At first glance, Paranormal Activity seems like the perfect candidate for a stage play. The cast is small, the setting is confined to a single suburban home, and the scares are mostly suggested rather than explicitly shown. But, as with most things in Hollywood, what seems like a good idea on paper quickly turns into a mess. The original Paranormal Activity film was a found-footage movie, which means the entire story is presented as if it’s being recorded by an amateur photographer. Imagine a play that tries to recreate that on stage – it would be unbearable. And yet, that’s exactly what the new Broadway play Paranormal Activity attempts to do.
The play, written by Levi Holloway and directed by Felix Barrett, takes the basic elements of the famous movie and transforms them into a Grand Guignol-style horror show. Gone are the tedious time-lapse videos of the couple sleeping, replaced by a more traditional narrative that builds tension through suggestive scares and clever staging. The result is a play that’s actually a lot of fun, if you can get past the fact that it’s a stage play based on a found-footage movie. The cast, consisting of Travis A. Knight and Cher Álvarez as the troubled young couple, Jimmy and Lou, do a great job of conveying their descent into paranoia and terror as their home becomes increasingly haunted.
Because Who Needs Original Ideas, Anyway?
The play’s success can be attributed to its clever use of staging and special effects. The set, designed by Fly Davis, is a beautifully replicated two-story cross-section of a London home, complete with a large kitchen and living room on the ground level and a bedroom, bathroom, and guest room upstairs. The play’s use of lighting and sound effects, designed by Anna Watson and Greath Fry, respectively, creates an enormous amount of suspense and tension, making it a must-see for horror fans. But let’s be real, the fact that this play exists at all is a testament to the lack of original ideas in Hollywood. I mean, who needs new ideas when you can just adapt an old movie into a stage play?
The victims of the play’s supernatural shenanigans, Jimmy and Lou, are recent transplants to London from Chicago, trying to escape their troubled past. As the play progresses, it becomes clear that Lou is struggling with some sort of mental health issue, and Jimmy is trying to care for her while also dealing with his own skepticism about the paranormal events that are occurring in their home. The play’s script teases out the murky trouble in their past, and the evidence begins to pile up, making it impossible to ignore the fact that something supernatural is going on. But, of course, this is all just a rehashing of the same old horror tropes that we’ve seen before.
Because the Content Mines Remain Fully Operational
As I watched the play, I couldn’t help but think about the fact that this is just another example of Hollywood’s annual Nostalgia Harvest. The fact that Paranormal Activity is being adapted into a stage play is a testament to the fact that studios are more interested in exploiting existing intellectual property than in creating new and original content. And, of course, the Merchandising Department is probably already working on ways to capitalize on the play’s success, because what’s a horror movie or play without a bunch of overpriced merchandise to go along with it? But hey, at least the play is well-done, even if it is just a rehashing of the same old ideas.
The play’s use of illusion and stage magic is also noteworthy, with Chris Fisher credited as the “Illusion Designer.” The play’s staging and special effects are cleverly designed to create a sense of tension and suspense, making it a must-see for horror fans. And, as I left the theater, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, this play is a sign that Hollywood is finally starting to run out of ideas. But, of course, that’s just speculation, and I’m sure that the studios will continue to churn out remake after remake, sequel after sequel, until the Content Mines are finally depleted. Because, as we all know, that’s just the way the game is played in Hollywood.
In the end, Paranormal Activity the stage play is a fun, if unoriginal, take on the horror genre. It’s a testament to the fact that, even in the age of streaming and endless content, there’s still a place for live theater and traditional storytelling. And, who knows, maybe one day we’ll see a stage play adaptation of Citizen Kane or 2001: A Space Odyssey. But until then, we’ll just have to settle for rehashed versions of old movies and TV shows. Because, as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and in Hollywood, that means keep on remaking and rehashing until the wheels fall off.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
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