Halloween is a spooky time, especially for those of us who love the season but hate the scares. What are the Halloween loving scaredy cats like myself to do? Well fear not, IUSB’s Evil Dead: The Musical is a show that everyone can enjoy!* But watch out for the bloody splash zone. That’s right SPLASH ZONE

Seating is first come first serve, so if you get there early you can choose to sit in the splash zone. Ponchos and bag checks will be provided. Maybe just don’t wear your favorite pants…

Based off of the 1981 movie, Evil Dead: The Musical follows 6 over the top college students as they attempt to break into a secluded cabin in the woods for a week of fun and casual… um… “cuddling”. They quickly realize the house is cursed when they discover a mysterious book along with other ancient artifacts. 

Most aspects of the production were extremely well done. The lighting was so good I almost didn’t notice it (that’s a good thing) and the live pit never overpowered the actors. Their choice to use mics was probably for the best, however they bordered on too loud, especially at the beginning.  

SIGHTLINE WARNING: Far house right seating (right from the audience’s perspective) has a minimally blocked view, however I sat there and hardly noticed.  

I was surprised to find myself a little disappointed by the dryness of the acting from a few lead cast members. Where the show is supposed to be campy and over the top cheesy, that is no excuse for “Acting” (by which I mean clearly acting the emotions as opposed to really feeling them). I frequently noticed leads not smiling during high energy numbers, which is a HUGE problem in such an intimate space. I was also really sad to see a lack of chemistry between Ash (Colton Graffa) and Linda (Allison Hatten) in their love song, “Housewares Employee”

There are a few supporting actors that DEFINITELY pulled their weight as far as bringing the show along. Good ol’ reliable Jake, played by Daniel Klimczak, made a stunning entrance in act II, wowing the audience with a surprisingly lovable voice. The paranoid sister turned demon Cheryl (Spoilers, sorry) played by Taylor Jump was a lot at first but when she quickly settled into her character she easily became my favorite in the cast. 

Was it my favorite show this year? No. However, it was overall a FUNNY SHOW is and I really enjoyed it. Don’t let excessive blood scare you off, honestly they could have squirted Ketchup bottles and it would have been equally scary. If you like Rocky Horror, you will love this.

You can see IUSB’s Evil Dead through November 2nd in the upstairs theater. Student pricing is only $5 and general admission is $15. You can find ticket info here.

*CONTENT WARNING: this show contains the following triggers and is rated R

• Excessive (extremely campy) fake blood
• Strobes 
• Frequent cursing 
• Sexual references.