A Night of Wicked Literature at the Mountain View Cemetery

The last thing I expected to think as I drove away from Mountain View  Mausoleum was, "Wow, that was a blast!" But I can't wait to go back.

And that was just the rehearsal. 

I was there to meet the players involved in Wicked Lit, a professional theatrical company that returns to Altadena this month to celebrate Halloween. They'll be spooking out with two evenings of original one-act plays based on classic horror literature.

Wicked Lit, produced by Unbound Productions, is headed by Jonathan Josephson, Paul Millet and Jeff G. Rack, each of whom has adapted, produced and directed classic horror stories for the Altadena shows. Wicked Lit is not a membership company but their lighting designer, costume designer, make-up designer, house manager and production stage manager have been with them since their 2008 beginning, creating a cohesive unit and a company feel.

Last year in Altadena Wicked Lit played to sold out houses--er, mausoleums. They turned people away (my husband and me included). When they surveyed those who'd been lucky enough to get a ticket they discovered that 85 percent of them wanted to see the show again.

Hmm. Well, that's a fine pickle, if a pickle can be fine. Does a creative group put on last year's show all over again? Or do you come up with a new show, when 85 percent of your public wants to see the old one? What do you do?

Two shows. You do two shows.

Wicked Lit returns to Altadena this year with Production A, last year's hit (with 10 of the original 15 cast members), and Production B, a totally new show (with an 11th returning cast member in a new role). They return because last year was a success and because you just can't ask for a more interesting venue than Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum.

As playwright, producer and director Jeff Rack told me, "You're immersed in the location. The cemetery is a completely different experience than a theater seat. It's an immersive experience for the audience."

Each production comprises three short plays, each of which is about 20-30 minutes long. Patrons are greeted by "story guides" who split the audience into three groups and guide them through the evening.

In Production A, returning from last year, the audience will see adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado (staged inside the mausoleum), H. P. Lovecraft’s The Unnamable (across the street in the cemetery) and Charles Dickens' The Chimes (in the mausoleum chapel).

Production B is all new material: Mark Twain's A Ghost Story, M.R. James' Casting the Runes and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Body Snatcher.  "It's great material," says Rack. "That's why it's classic."

Each of the plays will be performed three times a night, simultaneously, for each of the separate audience groups. You'll be led through the grounds. You'll need comfortable shoes and a warm jacket. It will be fun and frightening.

My favorite part of Wicked Lit's website is included in their disclaimer: "This production is meant to be scary! It’s Halloween, people! Surprises will happen but, we promise, nothing (and no one) will eat or harm you in any sort of real sense."

I watched a bit of rehearsal for The Body Snatcher, which will be staged on both levels of the Pompeiian Court. The actors worked under bright sun on a warm, October day and yet the atmosphere of the Court, an outdoor columbarium centered around a Roman garden and deep blue reflecting pool, lends grandeur and gravitas. We were, after all, surrounded by the dead.

After rehearsal I spoke with Paul Millet, director of The Body Snatcher for Production B and The Chimes for Production A. We talked about adapting these classic stories for the theatrical experience. Everyone--or at least everyone of my generation--knows The Cask of Amontillado, for example, because we read it in high school. How does the playwright honor a universal classic for which we've all got an indelible picture in our minds?

"Adaptation is about remaining true to the intent of the writer, yet making it work on stage," said Millet. "You take the liberties you need with the story to serve the play, so the play can serve the original story."

I asked him if, during the rehearsal period, he and his company have encountered mourners.

"It happened today," he said. And of course the mourner takes precedence. A man came to leave flowers and the company waited outside the space until he was finished taking his time. The man never even knew they were there. Rehearsal started late and that's just the way it is. "We stay away out of respect," said Millet.

What did he suppose the dead thought of Wicked Lit? I hoped he didn't think my question silly. I wanted to know his opinion. "I hope the dead people appreciate it," he said.

I know I would. In fact, I think I'll put it in my will.

Production A (the same show from last year) runs October 21-November 5

12 performances

Production B runs October 27-November 6

10 performances

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