Wicked Lit 2012 Halloween Plays
Location: Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery, 2300 Marengo Ave, Altadena, CA 91001
Dates & Hours: October 12-14, 18-21, 25-28, 31, starting promptly at 7:30pm. Update: The run has been extended, with performances on November 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 & 10.
Phone: (818) 242 7910
Link out: Click here
Description: The Wicked Lit Halloween Theatre Festival returns for 2012, with three new short plays, all staged on the grounds of – and within – an actual mausoleum. Wicked Lite offers one of the most unique ways to enjoy Halloween in Los Angeles: audiences should not be adverse to a little exercise; these are “walking productions” staged at night in the cemetery, designed to scare you silly.
Performances begin promptly at 7:30pm each night. The audience is divided into three groups; each starts with a different play and works through all three before the night is done. This year’s morbid melodramas, all adapted from classic literature, include:
- Wake Not the Dead – Johann Ludwig Tieck’s vampire story. Adapted by Paul Millet. Directed by Douglas Clayton. Walter was willing to do anything to resurrect his first love, but some bargains should never be made. Now he must turn to the only person left who can help him confront his immortal creation ~ his wife.
- The Dead Smile by F. Marion Crawford. Adapted and directed by Jeff G. Rack. A horrible family curse, spirits from the past, and a disfigured, manipulative parent attempt to keep two young lovers apart in this classic chiller, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
- Count Magnus by M.R. James. Adapted by Jonathan Josephson. Directed by Paul Millet. Mr. Wraxall is a British travel writer who has journeyed to the town of Vestergothland, Sweden in search of something captivating to report back to his readership. The only thing interesting about the village are the rumors of a long-dead nobleman who used to terrorize the countryside with his violent sense of justice. Mr. Wraxall is determined to satisfy his readers and his own personal curiosity about the haunting secrets that float about this strange little town – but will he lose (his) face in the process?
Tickets: $39-55 (includes all three plays)
Parking: ample free parking on the grounds. Guests are advised not to enter the cemetery from Fair Oaks (you may get lost).
More info from the press release:
LOS ANGELES, CA – Unbound Productions Co-Artistic Directors Jonathan Josephson, Paul Millet, and Jeff G. Rack have announced the line-up for the 2012 incarnation of the popular horror story adaptation series WICKED LIT that will take place at Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery in Altadena, California. The production will run from October 12-31, 2012 and feature world premiere adaptations of M.R. James’ “Count Magnus”, F. Marion Crawford’s “The Dead Smile” and Johann Ludwig Tieck ‘s “Wake Not the Dead.” All three adaptations by Josephson, Rack, and Millet.
“These three plays have been tailor-made for Mountain View, so be prepared for some creepy, freaky scares and surprises” said Rack.The 2012 incarnation of WICKED LIT will feature several enhanced features that previous Unbound Productions shows have not. Said Josephson “This year – the experience will truly begin the moment that the audience emerges from their cars. We don’t want to give away too much, but we promise our patrons 100% immersive theatre.”
“And did we mention that we have vampires this year?” added Millet. “Wicked Lit will be great theatre and is adapted from classic literature – but it will not be for the weak of heart.”
WICKED LIT audiences will experience three short plays as they are led through the grounds of the mausoleum and cemetery by a Storyguide. WICKED LIT is a walking show – patrons must be able to comfortably walk a minimum of 2,000 paces and climb stairs in order to experience this production. WICKED LIT is recommended for audiences ages 13+.
The first annual WICKED LIT production was staged in 2009 on the grounds of Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Since that time, over 3,000 patrons have enjoyed full productions of adaptations of authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Robert E. Howard, Washington Irving and Robert Louis Stevenson.
The mission of Unbound Productions, the theatre company that produces WICKED LIT as well as the newly launched History Lit, is to create new theatrical adaptations of classic literature and produce them in non-traditional venues.