WEB EXCLUSIVE

For this year’s Halloween production show Mr. Carter, our Oviedo Lions Theater’s director, chose “Night of the Living Dead”. Though a little skeptical about choosing this play, everyone who was involved had lots of fun with the production.

“…It’s probably the most ambitious show we’ve ever done.” said Senior William Deem who played Ben.

The play follows a group of seven people hiding in a rural house during the zombie apocalypse. The first two survivors we meet are Barbra and Ben: Barbra finds the house after her and her brother Johnny – who saved her but suffered in the process – were attacked at their father’s grave. Low on gas, Ben pulls up to the house and takes refuge in the house, the two meeting with other survivors: Tom, his girlfriend Judy, Harry, his wife Helen, and their daughter Karen. Stuck together, the seven bare against the apocalypse before them as zombies attempt to break into the house. 

Since this is a high school production, there were some changes from the original story. First, the script was shortened to make the show a bit smaller. This changes a couple of characters’ original deaths. Secondly, originally the time was set in the 1960’s, but the cast asked if they could set it during the 80s’ instead, changing the costume design along with it to fit the era.

All the cast members worked really hard to put together this play. Even before the show opened the doors, they were into character. There were zombies limping around. Once the audience were seated, the zombies would go around scaring the living daylights out of people. 

The actors of the surviving group of people in the house showed good theoretical acting. A little over the top, but that’s how theater acting is. It’s overdramatic to bring a response out of the audience. Which they did, seeing how they portrayed what a reaction would look like in a real zombie apocalypse.

Though it was a little low tech there were some technical problems, but nothing that stopped the show or made it any less good. Just some quick flashes of lights and delay sounds, that’s all. And even if it was a bit low tech, they had super cool qualities such as a fog machine and scenes not on the stage. The fog would turn up whenever there was a zombie. Characters and zombies would run down the aisles of the auditorium. Which not only surprised those in the seats, but set off many panicked screams. 

“I love the scary aspects, especially since I wasn’t the one scaring people, I was the one who was reacting to that, […] It was like I was watching that too.” said Senior Hannah Zevas who played Barbra. 

Overall, the director and cast pulled off a great rerun of Night of the Living Dead. All of the cast wished that whoever went to the show had an amazing time. They’re super excited for their next show “Rock of Ages” the musical in spring and can’t wait to see you there.