James and Lou move from Chicago to London to escape their past, but they soon discover that places aren’t haunted, people are, in this original story inspired by the seven films of the “Paranormal Activity” franchise. Opening tonight at Broadway’s August Wilson Theater, “Paranormal Activity” on stage is a much more effective scare than writer Levi Holloway’s debut Broadway effort three years Grey House. That is the critical consensus, as indicated below:
Helen Shaw, New York Times. Wisely, for the thrilling “Paranormal Activity” experience now on Broadway, the playwright Levi Holloway and the director Felix Barrett have jettisoned almost every characteristic of the movie franchise. There’s no “found footage” and barely a nod to the original film’s plot. Instead, their show is a testament to pre-cinematic scare techniques, like an abruptly loud DOORBELL (Gareth Fry is the sound designer) or a hypnotic sequence of storytelling in the dark.
Jackson McHenry, New York Magazine/Vulture. The scares in the stage version of Paranormal Activity are indeed applause worthy, and they’re served up by the playwright Levi Holloway, director Felix Barrett (of the immersive group Punchdrunk, behind Sleep No More), and illusions designer Chris Fisher in a neat Aristotelian structure, not unlike that of a blockbuster musical: rising action through the first act as the American married couple of Lou (Cher Álvarez) and James (Travis A. Knight) start to suspect something is very wrong in their new British home, a major fright right before intermission, mayhem at the top of the second, and a grand 11 o’clock finale.
Howard Miller, Talkin’ Broadway. Holloway pretty much hits a grand slam for fright fans….live theatre is sharpening up its own technology to compete with CGI and other forms of movie magic to create a more visceral experience.
Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post. Normally a director would prefer viewers to focus on, well, the actors. But the house by designer Fly Davis, at once modern and rotting, is as much a character as the poor married couple who have just moved in. Just about everything onstage has an ulterior motive. Neither plate nor pillow should ever be fully trusted.
Frank Rizzo, Variety. The franchise — Oren Peli’s indie film was originally shot in 2006 for $15,000 and brought in almost $200 million — comes with its own young evergreen fan base. (An eighth film is set for next year.)//The stage version of “Paranormal Activity” performs on an intimate and domestic scale yet delivers more thrills, chills and screams than Broadway has seen in years, and giving the franchise a legit afterlife.
Zachary Stewart, Theatremania: While the supernatural horror is the reason to buy a ticket to Paranormal Activity, Holloway cleverly reinforces his story with themes of trust and secrecy that many in the audience will find hits uncomfortably close to home. Yes, this is a play about a haunting, but it’s also about the cracks in a relationship just big enough for a ghost to slip in. Thinking about that will really keep you up at night.
Brian Scott Lipton, Cititour: Unfortunately, without the benefit of a movie camera to provide close-ups, director Felix Barrett literally and figuratively leaves some audience members in the dark, with many special effects and illusions (by Luke Halls and Chris Fisher) too easily missed, compounded by some ill-chosen staging and design choices. (For example, why is that TV screen on stage left so small?) Moreover, while Anna Watson’s lighting may enhance the play’s spookiness, it also hurts the show’s overall visibility. (I truly believe the entire enterprise would be far more effective in a much smaller theater than the vast Wilson.) Still, if your idea of a good time is screaming in the dark with 1,000 strangers – even if you’re not always sure what everyone is screaming about – then I have the perfect “activity” for you.
Raven Snook, TimeOut New York: From the moment you walk in, the production aims to get in your head. The gothed-out ushers have red flashlights; the pointed preshow playlist, loaded with Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden, is cranked up to 13
Paranormal Activity
August Wilson Theater through January 3, 2017
Written by Levi Holloway. Directed by Felix Barrett. Scenic and costume design by Fly Davis. Illusions design by Chris Fisher. Lighting design by Anna Watson. Sound design by Gareth Fry. Video and projections design by Luke Halls. Associate scenic designer Frank McCullough. Associate illusions designer Daniel Weissglass. Associate lighting designer Abby May. Associate sound designer Will Pickens. Associate video designer Lianne Arnold.
Cast: Cher Álvarez, Travis A. Knight, Shannon Cochran, Eva Kaminsky, and Bobby J. Howlett.
