Acting Out! livens up with 'Dead'

A suspenseful battle between the living and the undead will be fought on stage when Acting Out!'s "Night of the Living Dead" debuts tonight at the band shell in Jackson City Park.

A stage adaptation of George A. Romero's classic horror film, "Night of the Living Dead," is scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday and will be the last production of the 2013 Acting Out! season.

Kasey Cox, artistic director of Acting Out!, said "Night of the Living Dead" was a perfect choice for the Halloween season.

"I thought it would be a good fit," Cox said. "I also wanted to tap in to the 'zombiemania' that's happening with television shows like 'The Walking Dead.' That kind of stuff is popular right now."

A zombie played by Robyn Martin wanders through the graveyard in a scene from "Night of the Living Dead" during a rehearsal Wednesday by Acting Out! at the band shell in Jackson City Park. (Fred Lynch)

The goal of the production is to "scare the heck" out of the audience, according to Cox.

"We're not going for cheap scares," she said. "This production will be suspenseful and startling. But we also want people to enjoy it, so it's not a haunted house. It's as scary as you want it to be."

The film version of "Night of the Living Dead" also was as scary as people wanted it to be when it was released in 1968. The movie involves seven people trapped in a remote farmhouse who are forced to repel hordes of formerly dead "zombies" intent upon killing them. Why the ghoulish-looking zombies have risen from their graves is never fully explained, but the only way to make sure they are dead (again) is to shoot them in the head. Countless zombies were disposed of that way in the film, but not before some of them were shown eating the body parts of their victims.

Cox said that while the stage production won't be near as graphic, there will be moments when blood is spilled after a zombie bites a victim.

"We're certainly not going as far as the movie," she said, "but I believe that parents of children under 13 should exercise discretion."

Outside of toning down the gore, Cox said the stage version will, for the most part, mirror the original film.

"There's a few tweaks, but our production will be the same as the movie," she said. "The ending, like in the movie, will be an unhappy one."

Nic Tayborn, who portrays the lead character of Ben in the fight against the zombies, said he believes the audience will enjoy the show.

"It's scary," Tayborn said, "but I think that people will like that. It's a great production that will be worth their time and money."

Ben is a "take charge" guy who is constantly trying to fix things that go wrong, Tayborn said.

"I wouldn't say that he's a hero. He's more of a desperate person trying to make sure everyone is safe from the zombies. His goal is to not let the house be overrun."

"Night of the Living Dead" runs for about 80 minutes, according to Cox.

"It's not too long," she said. "But I would remind the audience to dress for a chill in the air and bring lawn chairs if they like."

Tickets for "Night of the Living Dead" are $5 and may be purchased by calling Cox at 382-0630 or emailing kaseycox@gmail.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the band shell on performance nights.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

Jackson City Park, Jackson, Mo.