There’s a difference between cheap thrills and a quality ghost story, just as there’s a difference between sentimentality and earned emotion in dramas.
Thankfully, the classy new stage version of the horror movie franchise “Paranormal Activity,” making its North American premiere at Chicago Shakespeare, delivers superior shocks and with well-structured, increasing frequency as the play goes on.
The stage show has been created by Chicago playwright and Red Orchid Theater ensemble member Levi Holloway (“The Grey House,” “Turret”) and British director Felix Barrett, whose company Punchdrunk has become known for staging “immersive” works in non-traditional spaces. His “Macbeth”-inspired “Sleep No More” played at a hotel in New York for 14 years before closing earlier this past January.
This show is traditional theater — it will travel from here to L.A., San Francisco and Washington, D.C. But you can tell Barrett has brought with him an understanding of what draws audiences in, what gets them comfortable so that they can then be discomfited, and what frightens them enough to do a butt bounce in their seats and emit a gasp or short scream, followed by a communal titter of relief and giggle of pleasure.
He’s the ideal director to find an alternative to filmic found footage, which turns out to be just a fully dimensional realism (the two-story house set from Fly Davis looks ready to live in, bathroom included), authenticity in the acting and perfect pacing.
He’s very well matched with Holloway, who has written an original story inspired by the film series that’s much more complete, crafty and character-driven than any you’ll find in the narratively threadbare movies.
And he brings the special gift of Chicago actor/playwrights, which is a focus on creating great parts for performers. Here we have a terrific, majority Chicago cast who move skillfully and so darn believably, between moments of relaxation and turn-it-up-to-11 intensity.
Film and theater are simply different mediums. So even though the stage show feels different, it carries enough connection to the movies to be beloved by fans, even while being completely accessible to the unfamiliar.
James (Patrick Heusinger) and Lou (as in Lulu, portrayed by Cher Álvarez) have been married a year and recently moved to London for James’ work. In the opening scene, we also meet – via video connection – James’ mother Carolanne (Shannon Cochrane), who lives in Texas, loves the Bible and wants a grandchild. We also learn Lou has recently gone on anti-depressants – strong ones! – and she has been feeling that James doesn’t believe her, or even truly listen, when she says she’s been sensing things.
Viewers of the movies will recognize this setup just fine, as they will the disbeliever’s gradual turnaround and the introduction of a paranormal expert (Kate Fry, excellent, as is everyone here). The expert senses quickly she is well out of her depth with what’s happening in the house.
The rest you need to see and let surprise you, but of course not really, as this is a genre piece. It’s a familiar, expected type of surprise, but each moment is rigorously prepared for, and Holloway and Barrett find a strong variety in the type of thrills on offer.
Over time, the scares become more character-based, making them fundamentally more compelling, and the story has a sensational build. I have always found myself checking my watch about 10 minutes before the end of each “Paranormal Activity” movie, but that certainly isn’t the case here.
This really is excellent craft that ascends well into the artistic, including the illusion effects from Chris Fisher (who also worked on the “Harry Potter” stage show, as well as a “Stranger Things” stage version), which feel even more immediate live than they are via CGI effects.
Holloway plays with the notion of belief and then smartly makes us question the reality we see. Although there’s the suggestion of more substantive themes, he’s careful not to stray from the genre, adding in story twists and character specifics rather than existential ponderings.
There are some loose threads that could be tied up — a reference to Arthur Conan Doyle and his spiritualist obsession, for example — but overall, this is a compact, impressively told and wonderfully acted ghost story.
Another production of this show will open on the West End in London in December, and it would be not at all a shocker if the production we have in Chicago for Halloween eventually lands on Broadway, as is.