Nothing says Halloween like pig blood, tacky 1970s prom-wear and telekinetic powers.
This Halloween season, you might even get a laugh out of it.
“Carrie,” a comedy by Erik Jackson based on the novel by Stephen King, promises a bloody good time to audiences looking for a twist on the classic story.
The show begins Oct. 12 at the Hippodrome State Theatre, 25 SE Second Place, and will run through Nov. 4. Discount previews will be Oct. 10 and 11. Regular tickets are $35 and student tickets are $15.
“Carrie” will show eight times a week. For specific times and prices, visit the Hippodrome’s website, www.thehipp.org.
The story revolves around social outcast Carrie White, a victim of bullying at school, and her overtly religious mother at home. Carrie finally gets a chance to attend the prom when things take a bloody turn, and she decides to take revenge on everyone via her telekinetic abilities.
“Carrie” will take the audience in a new direction, poking fun at the outlandish elements of the story.
“This rendition of ‘Carrie’ is light hearted, fun, campy, quirky,” said Jessica Kreitzer, assistant costume designer for the production.
The younger actors, the time period and the costumes give it a lighter feel, she said.
Director Lauren Caldwell said she expects the play to draw a diverse crowd, from high school students to adults who saw the film when it premiered in 1976.
“When I was a kid, that movie came out, so I remember it. So I think it’s going to appeal to people my age who remember the book, remember the film and who are going to come and say, ‘How in the world are they going to put that on stage?’” Caldwell said. “I think it has a very wide appeal to different ages.”
Chelsea Sorenson, a senior acting major who plays the lead role, Carrie, said she expects the student audience to be drawn to the show.
“I mean, the amount of times we drop the F-bomb is crazy,” she said. “It’s a lot of really, really crude humor, so I feel it’s something a younger audience will really enjoy.”
The show has not come without its challenges, though.
For one, there is the pig blood, which defines the story’s iconic scene.
“Trying not to douse everyone on stage has been the biggest challenge,” Sorenson said.
In the costume department, costume designer Marilyn Wall said she has been trying several different mixes for the blood.
The clothes had to be made to resist large amounts of faux blood every night, which can be cleaned quickly for the next show, Wall said.
Caldwell said some things have been built and rigged for the production, but it has been fun to figure out how to make it enjoyable for the audience.
Another major challenge has been creating comedy in the bullying aspects of the story.
“You have to find that happy median between it’s believable that she really is upset, but it’s not so bad that people forget to laugh,” Sorenson said.
Even if it is outrageous, it’s hard not to feel bad for Carrie, she said.
Despite the humor, Sorenson said she hopes audiences will take something away from the play.
“I really think the story lends itself to a lesson — that whole be careful who you mess with,” she said. “One day you are going to mess with the wrong person.”
Josh Allen, 27, (left) and Nelson Isaac, 41, (right) work on lighting for the upcoming show “Carrie” at the Hippodrome State Theatre on Monday.
