Prepare for an eventful night!
Urbana High School Drama’s “Night of the Living Dead” production, based on the 1968 horror movie of the same name, first premieres on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7:00 p.m. If you’re craving for a unique, memorable experience, then this is the play for you!
The play features a group of survivors caught in a desperate situation against the living dead. It is set to honor the original horror movie, though it will also place a comedic twist on the story. As the director of the play, Mr. Stephen Ward, puts it, “Surprisingly, there is a lot of comedy in this. It’s a campy, comedy horror play.”
In terms of the play’s relation to the original movie, Ward exclaims that, “[The play] celebrates its cultural significance, it celebrates its historical significance. Anyone that is familiar with the movie will recognize elements of the movie. It follows the plot, especially in act one, but in act two, there is a twist to it. It’s two different shows, act one is very different from act two.”
Another element that students should anticipate is the production’s unique special effects. In line with the original movie, the play will almost be completely rendered in black and white. “The set is completely black and white, all of the costumes are black and white and shades of grey, kids are wearing film noir makeup,” explains Ward. “The only things that are really in color are the lights, the blood, and some of the body parts.”
This unique design choice has been praised by both Ward and the students that make up UHS Drama. “The black and white is probably going to be one of the most exciting parts of the design aspect,” comments design manager Chris Oh (Class of 2025). “There is a lot of intense shading that goes on and a lot of texture areas to create from scratch.”
In deciding to make the play entirely black and white, Ward looked to the original movie for his inspiration. “It is a direct revision. Night of the Living Dead is a cult classic, black and white horror film and so my vision, the director always starts with the vision of how they want to present a show, and my vision was to make this look like you are watching an actual black and white film come to life.”
Furthermore, Ward has expressed his desire to differentiate “Night of the Living Dead” from previous plays produced by UHS Drama. “I felt that last year’s productions were some of the finest productions that UHS Drama has done, and I wanted to make sure that I did something so completely different they wouldn’t compare.”
Ward also hopes to attract a more diverse spectrum of audiences, “perhaps audiences that may not normally go to a theater show. I always try to find shows that are different, that challenge the actors and production crew,” as he puts it.
Other members of the UHS Drama team also hold the play in high regard. Nikki Hasenbuhler (Class of 2025), one of the leads and the actress who plays Barbra, describes the play as “definitely my favorite production I’ve done so far,” and that “it’s been a really fun time. The cast is very close, and the show is hilarious.”
“People will be very surprised at not only the storyline of this show, but also Mr. Ward’s vision for the show,” says Brooke Dress (Class of 2025), one of the stage managers for the play.
Finally, Ward claims that “viewers should expect a very different experience. They should expect comedy. They should expect flying body parts. They should expect the unexpected.”
After opening night, UHS Drama’s “Night of the Living Dead” has shows on November 1 and November 2, both at 7:00 p.m. Other information about the play, including ticket prices, can be found on the UHS Drama website.
