Night of the Living Dead, Live! presented by Hamilton-Gibson Productions hits the Warehouse Theatre stage this Friday, October 25 at 7:30pm with an opening night celebration in the Warehouse Gallery following the performance. Teaming up as director and assistant director/lighting designer Noyes and Sarah Lawton have tackled the challenges of this unique project with enthusiasm, and note that the hard work and creativity of the cast and crew is also what has made this project a satisfying one. “We have been fortunate to be surrounded by a great group of people. It was a joy to see every person involved with the show work hard, be creative, and to be unafraid to show their talents.”

As director, Noyes Lawton also wanted to give the actors in the show the space to trust their instincts and not be afraid to try new things. He says, “I also enjoyed how each of the actors explored their characters and came up with ideas that I had not even thought of. This is one of the great things about theater –  it gives you a place to express yourself.” 

The play, a parody of the original 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead by George Romero,  presents a series of “if-only” alternate endings as six strangers find themselves locked in a house surrounded by the undead  – just in time for Halloween. As in the original, the threat is not only from the undead lurking outside the farmhouse in which the characters are hiding, but is also inside the home as the characters argue and fight among themselves. To survive, they must work together or they will perish.

In playing out a series of comical “if-only” endings, this play shows the challenges of defeating the zombies and incorporates modern, comical twists that comment on the social issues of both 1968 and today, and explore the dark realities of how we look at violence. In the first act it recreates the story of the original film live on stage, and in the second act, it presents a series of alternative endings which hilariously test the question: Can anyone survive a night of the living dead?  All of these alternate scenarios resonate with conversations being had throughout society every day –  both illuminating it, and making sure the audience also has a good laugh. 

Director Noyes Lawton shares, “I was attracted to this script because of the humor, but also because there was commentary about the world we live in. The “zombies” represent problems we face in life. This show then allows us to explore how we all attack these problems in different ways.”  Lawton also shares that the story shows, “When we focus on the what-ifs in our past, we miss out on the relationships with people in the present. I hope that the audience can see the significance of this in our telling of the story.”

Performances run October 25, 26 and November 1 and 2 at 7:30pm, and October 27 at 2:30pm in the Warehouse Theatre, 3 Central Ave. Wellsboro, PA and are sponsored by Dr. Lee and Janet Bellinger, Dr. Jon and Susan Grigg, and Nickerson Enterprises, Inc. There are gunshot sound effects and strobe lights in the show. Tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for under 18, and available at HGP.Booktix.com or by calling 570-724-2079. Advance reservations are recommended.