Night of the Living Dead ... on stage!
I posted a link to this on Facebook, but the original site has been redesigned, so I'm posting it here too, in case it ever vanishes. This was a review I did a few months ago for a local alt-weekly entertainment paper, the Free Times.
Limitations Aside, Zombie Fans Will Love "Night of the Living Dead"
by August Krickel, February 6th 09:41pm
It takes guts to stage Night of the Living Dead -- both literal, for maximum shock, and figurative, to tackle such an ambitious project in front of a live audience. High Voltage Theatre's new stage adaptation of the seminal low-budget horror film has its heart in the right place, but suffers from a somewhat uneven tone, and is seriously limited by the cramped confines of the Fountain Room in the basement of Tapp's Art Center. While drama purists expecting deep meaning will be disappointed -- as will community theater fans looking for show tunes or family entertainment -- hard-core zombie lovers and horror cinephiles will have a good time, if only to be able to say they have seen Living Dead performed live.
Playwright/director Chris Cook follows the original George Romero-John Russo screenplay from the 1960's closely: random stock characters seek refuge in a rural farmhouse from flesh-eating ghouls, only to discover that their greatest threat may be each other.
Principle antagonist Harry (played by Cook) is clearly one of the 1 percent, intending to lock himself in the basement with his family (Evelyn Clary as wife Helen and Mazie Cook as daughter Karen) since it's everyone for himself, and anyone falling victim to the zombies must have brought it on himself. Nominal protagonist Ben (Marques Moore) prefers to "occupy" the rest of the farmhouse, keeping open multiple avenues of escape or defense. Groovy hippie chick Judy (Jenna Sach) wants everyone to all just get along, but has mad skills with Molotov cocktails when she realizes that it's time to fight back. Barbara (Mary Miles) represents the old world order; dependent on and trustful of the old paradigms of stability, religion, and family, she is paralyzed when these collapse.
When these characters interact and come into conflict, the dialogue is snappy and the acting is intense, with Cook taking top honors for characterization. Cook is a tall, physically imposing actor, however, and one wishes Harry were a bit smaller and weaker, since Cook could probably take out the zombies single-handedly in real life. Miles is believable as the sometimes-hysterical, sometimes-catatonic Mary. Her costume and hair (teased high into a vintage 60's 'do by cast mate Clary, who similarly sports an authentic beehive style) perfectly recreate the look of the era, as do those of Michael Layer as her horn-rimmed glasses-wearing brother. (Harrison Ayer will perform the role in subsequent performances.)
The zombies (only referred to as "those things out there") are aided by excellent make-up effects, and all lurch and stagger authentically, but are hampered by logistics; the miniscule set depicts the farmhouse interior, leaving us unable to see the menace outside. Cook has an inventive remedy: periodically, there are surreal moments, almost like stylized dream sequences, where the zombie actors get to roam through the performance space, but it's awfully hard to be afraid of them after decades of seeing college kids in similar attire on Halloween.
Music is used effectively to create suspense and tension, especially when it's instrumental and ambient; some might feel that the inclusion of eerie and anachronistic pop hits from artists like Pink Floyd, Alice in Chains and Genesis spoils the mood, but it's an interesting choice either way. (Phil Collins has always creeped me out, so I was fine with it.) I admire the creativity, but often the zombies seem overly choreographed, and the "real" action doesn't always flow easily into the symbolic sections. That said, there is a nice nod to the Evil Dead films, and a friend pointed out that one weird Danse Macabre moment in particular didn't need to make sense, as the overall effect was visually striking and frightening. Generally speaking, when the lights turn red and contemporary music swells, understand that the scene is meant as more figurative than literal.
Visibility and audibility also pose challenges; sit on the front row if possible, or at least grab an aisle seat. Characters often sink or fall to the floor, and sometimes crucial dialogue is missed as the frantic and breathless characters' lines overlap. (A film, of course, can simply cut to a close-up of the person whose line is important, even if they are busy fighting off the undead.) Cook the author cleverly inserts moments of comedy not found in the original, with Sach getting most of the best zingers as she grows more assertive. Several moments of graphic violence towards the end are so over-the-top that the audience has to laugh. While it's unclear if the intent was camp, or actual terror, one has to respect the innovation and audacity to experiment.
Overall, I must give the production an A for effort, for ambition, and for acting talent, and perhaps a B for creativity in exploring alternative staging options, but only a C for delivery, primarily due to the limitations of the space.
I've seen any number of award-winning Broadway hits reproduced locally with excellent production values and performances, but I wouldn't necessarily care to see them a second time. With Living Dead, I'd love to see the show again, but done on a proper stage, with a decent budget, and perhaps a few re-writes and polishes incorporating lessons learned from this very first performance. Indeed, more groups should have the guts to attempt alternative projects in this fashion.
Fortunately, there should be enough downtown hipsters who follow cult hits to comprise an appreciative audience for this show, especially if you add in even a fraction of the viewership of The Walking Dead, or any of your Facebook friends who constantly send you memes asking who would have your back in the zombie apocalypse. Seating is limited to only 50-60 folding chairs each night, with only four performances remaining, so there’s no reason that Night of the Living Dead shouldn’t have standing room only for the rest of its run.
For ticket information or reservations, call 803-754-5244; Night of the Living Dead runs through Saturday, Feb. 16 in the Fountain Room in the basement of Tapp’s Art Center.
Limitations Aside, Zombie Fans Will Love "Night of the Living Dead"
by August Krickel, February 6th 09:41pm
It takes guts to stage Night of the Living Dead -- both literal, for maximum shock, and figurative, to tackle such an ambitious project in front of a live audience. High Voltage Theatre's new stage adaptation of the seminal low-budget horror film has its heart in the right place, but suffers from a somewhat uneven tone, and is seriously limited by the cramped confines of the Fountain Room in the basement of Tapp's Art Center. While drama purists expecting deep meaning will be disappointed -- as will community theater fans looking for show tunes or family entertainment -- hard-core zombie lovers and horror cinephiles will have a good time, if only to be able to say they have seen Living Dead performed live.
Playwright/director Chris Cook follows the original George Romero-John Russo screenplay from the 1960's closely: random stock characters seek refuge in a rural farmhouse from flesh-eating ghouls, only to discover that their greatest threat may be each other.
Principle antagonist Harry (played by Cook) is clearly one of the 1 percent, intending to lock himself in the basement with his family (Evelyn Clary as wife Helen and Mazie Cook as daughter Karen) since it's everyone for himself, and anyone falling victim to the zombies must have brought it on himself. Nominal protagonist Ben (Marques Moore) prefers to "occupy" the rest of the farmhouse, keeping open multiple avenues of escape or defense. Groovy hippie chick Judy (Jenna Sach) wants everyone to all just get along, but has mad skills with Molotov cocktails when she realizes that it's time to fight back. Barbara (Mary Miles) represents the old world order; dependent on and trustful of the old paradigms of stability, religion, and family, she is paralyzed when these collapse.
When these characters interact and come into conflict, the dialogue is snappy and the acting is intense, with Cook taking top honors for characterization. Cook is a tall, physically imposing actor, however, and one wishes Harry were a bit smaller and weaker, since Cook could probably take out the zombies single-handedly in real life. Miles is believable as the sometimes-hysterical, sometimes-catatonic Mary. Her costume and hair (teased high into a vintage 60's 'do by cast mate Clary, who similarly sports an authentic beehive style) perfectly recreate the look of the era, as do those of Michael Layer as her horn-rimmed glasses-wearing brother. (Harrison Ayer will perform the role in subsequent performances.)
The zombies (only referred to as "those things out there") are aided by excellent make-up effects, and all lurch and stagger authentically, but are hampered by logistics; the miniscule set depicts the farmhouse interior, leaving us unable to see the menace outside. Cook has an inventive remedy: periodically, there are surreal moments, almost like stylized dream sequences, where the zombie actors get to roam through the performance space, but it's awfully hard to be afraid of them after decades of seeing college kids in similar attire on Halloween.
Music is used effectively to create suspense and tension, especially when it's instrumental and ambient; some might feel that the inclusion of eerie and anachronistic pop hits from artists like Pink Floyd, Alice in Chains and Genesis spoils the mood, but it's an interesting choice either way. (Phil Collins has always creeped me out, so I was fine with it.) I admire the creativity, but often the zombies seem overly choreographed, and the "real" action doesn't always flow easily into the symbolic sections. That said, there is a nice nod to the Evil Dead films, and a friend pointed out that one weird Danse Macabre moment in particular didn't need to make sense, as the overall effect was visually striking and frightening. Generally speaking, when the lights turn red and contemporary music swells, understand that the scene is meant as more figurative than literal.
Visibility and audibility also pose challenges; sit on the front row if possible, or at least grab an aisle seat. Characters often sink or fall to the floor, and sometimes crucial dialogue is missed as the frantic and breathless characters' lines overlap. (A film, of course, can simply cut to a close-up of the person whose line is important, even if they are busy fighting off the undead.) Cook the author cleverly inserts moments of comedy not found in the original, with Sach getting most of the best zingers as she grows more assertive. Several moments of graphic violence towards the end are so over-the-top that the audience has to laugh. While it's unclear if the intent was camp, or actual terror, one has to respect the innovation and audacity to experiment.
Overall, I must give the production an A for effort, for ambition, and for acting talent, and perhaps a B for creativity in exploring alternative staging options, but only a C for delivery, primarily due to the limitations of the space.
I've seen any number of award-winning Broadway hits reproduced locally with excellent production values and performances, but I wouldn't necessarily care to see them a second time. With Living Dead, I'd love to see the show again, but done on a proper stage, with a decent budget, and perhaps a few re-writes and polishes incorporating lessons learned from this very first performance. Indeed, more groups should have the guts to attempt alternative projects in this fashion.
Fortunately, there should be enough downtown hipsters who follow cult hits to comprise an appreciative audience for this show, especially if you add in even a fraction of the viewership of The Walking Dead, or any of your Facebook friends who constantly send you memes asking who would have your back in the zombie apocalypse. Seating is limited to only 50-60 folding chairs each night, with only four performances remaining, so there’s no reason that Night of the Living Dead shouldn’t have standing room only for the rest of its run.
For ticket information or reservations, call 803-754-5244; Night of the Living Dead runs through Saturday, Feb. 16 in the Fountain Room in the basement of Tapp’s Art Center.