I walked into The Spotlight Theatre Oct. 16 nice, clean and presentable. I walked out of The Spotlight Theatre covered in blood. No, I did not narrowly escape some thespian serial killer. I attended the theater’s newest production “Evil Dead: The Musical,” which promises a blood bath for audience members sitting in the first three rows, a promise they certainly delivered.
Based on the cult classic “Evil Dead” movies of the 80s, “Evil Dead: The Musical” is about five college students staying in an abandoned cabin in the woods. When they play an old audiotape they find in the cabin, they accidently unleash Canderian demons. These demons not only possess but sing and dance as well.
Where posters for the play initially intrigued me, mentions of a “Splatter Zone” hooked me completely. At this time of year, my love of the supernatural increases exponentially, and although I have not seen any of the “Evil Dead” movies, I knew I would love this play. There was no question that I would be in one of those first three rows. When intermission came around, I questioned the purpose of the ponchos the theater was selling. There wasn’t much blood yet, and it appeared to be fairly watered-down. When a man in front of me asked one of the technicians if act two would be bloodier, he replied, “Oh, yeah.” And with that, I was itching for intermission to come to an end.
Not only was act two much, much messier than act one, I was also lucky enough to be sitting in the seat where what I’m guessing was a bucket of fake blood splashed all over me. In addition to the spots of sprayed fake blood, my white shirt, which I intentionally wore knowing it’d get splattered, was soaked and stained a pinkish red. I was so sticky that when the end came and I applauded the actors, my hands wanted to stick together. I absolutely loved this aspect of the production. It made the already funny play that much more fun for the audience.
One-liners, cheesy puns and camp are more abundant than blood in “Evil Dead: The Musical,” and that’s saying a lot. Given my love of puns, this play had me laughing from start to finish.
The play was written for fans of the movies, but even those who have not seen the movies will get a kick out of the play. It is a musical, but it is probably enjoyed more by horror fans than by musical theater fans. The play is irreverent, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. When a prop broke in the first act, actors Rick Cheshire (Ash) and Veronica Surber (Linda) stayed in character and worked with the mishap. They seemed to have as much fun with it as the audience had watching it.
The makeup and special effects in “Evil Dead: The Musical” were a lot more than I expected from a Bakersfield play. The hand-painted foam latex masks are applied each night and were made specifically for each character, according to director Jarred Clowes. Jennifer Sorkin, who also plays Cheryl, did a fantastic job with the make-up. Clowes said the blood effects ranged from plastic squeeze bottles, to hand blood packs, to a Swiffer Wet Jet. It is obvious how much work and preparation went into this production, and their efforts really paid off.
Great acting, fun effects and hard work made “Evil Dead: The Musical” the most fun I’ve ever had at a theater. It is perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit and is a must-see for any horror fan. “Evil Dead: The Musical” runs through Halloween. For show times, ticket reservations and more information go to www.spotlightfound.org.