SEQUIM — The real villain in both the film and this Olympic Theatre Arts production of “Night of the Living Dead” is fear, said Matt Forrest, on the eve of his directorial debut.
“Fear dictates everyone’s choices throughout the story, and in the wake of fear lies a devastating hopelessness,” he said.
Adapted by Brian Newell from George Romero’s film, OTA’s “Night of the Living Dead” takes the stage at the theater at 414 N. Sequim Ave., for nine days leading up to — and on — Halloween.
Evening show times are 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday this week; 7 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 26-29, and 7 p.m. on Halloween (Monday, Oct. 31). Matinees are 2 p.m. this coming Sunday as well as Oct. 30.
Tickets are $20 general and $15 for students, with Thursday’s opening show, a pay-what-you-will event. Tickets are available online at olympictheatrearts.org or by calling the box office at 360-683-7326 between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday or at the door.
“’Night of the Living Dead’ is a classic film credited with creating our image of the modern zombie,” OTA executive director David Herbelin said.
“Four families holed up in a farmhouse debating the best way to fight off the horde of zombies surrounding them outside. It’s a story of survival that illustrates how our tragic flaws lead to our demise.”
The story takes place over the course of a single night, during which the dead begin to rise from their graves, Forrest said.
“Our characters take shelter together in an abandoned house, where they must stave off both the monsters without, and those within,” he said.
There are six main characters and three minor roles, Forrest said, and a horde of zombies. The cast features many familiar actors and, “a bunch of talented new actors making their debut.”
Some characters’ gender or age have been changed.
“I like that in our production we turned the meek character of Barbara into a certified badass by the end,” Forrest said.
Romero’s movie was not copyrighted because of an oversight when the title was changed, so anyone in the world is free to use and adapt it. The one-act play is about one hour long and has been adapted to be set in Sequim. The production utilizes the “Arsenic and Old Lace” set by making it “distressed, dingy and grungy,” stage manager Deanna Eickhoff said.
She said the entire play takes place within the set, including a blocked-off cellar-scene delineated by “a play of lights.”
Karlene Minea spearheaded the play’s realistic makeup and props, Forrest said.
“Most of our budget has gone into makeup and gore,” he said.
Blood being an important element in the story, production representatives note, and because zombies have certain skin conditions, skilled makeup artistry is essential. Minea, a multimedia artist (see karle quin.com), worked closely with Forrest and costume designer Marissa Meek.
“Cheese graters, electric grinders and box cutters aren’t your typical costuming tools,” Meek said. “But they are essential when creating zombies.”
Costuming included garage sale finds and modern clothes styled with a 1960s sensibility, she said. Actors helped distress their costumes and “grunge them up, working in the set workshop and getting rough and dirty.”
Meek added, “The costumes have to work with the special effects planned onstage and off and also be able to be used again and again after much abuse.”
David Meissner is mixing the show live, Herbelin said, adding that Meissner used a bank of original sound effects and music.
“He’s feeling and breathing with the actors,” Herbelin said. “The sound itself is like its own character.”
Herbelin said he has worked with Newell, the script adapter, for 20 years. Newell’s Maverick Theater in Fullerton, Calif., has been running Night of the Living Dead during Halloween for 17 years.
“Every single time it sells out,” Herbelin said. “It’s become part of (theater-goers’ Halloween) tradition.”
Herbelin said he would like to do something similar here in Sequim.
“Each year we can change a bit,” he said, explaining that this year’s set is special due to “Arsenic and Old Lace” proceeding the play and that “we can do little tweaks here and there.”
The play is “fun and exciting,” Eickhoff said.
However, Herbelin warned, “When you think the show is over, it isn’t. It follows you home.”
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Emily Matthiessen is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at emily.matthiessen@sequimgazette.com.
