Review: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY at Ahmanson Theatre

“Paranormal Activity” came out of nowhere to be a pop culture phenomenon in 2009, spawning five sequels, one of the most solid horror franchises out there (excluding “Next of Kin,” because, What was that??) On a $15,000 budget, it grossed more than $100 million, generated video games, a documentary, a Japanese entry in 2010, a podcast, and triggered the found-footage genre that “The Blair Witch Project” oddly didn’t. And now this: a stage play.

Horror on stage is difficult to achieve (see “2:22 — A Ghost Story”), while it is more easily digested in the cinema, but director Felix Barrett, video designer Luke Halls, lighting designer Anna Watson, scenic designer Fly Davis, and — especially — illusions designer Chris Fisher, do playwright Levi Holloway’s script justice, taking the source material and elevating it to lofty heights of terror.

Focused on new ex-pats, Lou (Cher Álvarez) and James (Patrick Heusinger), from Chicago to London, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, as the title suggests, involves supernatural events taking place in the couple’s new home. As things escalate, they call in a local medium (Kate Fry) while being harangued by James’ mother (Shannon Cochran).

Holloway and Barrett understand what makes found-footage work (though this clearly is not found footage, like in the films). So much of FF is waiting, looking, anticipating something happening, focused on the negative space. “Is something happening?” “Did it happen?” “Did you see it happen?” And then a door moves half an inch behind the lead character and you lose your mind. It’s all about the slow burn, taking time to create such thick yet low-key suspense. It makes the production more intimate by pulling the viewer in almost as part of the story.

This is aided by Davis’ beautiful bi-level set, which has so many shadowy spots, your eye is consistently drawn to what’s not happening to see if something IS happening. It’s about the spaces in between. In fact, it’s likely better to sit farther from the stage so you can take in the whole thing more easily.

Fry and Watson contribute enormously to the effect, the sound and lights bolstering the narrative without taking focus away from the characters and their story. Fisher, however, is the ace in the hole for this production. It’s astonishing what can be done live on stage these days, but the effects in PARANORMAL ACTIVITY will blow your mind. There are countless WTF moments and you will be trying to figure out how they pulled it off. The audience on opening night was FREAKING OUT, gasping and screaming followed by nervous laughter. Additionally, Holloway’s script makes room for levity to balance out the dread and he does it keenly, keeping it balanced, the humor not detracting from the horror.

All four actors are believable with Álvarez and Heusinger giving committed performances, which, as written, are already complex, as is the narrative. The best found-footage films (“The Taking of Deborah Logan,” “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum,” “Unfriended”) are intimate and subtle with moments of punctuation that jolt us into believing. Holloway’s PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is smart and sharp and scary. Catch it downtown before it transfers to the West End for 12 weeks in December.

Photos by Kyle Flubacker

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