Evil Dead Kills

Projectile streams of blood, flying babies, a talking moose, a hand that doubles as a chainsaw, and a severed hand that doubles as a character...only a few of the attractions associated with the theatre ride that is UNCG's recent production, Evil Dead: The Musical. Based from it's filmic original, Evil Dead follows the short onstage livespans of five unknowing teens on a Spring Break trip. This production is your favorite bad 80s horror film that you simply love to hate. Not to mention that you mind your dress code...wouldn't want blood on them. The soul-curdling screams, the dramatic flailing in fear, the epic "no" screamed mercilessly to the heavens- even the characters personified the beloved sterotypes, playing them each to utter perfection.

There's Cheryl: the loner with the "common sense" who spends the rest of her onstage time trapped in a cellar as a deadite firing one bad pun and insult after the next; the happy-go-lucky couple Ash and Linda: two virginal cardboard cut-outs of a 1950s soap ad. Scott and Shelly, the sex-crazed air heads who find a way to meet their demise rather early in the narrative, and Annie and Ed, who run a play-wide interuptting cow joke. Of course, not to go unmentioned are the "bit part demons", the Deadites. Evil Dead is hysterical, gaining several laughs per minute and stands as yet another solid accomplishment for UNCG's Theatre Department.

Typical of every production are the extravagant sets, but Brown building theatre doesn't allow for this. Brown Theatre is small, but it's cozy atmosphere allows for an intimacy not apparent in any other venue on campus. How else would Jake the country guide be able to shoot ribbon after ribbon of red-dyed chocolate syrup on audience members mere feet away? Although simplistic in it's set design, Evil Dead utilizes moving parts. In one instance, the severed hand runs away under a bucket after Ash throws it underneath.

After intermission, poncho purchases doubled, and so too did the rustling of plastic and fear. With all of his friends and propective love interest dead or undead, Ash steps into his newly-found hero status. He sets off deadite killing spree, leaving the stage a blood-drenched battle field of the undead. "Deadites like to get their freak on/and when we get together we do the Necronomicon." If the success of Evil Dead is in question, judge by the thunderous rounds of applause after each song and dance, and standing ovations post-show. In due time, you too will be on your feet. Evil Dead: The Musical is set to run with two shows per night at 7:00 p.m and 10:00 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Join us...