(Photo by Charlotte Cocker)
Reviewed by Steven Vargas
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group
Through August 11
RECOMMENDED
The lights go out. In the darkness, the croak of a woman’s voice pierces the air until the lights flash on, and there — in between audience members — is Sophia Grace (Jess Sabine) lurching naked with bloody skin and messy hair.
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group churns out a new haunting immersive experience centered on an exorcism of a troubled girl reeling from the death of her parents. “The Exorcism of Sophia Grace,” running until Aug. 11, is a haunting performance that keeps you on your toes, but even amid the heart-racing events, its story lacks clarity.
The experience is cinematic. The show shines when it experiments with the darkness as if it were its own character. Tech guru, construction and technical advisor Jorge Vaca makes use of the labyrinth-style home of Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group to bring audiences through Grace’s family house. When the lights go out, the tension builds.
Sophia Grace goes missing between bouts of darkness and an audience member screams. This theatrical technique is similar to a horror movie cutting to an unfamiliar figure in the background before returning to the calm leading figure. It’s part of the thrill.
However, the show loses suspense when the story begins to unravel. It is clear that Sophia gets possessed following the sudden death of her parents, but the reasoning behind her possession by a mysterious evil is murky, making it hard to follow along with the narrative. Once all the logistics are thrown out the window, it’s easy to lean into the absurdity and shock. In scenes where the story is the focal point of the experience, the dark lighting doesn’t match the energy, making it even harder to focus on the characters’ development.
For example, when Sophia’s siblings pull the audience into their family living room, it’s hard to see their faces while they provide details on the backstory of Sophia’s demonic overtaking. You can’t read their expressions and the low lighting has you wondering when the next shocking surprise will come instead of involving you in the story about their family. The world-building takes a back seat. Much like the storyline, the lighting needs specificity.
But as you throw holy water on a contorted body and pray out of a miniature Bible, the performance sucks you back in. Its immersive elements are well-executed, allowing audience members to become part of the journey.
Sabine is a haunting performer. They go all in on the theatrics when performing their possession. In one of the many secret rooms the audience is shuffled into, they show up behind a shower curtain atop a cabinet. Their voice has impressive range. They switch from throaty clicking to a feminine tone to a masculine one. As they torture Father Brennan (Doug Clarke), the tension builds. You never know what will happen next.
Clarke also leads the show with a strong performance. His desperation resounds in the space as he prays over Sophia. His eyes are filled with fear and confidence in the power of religion. Even when he is in charge of shuffling audience members down a corridor, his character never falters.
The side characters — Victor Grace (Joe Filippone), Esther Grace (Jacksyn Ivy Jayne) and Father Renard (Kyle Donovan) — miss out on opportunities to shine. The performances are stagnant and lack variety. They operate as caricatures when there are moments where they could lean into the range of their characters, such as when the sibling duo finds hope in their sister’s return to normal. While the screams are spooky and effective, they can lose their punch when overdone.
The Exorcism of Sophia Grace is an overall eerie and spine-chilling experience. Charlotte Cocker’s direction pushes the limits of the space created by Vaca and keeps the audience on their toes. Whether you are in Sophia’s bedroom or a hallway, you are constantly looking over your back.
Was that gust of air someone’s gasp or Sophia running to her next hiding place?
You won’t know until it’s too late.
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., Los Angeles. Fri.-Sun., 7 pm, 7:45 pm, 8:30 pm, 9:15 pm, 10 pm, 10:45 pm; thru August 11. https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/zombiejoes/4552. Running time: 45 minutes.
