Clive
Barker's
THE LIFE OF DEATH
Adaptation
by Charley Sherman
Directed by Carolyn Klein
It’s
Christmas time in London, but mortality, not merriment, is on everyone’s
minds. A serial killer is terrorizing the British capital leaving a trail
of victims in his wake. Elaine, however, has been
dealing with life and death matters on a more personal scale. While going
through the healing process from a life-saving hysterectomy, she becomes
fascinated with death.
Her morbid
obsession leads her to an old church being demolished and a mysterious
man who shares her dark curiosity. While
dealing with her lost ability to give life and her recent brush with
death, she stumbles upon a terrible secret buried beneath the stones
of the ruined
church. Clive Barker’s The Life of Death is a journey of transformation
and restoration from beyond the grave.
Reviews
are coming in for The Life of Death:
TIME
OUT - Emily Gordon
"Casey Cunningham captivates in a tense,
dread-filled adaptation of Clive Barker’s short story ... The Life
of Death deserves the dread and sweat of a serious audience ... The terror
builds subtly but steadily through director Carolyn Klein’s inspired
arrangements of a nimble cast..." ""Cunningham’s
performance is extraordinary; she commands attention even when curled
up in the fetal position. In Elaine, she’s created an eloquent
fighter-philosopher whose woes become world-altering catastrophe."
"Steve
Herson (as Kavanagh), Michaela Petro (as Elaine’s complex friend
Hermione) and Mallory Nees (as a featherbrained secretary) enrich and
enliven each moment onstage."
"The Life of Death deserves the
dread and sweat of a serious audience."
SHERIDAN
ROAD MAGAZINE -
Brian Kirst
"Those reveling in pre-Halloween energy
will find much to enjoy with WildClaw Theatre’s darkly beautiful
adaptation of The Life of Death ... hauntingly directed by Carolyn
Klein and features a deeply incisive performance by Casey Cunningham"
"stellar
example of gooey bloodshed mixing with stellar poeticism ... (a) perfect,
ghoulish theatrical experience for this very haunted season."
CENTERSTAGE
CHICAGO -
Kristen Walters
"Set designer John Wilson and make-up artist Aly Renee
Amidei steal the show.. their talents impress throughout the play."
"The cast... performs well; there’s palpable
camaraderie between them."
"Steve Herson’s silky, yet slimy Kavanaugh recalls
Ian McKellan a la The Davinci Code. Michaela Petro plays a complicated
and bewitching Hermione. Mallory Nees charms in her small, comic role
as Bernice."
"Act II unfolds quickly and with a number of interesting
surprises and twists that terrify on a psychological level if not a visceral
one."
CHICAGO
READER -
Albert Williams
"This WildClaw Theatre production compensates for
the script's flaws with an impressively evocative, eerie sound design
by Christopher Kriz
and inventive video segments by Ira Amyx."
"Under Carolyn Klein's direction, WildClaw stalwart Steve Herson brings
texture to the role of the tall, deep-voiced fellow who may or may not
be the grim reaper."
CHICAGO
THEATER BEAT - Keith Glab
A mind-bending ride of sensory delight and heart-pounding horror
Recommended: 3 1⁄2 (out of 4 stars)
“It’s the time of the year when many of Chicago’s theatre companies
decide to produce a horror-themed show. WildClaw Theatre specializes in
this sort of thing year-round, so it’s no surprise to see them excel.”
“WildClaw’s ensemble of ten actors each give solid performances”
“Elaborate visual effects make this production pop, from John B. Wilson’s
gorgeous set design and incredible realization of the crypt (in conjunction
with Brandon Wardell’s innovative lighting effects) to the use of
film on a large screen for both news reports and Elaine’s haunted
nightmares. Christopher Kriz’ subtly chilling score adds to the atmosphere,
and Carolyn Klein’s creative orchestration of it all maximizes these
high production values. The juxtaposition of pleasing aesthetics and some
very gruesome and disturbing images makes for an enjoyable evening."
“(T)his show is much more than sensory delight and heart-pounding horror … The
Life of Death not only evokes feeling, but it prompts thought and introspection
as well.”
KICKING
THE SEAT -
Ian Simmons
“(A)daptor Charley Sherman and director Carolyn Klein
do a tremendous job of keeping the narrative misdirection popping.”
“(B)rilliant multimedia distractions that transform the DCASE Storefront
Theatre into more than just a stage play venue.”
“This play is an immersive feat of black magic, thanks largley to the
perfect marriage of sound (Christopher Kriz), lighting (Brandon Wardell), and
scenery
(John Wilson). The creators are in full command of where and how the audience
focuses its attention--particularly in the crypt sequence, which caught
me completely off guard in a genuine, jaw-dropping moment or terror.”
“I didn't think it possible for a live performance to perfectly recreate
the editing techniques and camera movements of a great horror movie, but
these folks have done so in spades."
“I've been searching for this level of innovation and talent at cineplexes
for years ... The special effects and staging would be impressive even
without a terrific cast; luckily, The Life of Death is a complete entertainment
package. Cunningham
and Herson make a captivating duo, a sort of gender-reversed Harold and
Maude who both harbor damage and dark secrets. The supporting cast are
authentically annoying, precisely in the way they were designed to be.”
“… I highly recommend The Life of Death. It's a good story carried
by great themes, greater performances, and a refreshingly imaginative way of
engaging
an audience. This is Halloween-season entertainment for adults who don't
mind a little blood-'n-guts with their gut-wrenching existentialism.”
| THE LIFE
OF DEATH
October
5th - November 4th, 2012
Previews Oct 3rd & 4th
Price: $15 - $25
Location: DCASE Storefront Theater
66 E. Randolph, Chicago, 60601
Tickets available the Brown
Paper Tickets
Featuring:
Brian Amidei (Dr. Sennett)
Christy Arington (Waitress)
Casey Cunningham (Elaine Rider)
Bryson Engelen (Alex Chimes)
Steve Herson (Kavanagh)
Jesse Manson (Salvation Army Officer)
Kevin Mullaney (Clergyman)
Mallory Nees (Bernice)
Michaela Petro (Hermione)
Adam Soule (Mitchell Barnes)
Ele
Matelan (u/s Bernice/Hermione/Waitress)
Dave Skvarla (u/s Alex Chimes/Clergyman/Dr. Sennett)
Production Team:
Assistant Stage Manager † Rene Amador
Costume Design/Props/Production Manager † Aly Renee Amidei
Media Design † Ira Amyx
Dialect Coach † Eva Breneman
Technical Director † Walter Grigs
Media Design Consultant † Kyle Hamman
Sound Design † Christopher Kriz U.S.A..
Stage Manager † Mary Rose O’Connor
Violence Consultant † Dave Skvarla
Movement Design † Karen Tarjan
Lighting Design † Brandon Wardell
Scenic Design † John Wilson
Life
of Death Films:
PRODUCERS:
Clara Alcott
Ira Amyx
Patrick McGee
CREW:
Director: Clara Alcott
Director of Photography: Peter Wiese
Production Design: Patrick McGee
Gaffer: Sean Waldron
Sound: Tim Edson (Location Sound)
Wardrobe: Beth Laske Miller, Aly Renee Amidei
Makeup: Beth Laske Miller, Coye Vega
Additional Photography: Jenni Knight, Keith Kolecki
Editor: Dana Pavisich
Post Production Facilities: Bulletproof Film
CAST:
Michael Maybury: Ira Amyx
BBC News Reporter: Simone Roos Snook
Australian Reporter: Bob Kruse
Additional Talent: Ricardo Candida Jr., Sydnee Hogan, Stuart Ritter, Cecilee
Von Rhea, Coye Vega.
Casey Cunningham (Elaine Rider) and Steve Herson (Kavanagh)
Photo:
Kevin Mullaney
|
