Some of the best holiday fare out there is pretty scary - Dickens's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Rankin and Bass's RUDOLPH, SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN, THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Hell, people forget all the time just how dark IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is. But it warms my heart knowing that each Halloween, in the City of Buffalo, thespians and artisans bring to "life" George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD as a theatrical experience. I spoke to Paul McGinnis, who directs this production each year.

Why choose NOTLD as an annual production?

I remember being blown away by the script the first time I read it. It translated so well onto the stage, something I wouldn't have ever thought possible and added a unique twist to it. I mean, the zombies wander the audience the entire time!!! How sweet is that (the answer: "pretty damned" in case you're wondering) It's like African Lion Safari, but with zombies!!! I originally approached L. Don Swartz (playwrite, artistic director, and the brains behind the company) with the hopes that we could do the show as a one shot, as I didn't think it was something that would necessarily do well as a main stage show. He came back and said why not make it an annual thing? That was four years ago, and it is still getting a pretty strong following. I think the appeal lies in the fact that it is essentially a haunted house where you get to sit down the entire time. All the scare, none of the pesky walking...



When casting the roles, do you encourage the actors to go off on their own, or hue closely to the characterizations created by Romero's original performers?

The first year I was all about "That's not how they do it in the movie!!" I'm an extreme horror geek and to go against what is obviously a classic... I've seen productions of other adaptations wherein the people in charge have absolutely no respect for the source material and it seriously angers me (I read of one NOTLD production in another state where they added a dance number in it so the "kids would like it" and I was on a non stop rant for a week, ask anyone)... I even took the role of Johnny the first year as I felt no one else could deliver the iconic "They're coming to get you, Barbara" line just right. Now, I've lightened up considerably. I think you can still stay true to Romero's vision and still make some subtle changes here and there. Ultimately though, I am a stickler for making sure it is firmly set in the Romero-verse. Any zombie that says "brains" gets a shoe thrown at them...


The film was pretty stage bound, so it must lend itself well to this translation. What was the toughest sequence for you to stage?

I would have to say the final sequence where everything goes hooey... it is such a big action sequence and bad things happen to most of the remaining characters, so the action has to be tight or else the audience misses it. It's also the toughest to block because we don't have a set until opening week as there is the mainstage production going on until that time.

Other then that, I'd have to say zombie action in general is tough. I insist that my zombie crew make itself known, but I abhor focus stealers, so I make sure all who shamble for me walk that line. I call it zombie choreography and it isn't easy. The first couple of years I had someone very skilled at dance and physical acting do my wrangling, then I decided to step in. I get very in depth with my zombies. I make them write a back story and everything. Last year was my most successful zombie group and I hope to recreate if not one up it this year.

Does the racial tension from the film translate to your version?

Well, the first few years I definitely ran with that angle. The actor who played Ben was not African American but had a look to him that I could easily translate and keep the message the same. This year, due to a lack of actors that fit the bill, I decided to go a different route. The actor playing Ben, while extremely talented, is as Caucasion as you can get. And I wasn't just going to ignore this fact, it would be an insult to the source material (and I've already said how I feel about that). I already had my justification that Romero did not cast Duane Jones due to his race, but because he was the best actor for the job (something he has stated in numerous interviews), but still I couldn't just shrug my shoulders and say, "Meh... he's a white guy now... deal with it." So I decided to take the racial statement and turn it into a social class statement instead. I want to make Ben someone who would normally be shunned by people, someone who society has forgotten or ignored. I'm hoping it will have a similar impact and adds some interesting new dynamics to the story.


How does one go about putting on this production? Since the film is public domain, is it just a matter of getting copies of the play script?

Well, while the movie remains public domian, the stage version that we do isn't, so you still have to pay the publishing company for the rights as you would for any such production. I've heard other people making their own versions and we've toyed with the idea, but this version does remain the best. I know the subject is justifiably a sore subject for Mr. Romero, but I like to think that if it weren't, he would approve of this adaptation and hopefully our production of it as well.

Show dates: Thurs October 22, Fri October 23, Saturday October 24, and Sunday October 25 all 8pm shows. www.starrynighttheatre.com