“Normal” hunting seasons may be mostly over in Alaska but zombie-hunting season is just about to begin.
“Night of the Living Dead,” opening Thursday night at West Anchorage High School, is a live adaptation of the 1968 horror film by George Ramiro and John Russo. Audience members witness the first night of the zombie apocalypse in a Pennsylvania farmhouse as a band of survivors try to work together to survive. The original film is considered the pioneer of the zombie apocalypse genre.
“Our production pays respect to the source material and has some fun along the way with [costuming] and campy ‘60’s-style dialogue and action,” said Brian Lyke, the production’s director.
Lyke says his love of Halloween inspired him to bring the production to West High.
“I love Halloween, so I went looking for a good scare to produce,” Lyke said. “‘Night of the Living Dead’ entered the public domain a few years back so it was up for grabs. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this survival story would make a great play,” he said. “There is actually an Aristotelian unity of time, place, and action in the piece. We think it will make for great theater.”
Work on the show began all the way back in August, with student technicians building the sets and props, and others scouring thrift stores for ‘60’s fashion and furniture.
“It has been a joy to watch students rise to the role(s), whether solving design challenges or playing a character,” Lyke said.
He knew from the beginning that finding actors with stage combat experience and emotional range, and enough “really good screamers” might be a challenge. Lyke says, with such a long run-up to the show, finding cast and crew with that experience has been beneficial in battling expectations, timeline and flu season on top of everything else on-stage.
“Night of the Living Dead” opens Thursday night and runs through October 28 with a bonus performance on Halloween night. All shows start at 7 p.m. Admission is $10. Tickets can be purchased either in cash at the door or online.
Audiences should be advised that the story told is a dark one. There are depictions of blood, gore, and instances of simulated explosions and gunfire in the show.
This article was published in partnership with Arts Anchorage.
John Christensen is an Anchorage-based photographer, columnist, and creative who operates under the Candlewick Studios brand. He has written previously for the Anchorage Press.