Beasts from the Sea!

Reviewed by Julia Stier
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group
Extended through August 17

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group offers a midsummer scare with its latest creation, Beasts from the Sea! — an underwater-themed haunted maze directed by Zombie Joe, Brandon Slezak and Denise Devin.

During this immersive, 15-minute trek through the deep sea, audience members join forces with various creatures in the search for special gems that will help defeat the evil sea witch that has been causing much misery. While there is a path, creatures can emerge from anywhere, which keeps audience members on their toes.

Some of the creatures that inhabit this deep-water wonderland include a singing mermaid, a couple of acrobatic fish, a Shakespeare-spouting little ocean creature, and various creepy henchmen of the witch. Performers include Audra Colino, Denise Devin, Robert L. Dobson, Jr., Sarah Durham, Jeffrey Gibson, Jasmine Ibrahem, Matthew Monaco, Brandon Slezak, Mélissa Guérin-Torres and Emma Toureau.

The space is cleverly laid out so that it feels huge. The low light and the in-your-face posturing of the actors are disorienting, yet wonderfully unsettling — everything a haunted maze is meant to be.

The production uses a similar approach to walkthrough haunted houses that pop up around Halloween, but it differs because it combines story with scares to deliver an innovative theatrical experience.

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; (dark 8/8 & 8/15); extended through Aug. 17. (818) 202-4120
or https://www.zombiejoes.tix.com. Running time: 15 minutes — the show runs every 15 minutes from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.