ARTS NET, Tampa Bay*

Jobsite Theater’s Night of the Living Dead is a great kick-off for my favorite holiday:  Halloween.  The mood is set before the show, with a captured zombie clawing at the glass of the plate glass window in front of the theater.

The play draws us right into the action when Brother and sister, Johnny and Barbara (played by Matthew Lunsford and Kari Goetz) are putting a wreath on their dead father’s grave at dusk in a spooky graveyard.  The two have some nice banter.  Johnny tries to scare his sister then taunts her for being afraid, so it’s poetic justice when he’s the first one to be killed by a zombie.

Susan then seeks shelter in a local farmhouse and is practically catatonic from fear for the rest of the play.  She plays this very well, clutching a log of firewood for comfort, then a blankie, especially considering the fact that she has practically no lines after the opening.  At times she exaggerates her expressions for comic effect.

Ben (played by Dayton Sinkia) rushes into the house, at first scaring Susan.  He then turns out to be the voice of reason in combating the zombies.  Sinkia’s acting is effective and he plays the role in a straightforward manner.

Complications arise when we find that Harry Cooper (Alvin Jenkins) along with his wife (well played by Caroline Jeff) and wounded daughter (Molly Jacobson) are already hiding out in the basement.  Harry is a blustery meanie who soon enters into a power struggle with Ben about how to best fend off their zombie attackers.  From there, the battle with the living-dead ensues.

The play is entirely faithful to the original 1968 film, almost line-for-line it would seem.  The original was absolutely not funny, yet this cast plays it for comedic effect when there is none inherent in the script.  The audience desperately wanted it to be funny, so the cast played up every little glance and nuance possible, while still remaining faithful to the original film script.  After all of the “spam in a box” plot elements have played out, there is some true fun when the motherlode of zombies appear, including some campy moaning and eating of entrails.

Throughout the show, there are some nice touches.  That very recognizable music from the end credits of the original Dawn of the Dead plays when Barbara opens up a music box.  The attire of the zombie chorus is fittingly quirky.  I was able to pick out several past Jobsite cast members in the group.  The tombstone at the beginning of the show says, “Smallheer,” which is the name of their Scenic and Lighting Designer.  Cheesy B-Grade horror movie music adds to the comic effect.  It may have been the music from the original film; I’m not sure.  Three “guest zombies” are chosen for every show, and there is a fun surprise at the end to which the audience members are sworn to secrecy.

As usual, Jobsite does an outstanding job with video. Video sequences by Lorenzo Cantera add humorous elements that probably were not in the original script.  A running commentary from a local newscaster plays on the screen.  When shelters are listed for those seeking refuge from the zombies, a list flashes across the screen.  Along with the expected USF, etc., local watering hole, The Hub, appears, which makes the audience roar.

Veteran Jobsite performer Jason Vaughn Evans deserves kudos for his comic interpretation of Chief MaClellan, and the minor characters and featured zombies add nicely to the show.

The scenic design by Brian Smallheer is drab but in keeping with the original movie.  The use of the top of the stage as the main floor of the house and the bottom of the stage as the basement works well to show us the action in both areas.  Chris Holcom does a nice job of directing the show, and was able to lighten-up Lori Allen Ohm’s dead-serious script with some levity.  Jenn Jones’ choreography is borderline brilliant.

The audience left laughing and smiling.  All-in-all this is a fun, entertaining show that put me right in the mood for Halloween.

Jobsite Theater’s Night of the Living Dead will be playing at the Shimberg Playhouse at TBPAC through Nov. 15th.  For details, click here.

Sally Bosco is an author who lives in the Tampa Bay area and writes Paranormal Romance ( http://ZoeLaPage.com ) and young adult dark fiction ( http://SallyBosco.com )

http://www.jobsitetheater.org/livingdead.asp