The Raven Players are upping the ante for immersive theater with their production of Evil Dead, The Musical, which plays weekends from Sept. 23 until Oct. 9.
How immersive can a musical comedy be about a serial killer armed with a chainsaw and a grudge? “For the ultimate Evil Dead experience, purchase tickets for our front row Splatter Zone, complete with complimentary protective poncho!” says the company. Now that’s immersive!
The play concerns five college students who go to an abandoned cabin in the Canadian woods and “accidentally unleash an evil force that turns them all into demons,” according to the program notes. The play, written by George Reinblatt, was first staged in 2003 in Toronto and soon moved to Off-Broadway, but its North Bay premiere is at the Raven Performing Arts Theater. Kerry Duvall directs with Tika Moon as music director and choreographer Troy Thomas Evans.
That “splatter zone” is no joke: People who choose to sit in the front row are advised, “You will get messy!” and warned against wearing clothing that might suffer from getting “stage blood” on it. “We also suggest you not bring purses, bags or anything else in the area, as they could get damaged.”
‘Evil Dead, The Musical’ runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm at the Raven Theater, 115 North St. Adult tickets are $35, students with IDs are $10. Value Thursday is Sept. 29, “pay what you can.”
