I love live theater (surprising absolutely no one, I grew up as a theater kid). I've seen plays across genres, but I can't say that I've ever watched a play designed to stir up fear in the audience. Until now, that is. Paranormal Activity live on stage is currently playing in Los Angeles through December 7, and they have crafted something uniquely dreadful.
If you haven't seen all (or any) of the Paranormal Activity movies, that's ok. There's nothing in this play that will require that, as this story is an original story set in the world of Paranormal Activity. For the uninitiated, Paranormal Activity is a (mostly) found footage horror movie franchise that follows… you guessed it, folks dealing with paranormal activity. If you're prone to motion sickness, this live production is a good way to experience some of the franchise's scares minus the nausea!
The live play follows an American couple who have just moved to London. As the story unfolds, we learn Lou (Cher Álvarez) has been prone to sleepwalking, losing time, and believes there is a supernatural element at play. Her husband James (Patrick Heusinger) is a bit more pragmatic about it—a sceptic trying to be supportive of his wife.
That is, until shit hits the fan. The production does a great job at building tension. There were times I felt myself so still, straining to hear whatever was coming in the dreadful silence (what a time for the guy behind me to be clanking around the ice in his cup).
The show relies on simple but well-executed illusions to great effect. I won't spoil any of the surprises here, but the audience was absolutely electric during the scares. The illusions and the collective experience of sitting in a room full of folks who just had the absolute hell scared out of them reminded me of all the best parts of going to a movie theater. The gasps, screams, and nervous laughter enhance the event as a whole.
There is an illusion in the first act that took me so by surprise that I missed the main payoff of it because I was in the middle of reacting to the first part in absolute shock, and in the process, took my eyes away from the action on stage for a split second. I knew it was coming, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. The audience went wild.
Something at the end of the first act left me so shook that I spent the whole intermission wondering whether the rest was going to be far too horrifically anxious.
The very small cast was great, their chemistry phenomenal. The set is another aspect that received an audible gasp from the audience (myself included) as soon as the curtain rose on the first act. A two-story house presented like a doll house, allowing the audience to see into each room… except for one.
The Paranormal Activity stage show does a great job of preying upon some of the worst fears you can imagine. While it didn't quite fully stick the landing for me, the pros are plentiful enough to confidently say this is absolutely worth a trip to the theater. Prepare to have the absolute hell scared out of you.
Paranormal Activity is playing at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles through December 7. Check dates and get your tickets here.
Paranormal Activity on stage is from the mind of playwright Levi Holloway (Broadway's Grey House) and originally directed by Punchdrunk's Felix Barrett (Sleep No More) with illusions by Tony Award-winner Chris Fisher (Stranger Things: The First Shadow)
