At its heart, Night of the Living Dead is a story about how people react, sometimes very poorly, to major crisis.  In this case, radiation from a Venus probe launched by NASA (where they got the budget, I will never know) is suddenly bringing the dead back to life. Zombies! The zombie apocalypse has arrived! But back in 1968, when the film premiered, it never used the word zombie. George A. Romero called them ghouls, and the premise was simple: what if the recently dead stopped being recently dead and decided to become flesh eaters?   The controversy the film created is almost bigger than the invasion contained within it.  It is one of the movies cited as being responsible for driving the modern film rating system.  People claimed it was excessive in its depiction of gore and bordered on pornography.  It was groundbreaking for a low budget film.  Amazingly, it also makes for a wonderful stage experience.

There is a tiny, elegant theater (actually designed by the man who helped Disney restore the El Capitan in Hollywood) that sits across the tracks from the Fullerton Railway station. The owners of the theater, Brian and Heidi Newell have faithfully brought an adaptation of the horror classic back from the grave, and staged it in their small second theater, for the last decade. For many of us in Southern California, it is a traditional part of our Halloween festivities.  It was one of the first “intense” Halloween experiences my wife and I shared with our two sons, and we have introduced many of our friends to the production as well.  We have personally experienced 9 of the 10 seasons (the only exception due to an inability to find tickets on a night we could attend), and have watched the show evolve with cast changes, but it has never lost its wow factor.

As you enter through the box office, the sounds of party music from the 60’s are playing in the background. It’s the perfect opportunity to grab a drink at the bar. It does seem a little strange that the entrance to the smaller theater is boarded up somewhat hap-haphazardly, but the music is upbeat, and the art deco surroundings almost beg for a party.

“Grab a seat along the curtain,” I will often tell any guests we bring along.  After some time, it appears that some of the patrons have already had a little too much to drink.  They are on the wrong side of the boarded up door, groaning and grabbing at anyone who ventures too close. When the power goes out, and the neighborhood is suddenly thrown into some unexplained crisis, we are safely ushered into a nearby house, which conveniently contains pre-assigned stadium seating. The owners are taking the required precautions and boarding up the house just to be safe, and others are arriving seeking help. That is until the wrong group of strangers are let in, and then…well, lets just say it triggers a struggle for survival that unfolds before us.  I really don’t want to spoil any of the production with its unique and highly inventive staging, but I will say the cast is brilliant in their portrayal of people struggling to survive the crisis, while not chained to the characterizations from the film.

Ben, portrayed by David P. Lewis, seems more concerned and protective of Barbara, portrayed by Briana Donze, and more deeply effected by the horrors he has already witnessed on his way to the house.  Barbara herself seems more capable and determined, once her initial shock wears off.  Harry is less obnoxious in general than the film portrayal, but much more headstrong in his determination to hide his family away in the basement. Finally, the “zombie squad” seems almost possessed in their unrelenting desire to feast on living flesh.  They are genuinely and delightfully frightening for young and old.

If you can still find a ticket to one of the remaining performances, don’t miss the opportunity to experience it.  It is a real Orange County Halloween Treasure.

Night of the Living Dead plays at 8pm on Fridays, 7pm and 9pm on Saturdays (except October 31st, which only has a 9pm performance), and starting October 18th,  7pm on Sunday nights through November 1st.  Tickets are $22 per person and can be purchased online on the Maverick Theater Website at http://www.mavericktheater.com

One last word of warning…coming up next in November is Brian’s stage adaptation of Ed Wood’s Plan 9 from Outer Space. This adaptation of the worst movie ever made comes with its own NO money back guarantee.  We love that one too!