff, walks in the dark, with Clea, played by Tayah Howard and Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean, hugging on a pedestal during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show, which mixes up light and pitch black, kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Director Zoë Bright, on right, works out a kissing sean with actors Chance Dean and Tayah Howard during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Colonel Melkett, played by Paul Michael Nieman, lighting his way with a lighter, finds a buddha during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean, acting as if in the dark, guides Miss Furnival, played by Georgian George into a dark room during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean, wound in a telephone cord, during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Ted Wells, who plays Harold Gorringe points a sword at Clea, played by Tayah Howard and Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean, hugging on a pedestal during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Carol Melkett, palyed by Ava Scott, blindly pours a drink during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show, which mixes light with pitch black, kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean, Tayah Howard, who plays Clea, and Harold Gorringe, played by Ted Wells on a sofa during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Harold Gorringe, played by Ted Wells, has a discussion with Brindsley Miller, played by Chance Dean during a dress rehearsal of “Black Comedy” at the Glendale Centre Theatre on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The show kicks off on New Year’s Eve. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

By Jeff Landa

Dec. 30, 2016 5:21 PM PT

Before the lights go out on 2016, Glendale Centre Theatre will present a special New Year’s Eve performance of the play “Black Comedy,” with additional performances of the one-act farce slated into early next year.

The play is written by award-winning playwright Peter Shaffer, best known for his fictionalized account of the life of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in “Amadeus.” Shaffer died earlier this year and the local theater troupe will carry his memory into 2017 with one of his more lighthearted plays.

For those not familiar with “Black Comedy,” there may be some early confusion because the play begins in complete darkness. Once the characters experience an electrical short in their flat, the lights are raised onstage, but the actors perform as if in total darkness.

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The reverse-lighting scheme, which brings chaos for a young sculptor and his fiancee, is directed and choreographed by Zoe Bright.

“I’ve not done one like this before. I’m excited to do it, but I’m also nervous,” Bright said. “As always, the most important thing is your casting. If you get your casting right then, as a director, your job is well over half done, and I’ve got a fantastic cast.”

Bright has a long history of performing, cast in the original London production of “Les Miserables” in 1984, and has since worn many hats in the theater world. Bright has directed six plays at Glendale Centre Theatre and will do it again with “The Importance of Being Earnest” in April.

“Just come and have a good evening of laughter,” Bright said. “[“Black Comedy”] is a really funny play. Reading it, it’s very funny, so it’s even better when you act it. I also think it’s a great homage to Peter Shaffer.”

The production’s run begins with two performances on New Year’s Eve, at 7 and 10 p.m. “Black Comedy” will continue at the Glendale Centre Theatre until Feb. 11, with performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. matinees on Saturdays.

For information about prices and additional performances, visit glendalecentretheatre.com.

Jeff Landa, jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda

Glendale Centre Theatre stages the late Peter Shaffer’s ‘Black Comedy’