Cher Álvarez and Patrick Heusinger (Photo by Kyle Flubacker)
Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
Ahmanson Theatre
Through Dec. 7
RECOMMENDED
The Paranormal Activity film franchise has been around for a while, with the first film premiering in 2009 and culminating with the 2021 release of Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin. Created by Oren Peli, the series attracted a lot of fans and supporters over those years, as well as its share of detractors, who felt that the show’s found footage format and cache of mysterious scary occurrences had bottomed out on the “fright scale.”
But with this first-rate stage version, writer Levi Holloway and director Felix Barrett have succeeded in packaging terror for a live audience (no easy feat!), sans cheesy effects and feckless jump scares, and with a creeping, ominous dread that in this production seldom abates.
For those unfamiliar with the films, their focus is on supernatural events that torment people. Newlyweds, Lou (Cher Álvarez) and James (Patrick Heusinger) have a big, unseen problem after they relocate from Chicago and settle into a house in London, hoping to start a family and escape from whatever it is that’s continuously unsettling and terrifying Lou, who is on industrial-strength antidepressants and is a psychological and emotional mess.
But the situation doesn’t improve; in fact it grows worse, even after they resort to the dubious services of paranormal investigator Carolanne (Shannon Cochran), and suffer with the irritating intrusions of James’s meddling, bible-thumping mother Etheline (Kate Fry).But the real shocker is that what’s really haunting these unhappy newlyweds are their pasts. More details would spoil the fun – and yes, the show is fun — and it all draws down into a wonderfully horripilating finale.
In addition to fine, skillfully calibrated performances, what makes this production exceptional is the ingenious work of the design team. Scenic designer Fly Davis has constructed a detailed two story house, with bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room, all in full, visually accessible display. Anna Watson’s lighting perfectly captures the constantly shifting tapestry of moods within the psychologically charged world of the story. Gareth Fry’s enveloping sound design creates a palpable atmosphere of eerie dread, as does Chris Fisher’s illusions and Luke Hall’s video projections.
Under the stickling direction of Felix Barrett, all these elements work together with unfailing coherence to create a memorable theatrical experience. .
Ahmanson Theater, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown LA. Tues.-Thurs., 7:30 pm, Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sat.,2 pm, Sun., 1 pm and 7 pm, dark Dec. 7, 7 pm; thru Dec. 7. Running time: two hours and ten minutes with an intermission. https://CenterTheatregGroup.org
