Alumni making bloody good theatre

There’s a praise-winning, blood-soaked show in town and U of C alumni are helping to make it a success.  Alumna Rebecca Northan, BFA’96, is one of ten University of Calgary alumni involved in the Calgary production of Evil Dead: The Musical.  The play - a comedic, musical adaptation of Sam Raimi's slapstick horror trilogy – has garnered rave reviews by giving the audience a unique theatre experience.

“It offers an experience no one else is offering.  It’s interactive and fun,” explains Northan.  While some theatre-goers might be put off by some language and the 18 litres of fake blood sprayed over the “splatter-zone” seats, Northan is quick to point out that the show is uncovering a new pocket of viewers.  Evil Dead: The Musical is “attracting a lot of non-traditional viewers – people who go to movies, gigs and concerts, not the theatre.”  

That’s not to say that only fans of the movies (called "Deadites") enjoy the show, however.  Northan admits she “probably fell asleep” during the movie.  But, when she saw the show in Toronto with fellow alum Ryan Luhning (co-producer and artistic director), she wanted to be in the Calgary production.  (They still made her audition, though.)

While she did know that some of the cast and crew are alumni (having been in school with some), Northan was surprised to learn there were that many fellow grads involved.  “It shows that it’s possible to graduate from the U of C and do what you want to do.  There’s a whole company [Ground Zero Theatre] in Calgary doing it and they didn’t have to leave the city.”

Northan appears in a double-bill as Shelley and Annie, taking over the stage with songs like “All the Men in my Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons.”  The song titles give a little glimpse into the kind of show they’ve created.  She notes that it’s rare to have a show where every night closes with a standing ovation.  “I’ve never been in a show where the audience yells their favourite lines along with the actors.”

The subject matter notwithstanding, Northan notes that “while theatre often strives to tell universal stories that touch people, that can be a lofty goal.”  The power of a show like Evil Dead is that people can focus on it for two hours and get away.  “It’s not one of those shows where you come and think about your grocery list or what’s going on in your life – it gets you away from that.”  

Evil Dead: The Musical first opened in Toronto and had a run of almost 400 shows.  It opened off-Broadway but only lasted two weeks.  The Calgary production has seen its end date extended twice now because of strong ticket sales.  Rebecca and her fellow alumni are doing what they can to keep that going.

For more information on the show, visit the Evil Dead: The Musical website.

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Rebecca Northan is one of ten University of Calgary alumni participating in the production.

Ian M. Kelly, BFA’96 , Production Manager
Luke Dahlgren,BFA’97, Technical Director
Derek Storbakken,BSc’03, Production Manager
Emma Brager,BFA, Assistant Stage Manager
Ruby Dawn Eustaquio,BFA’04, Assistant Stage Manager
Amy Lippold,BFA’00, Stage Manager
Christian Goutsis,BFA’94, “Scotty”
Rebecca Northan,BFA’96, “Shelley”/”Annie”
Guilly Urra,BFA’03, “Ed”
Ryan Luhning,BFA, Artistic Director, Ground Zero Theatre and Co-Producer of Evil Dead: The Musical

Special thanks to both Ian M. Kelly and Bottom Line Productions marketing director Bradley Walker for helping out with the story.