“Welcome to Liliom!” A kind Italian woman approaches enthusiastically introducing herself as The Widow Saverini. She says, “I regret to inform you that you are dead.” As I follow her through the iron clad gates of the mausoleum, my eyes fall upon a large chunk of flesh missing from her neck.
We are, indeed, dead.
With Halloween looming, Unbound Productions’ Wicked Lit has opened the doors to The Mountain View Mausoleum & Cemetery once again this year with their adaptations of three new stories: “The Open Door,” “Thoth’s Labyrinth,” and “The Damned Thing.” All three stories portray a unique, distinct feeling associated with the season through the use of the dark halls, colorful characters, and powerful staging throughout.
In past years Wicked Lit has used their waiting area as a stage itself. This year is no different. We began our adventure in ‘Liliom,’ a kind of purgatory littered with items from our hosts’ lives in the “dying world,” as well as a massive tent, and a large wooden gate. Characters and audience members wait here for their chance to pass through the gates into the great beyond. Our hosts told the stories of their demise while the audience awaited their next chance to witness the afterlife. A jovial Frenchman led the evening’s festivities from a small stage, informing all of his complete innocence in his past life, lamenting that he had been waiting far too long to pass on. Over the course of the evening, we were invited into the lives of our deceased hosts as they attempted, with success, to keep spirits high while awaiting judgment. Some visitors were coaxed into assisting with meal prep as others became involved in a vicious match of charades that resulted in one host becoming extremely offended and storming away. From there, guests were invited to experience the lives of the unfortunates who had died and now must relive their past over and over again: returning to the area between each segment to witness these small vignettes while the main stages reset.
After a moment of silence for the deceased, we were allowed to begin our evening.
Get Maxwell Robison’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
SubscribeSubscribe
The first taste of the afterlife I experienced was an adaptation of Ambrose Bierce’s “The Damned Thing,” directed by Sebastian Muñoz and adapted by Jeff G. Rack. “The Damned Thing” is the story of a lost soul (Ian Heath) in an attempt to assist the living (Eric Keitel and John T. Cogan) in righting a wrong that had taken place while he was still breathing. This piece took full advantage of the ominous feeling of the surroundings, portraying a lingering sense of terror that carried throughout. The frantic ravings of a dead mad man slowly begin to transform into an intelligent and powerful performance, ending in a finale that will haunt my dreams for weeks to come. The use of the expansive grounds was an impressive undertaking as we were taken from the chapel within the mausoleum, out into the dark fog-covered cemetery where the crowd stayed huddled together, while spirits crashed through the trees towards us.
The next piece, “Thoth’s Labyrinth,” directed by Darin Anthony and written by Jonathan Josephson and inspired by the Egyptian legend “The Book of Thoth.” This piece gave the audience a chance to go on a true adventure through the catacombs of an Egyptian temple (Mausoleum). We were met outside of the temple by three different adventurist stereotypes, each with a sidekick and their own distinct personalities, but all with the same goal: to find The Book of Thoth. Split into three groups after choosing one of three totems, the audience followed their given adventurer into the dark. As the doors to the temple opened, we were met by a small swarm of bats that had made the stage their home, adding to the ambiance of a true 1960’s adventure film. We journeyed through the winding halls, searching for clues that would lead us to an amulet, resulting in our group becoming lost within the walls of their new resting place. “Thoth’s Labyrinth” successfully mixes a bit of humor and camp into a night of dreary consequences and lurking horrors. Its colorful characters and interweaving story lines concluded in a twist that no one could see coming.
Finally, we were invited to experience Margaret Oliphant’s “The Open Door,” adapted by Kristen Brandt and directed by Paul Millet. This is a melancholy tale of a sick child with a mother and father willing to do anything to save him. We followed Henry Mortimer (Michael Perl), a British general home from the war, and his wife, Charlotte Mortimer (Jena Hunt), as they tend to their haunted child, battling with a spirit who refuses to move on. A classic gothic tale filled with morose and tragedy conveys a feeling of foreboding through its use of lighting and outdoor staging in a courtyard.
Wicked Lit’s 2017 run gives audiences a chance to experience three unique tones throughout the course of the evening, each taking place within each story. “The Open Door” successfully conveys a morose feeling through its use of staging and effects, but leaves one wanting more. “Thoth’s Labyrinth” allows patrons to step outside of the world they live in and experience the thrill of adventure as they find themselves lost within the walls of a strange and terrible place. “The Damned Thing” gave a lesson in the terrors of the unknown and what could be. Those brave enough to embrace the darkness experienced something truly horrifying in the night. Overall, Unbound Productions has given audiences a fantastic opportunity to walk within their world and experience a new adventure in a unique way.
Wicked Lit runs through November 11th at The Mountain View Mausoleum & Cemetery in Altadena, California. Tickets start at $60.
No Proscenium is a labor of love made possible by our generous backers like you: join them on Patreon today!
In addition to the No Proscenium web site, our podcast, and our newsletters, you can find NoPro on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and in our online community Everything Immersive.
Discussion