(Production photo by Matthew Murphy)

by Tim Leininger

NEW YORK — The Halloween season starts earlier and earlier as CVS, Walgreens, Michael’s, and just about every other store in the universe has already set out their displays for the spooky season. So, why not have Broadway premiere Levi Holloway’s stage version of Paranormal Activity open in late August? Directed by Felix Barrett, it is full of jump scares and genuinely spooky stage magic, and will surely shock and scare audiences until Jan. 3 at the August Wilson Theatre at 245 W. 52nd St.

            Not a direct stage version of any of the seven films in the Paranormal Activity franchise, this stage version does not have any immediately noticeable ties to the diabolical entity known as “Tobi,” or its primary conduit, Katie. Nor is the story set in California like most of the franchise. But, there are a lot of similar beats, as we have Lou (Cher Álvarez) and James (Travis A. Knight), an apparently loving married couple who have moved to London after some horrific spiritual activity caused them to move from Chicago. Lou has become engrossed in the spiritual and is inclined to agree with local demonologist/spiritualist Etheline Cotgrave (Eva Kaminsky) that the dead haunt people, not places. All signs point to a tragic event that happened to Lou when she was a child, but as these stories are inclined to go, there is more lying beneath than what is initially presented.

(Production photo by Matthew Murphy)

            The play has a lot of similarities to the original film, but Holloway has fleshed out a lot of details that develop the characters and suitably complicates the plot, but also, in the process, leaves a few flaws within. I’ll be purposefully opaque so as not to give up any spoilers. For example, near the end of the play, we are given a last-minute twist, that can work, but misses the proper foreshadowing earlier in the play to have that twist have a proper payoff. The whole thing could have been better clarified in the scene with Etheline at the end of act one, but the writing is muddled enough that unless you read the script, the clues are not present enough to hint enough that there is more going on than what is being presented. Also, the play’s ending has a slight improbability issue that needs to be addressed, but can’t be addressed here.

            But people don’t come to the Paranormal Activity franchise looking for a perfect, logically driven plot. People come for disturbing imagery, horrifying acts of the supernatural, and maybe more questions at the end than at the beginning, to which the play serves a healthy platter of all.

(Production photo by Matthew Murphy)

Unlike the original premise of the film franchise, there is no night vision closed circuit camera work, which is for the better. Everything that happens occurs before the audience’s eyes, and the effects by illusions designer Chris Fisher, are spectacular as characters double and disappear, props move on their own, and technology goes haywire. Hearing the screams from the audience gave me a diabolically delectable glee. I can only imagine how much fun it is to work in this show, from the cast doing their best to creep out the audience to the crew making the magic happen before our eyes.

Fly Davis’ scenic design is brutally immersive with the two-story home that Lou and James live in with running water and functioning appliances, as well as set elements that go haywire. The second floor has a little bit of view obstruction if you’re sitting in the orchestra. I imagine that it’s a bit easier to see the action up there from the balcony at the August Wilson Theatre. But most of the action takes place downstairs, so it isn’t too much of an issue. Anna Watson’s lighting design is superb, but there is one beat that doesn’t make sense. It may be a writing beat, or a direction beat that makes it dysfunctional. Near the top of the show, the power goes out in the house. Lou has switched off all the lights downstairs beforehand. When James switches the breaker to turn the power back on, the lights that Lou had switched off turn on, and no one mentions it. The lights shouldn’t turn on, and because they do, it should be recognized by the characters that they were switched off when the power went out. Or, just have the lights remain off after the breaker is switched.

(Production photo by Matthew Murphy)

The sound design by Gareth Fry is appropriately eerie, but it is too loud. It’s one thing for the decibel levels to get high enough that the audience is in a state of discomfort, but they shouldn’t be covering their ears at risk of hearing damage.

The cast is good. Álvarez has a lot of heavy lifting, as Lou is the one most sensitive to the spirit in the house, and she switches back and forth wonderfully, having the audience guessing who or what she is at any moment. Knight has a different challenge as James. James is a very guarded and often selfish person, and Knight isn’t given much opportunity to break out of that holding pattern through most of the play. It’s not until the final quarter of the play does he get to bring more out for the character. Shannon Cochran plays James’ mom, Carolanne, who is mostly presented via video phone. She brings much needed levity to the play, up to a point, and is delightful with her stereotypical Bible belt southern ignorance.

(Production photo by Matthew Murphy)

Paranormal Activity is a solid entry into the franchise, and arguably better than most of — if not all — the films. It’s breadth of storytelling is a bit more layered, but there are some threads that could be better explained. Granted, at over two hours, it’s already more than 30 minutes longer than any of the films, so it may feel a little long. It’s a horror show, so there will be jump scares and graphic imagery, so if that’s not your thing, this isn’t the show for you. But, if you are a fan of the franchise, or horror films in general, you’ll probably have a great time.

TICKETS: https://paranormalbroadway.com/

PRODUCTION: Based on the Paranormal Activity films. First Written and Directed by Oren Peli and Brought to the Screen by Blumhouse and Solana Films. Produced by Arrangement by Paramount Films. Written by Levi Holloway; Director: Felix Barrett; Scenic & Costume Designer: Fly Davis; Illusions Designer: Chris Fisher; Lighting Designer: Anna Watson; Sound Designer: Gareth Fry; Video & Projections Designer: 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; Production Stage Manager: Melanie J. Lisby; Advertisig & Marketing: SPOTCO; Press Representative: Pok & Co.; Ticketing & Revenue Director: Ben Simpson, ATG Entertainment; Production Counsel: Klaris, Doug Nevin; Production Manager: What If We Productions; UK General Manager: Melting Pot, Sophie Visscher-Lubinizki; Company Manager: Nicole Parlamas; Executive Producer: Seaview; General Manager: Envoy Theatricals, Samual Dallas, Marty McGuire

CAST

Cher Álvarez as Lou

Travis A. Knight as James

Shannon Cochran as Carolanne

Eva Kaminsky as Etheline Cotgrave

Ensemble: Boby J. Howlett