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| Night of the Living Dead Comes to Life on Stage |
| Written by Ryan E. Johnson | |
 Zombie theater extends action through November 7.Zombie movies have become a staple of any Halloween season, so when it came time for Weird City Theatre to open their season, just a week before Halloween, the choice for a show was a simple one. They then took upon themselves the daunting task of bringing George Romero’s horror classic, Night of the Living Dead, to the stage, and the result is a bloody, gory fright fest worthy of the great horror auteur himself. Night of the Living Dead tells the tale of a group of people, shacked up in an old farmhouse, trying to survive an onslaught of the undead. The main heroine in this piece is Barbara, who, while visiting her father’s grave with her brother Johnny, falls prey to one of the horrifying creatures of the night. She then joins a motley crew of wanderers in the abandoned house, where tensions flare and emotions run high as a black man, a bull-headed, selfish father, his concerned wife, his ailing son, and two teenagers try their best to keep the army of zombies at bay. The intimate space of the Hyde Park Theatre makes the fright in the piece so much more palpable, because the horrible members of the living dead stand just a few feet in front of you. The makeup and effects work is top notch, especially for a theater production. Blood squirts, guts are torn out, and people are devoured right before your eyes, and all of it seems gruesomely realistic. John Carroll, who adapted and directs this stage version, does a fantastic job of keeping the tension high, making sure you never expect exactly when and how the zombies will attack, and every time you think you may find a moment peace, it is broken with the screams and moans of the zombies and their victims.  There are very few problems with this production, if you go in knowing what to expect. This is based upon Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, so you shouldn’t expect Shakespeare, Goethe or even Mamet or Miller. Though the performances are not bad, definitely not as bad as one might expect after watching the movies, there is plenty of ridiculous dialogue and campy over-acting. Though it may turn off some theater goers, the campy style actually helps to lighten the mood, and gives an homage to the campy feel of the original movie. Though not recommended for children, those with faint stomachs, or the easily frightened, Night of the Living Dead is a terrific chance for gorehounds and fans of the bloody, scary midnight movies to take in an entertaining night of theater. It may not have the depth and substance of some of the plays currently on stage around Austin, but it more than makes up for it with its fun, campy feel and pulse-pounding fright. Weird City Theatre’s Night of the Living Dead has been extended through November 7 (original curtain call was November 2). Tickets are $20, and are available here. |
