Urban Death has returned to Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre for its Summer 2016 run.  This signature show from theatre impresario Zombie Joe, co-directed and created by Jana Wimer, is a rumination of the macabre and deviant that is has been mesmerizing audiences for years and has made a name for Z.J.U. as one of THE places to see fearless, experimental, underground performances.

For the uninitiated this is a bracing experience in aggressively audacious performance art. We begin by entering the unassuming storefront and being greeted by the benevolent undertaker himself, Zombie Joe. The smell of incense thick in the foyer of the theatre, we see remnants and props from previous stagings. We wander further into the theatre space to the black box. Here about 60 seats are arranged, facing a vacant performance area. The room is lit in tonalities of red and cyan. Visitors would be advised to get to the theatre early as there are no reserved seats.

So what is Urban Death? It is a show that explores the absurdity of humanity through vignettes of violence, pitch-black humor, and sexuality. Mixing the styles of Butoh, Grand Guignol, theatre of cruelty, and avant garde, we are presented episodic scenes. There is virtually no dialogue, yet somehow there is plenty that is said.

The show begins when a stage hand pulls closed the large wooden door that separates the lobby from the performance space.  The music swells, the lights fade, and we peer, blinking into the inky darkness. Suddenly the lights come up and, as is tradition at this show, a mound of bodies lay in the center of the room. We soon hear the faint sound of breathing. A hand twitches. Another movement and we see this pile of performers writhe to life. with a mounting dread they rise and lunge at the audience, then blackout.

The lights come back up and we see the cycle repeated in scene after scene of striking imagery. A ghostlike child stands before us, licking a lollypop. The lights go out and suddenly a man stands before us holding an axe, covered in blood. In another scene a woman throws herself at anonymous partners. In still another scene a strobe light flickers as we see a flailing tangle of flesh wiggle and twitch. Each scene is meant to evoke a response. You may not exactly enjoy the response you have, but that is yours to have.

The cast has been infused with a number of younger performers. The change is refreshing and it adds a vibrant energy to the proceedings. What they lack in stage presence at times, they more than make up for in sheer energy and raw power.  The show is less disturbing this time around, compared with other years. Don’t misunderstand us, you will see things you cannot unsee, and you will be the better for it, but the subject matter feels slightly dialed in. There is less a focus on gross-out moments and a greater focus on the etherial and strange. One of the most effective moments in the show comes when a wraith begins by scuttling its boney fingers on the floor then suddenly rising, floating in the air.  Another very effective bit moment depicts a young girl floating, leaving audience members gasping, wondering how it was done.

Urban Death is a theatre tradition in Los Angeles that must be seen. The show features a completely unified ensemble of fearless and talented actors that command attention and demand respect. Zombie Joe has done it again.

Urban Death is presented at 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights now through May 28th. BUY YOUR TICKET and go.