Gothic chills in the cemetery – “Wicked Lit”

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“Wicked Lit” – a Halloween theatre festival of new plays – returns to Los Angeles from October 21-30, 2010 at Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery in Altadena.

This is a follow-up production to last year”™s sold-out run at Greystone Mansion.

World premiere plays include:

Edgar Allan Poe”™s The Cask of Amontillado, adapted by Paul Millet

H. P. Lovecraft”™s The Unnamable, adapted by Jeff G. Rack

Charles Dickens”™ The Chimes, adapted by Jonathan Josephson

Producers Jonathan Josephson, Jeff G. Rack and Paul Millet have announced the plays, dates and location of the 2010 Wicked Literature: A Halloween Theatre Festival.

The annual event features world premiere stage adaptations of classic Gothic literature performed in alternative venues. Last year”™s festival was a sold-out walking tour through Beverly Hills”™ haunted Greystone Mansion – this year”™s festival will take place October 21-30, 2010 (7 performances only) at the Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery in Altadena, CA (2400 Fair Oaks Avenue).

The evening of short works will be comprised of Edgar Allan Poe”™s The Cask of Amontillado, adapted by Paul Millet, H. P. Lovecraft”™s The Unnamable, adapted by Jeff G. Rack and Charles Dickens”™ The Chimes, adapted by Jonathan Josephson

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to produce Wicked Lit at Mountain View Mausoleum this fall.  With the immense success of the Greystone production last year, it’s clear there is great interest in the alternative venue aspect of Wicked Lit,” said producer Paul Millet.

Millet is also the Artistic Director of Nom de Guerre Theatre Guild – an organization that produces Wicked Lit and is planning other special projects for future years. “The evolution of Wicked Lit from a simple idea in 2007 to a second full production in 2010 has been nothing short of remarkable,” added Millet.

Rack and Josephson are also co-producers of the festival as well as writers and directors. “There is no better opportunity for us to showcase our passion for theatre, short stories, and alternative experiences all at the same time. The challenge is to make sure that our final production embodies the absolute best of what each of those fields has to offer – it”™s not going to be easy, but it”™s an exciting task to undertake,” said producer Jonathan Josephson.

Producer Jeff G. Rack said, “Last year”™s Wicked Lit production at Greystone Mansion is a hard act to follow, but I’m confident that our audience is going to be thrilled with what we have in store for them at the Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery. I can’t think of a better location for an interactive Halloween show than this.”

Patrons of Wicked Lit will see three short plays over the course of an evening (Cask, Unnamable and Chimes). Each play will be performed on a different part of the Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery campus. Attendees will be led to and from each play by a Story Guide.

The cast of Wicked Lit includes John T. Cogan, Eric Harris, Pamela Hill, William Joseph Hill, LizAnne Keigley, Shelby Kocee, Ilona Kulinska, Richard Large, Tanya Mironowski, Michael Perl, Katie Pelensky, Brian David Pope, Michael Prichard, Amy Rieckelman and Ghislaine Sopher-Phillips.

The design team includes Art Direction/EFX by Jeff G. Rack, Costume Designer Christine Cover Ferro, Lighting Designer Ellen Monocroussos, Sound Designer Doug Newell and Make-up Designer Julie Pound.

Wicked Lit also produces an annual, region-wide play reading series – details on those events will be announced soon.

For tickets and more information for Wicked Literature: A Halloween Theatre Festival at Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery, click here or call 818-242-7910

THE PLAYS:

Edgar Allan Poe”™s The Cask of Amontillado

Adapted by Paul Millet, Directed by Jonathan Josephson

Journey to the catacombs for a stirring retelling of Poe”™s classic tale of madness, unrequited love, and deception.

H. P. Lovecraft”™s The Unnamable

Adapted and Directed by Jeff G. Rack

Two teachers – one a man of science and one a follower of the occult – enter a graveyard on an ominous evening. If all goes according to plan, only one will return home.

Charles Dickens”™ The Chimes

Adapted by Jonathan Josephson, Directed by Paul Millet

In the spirit of A Christmas Carol (but with the bite of a ghost story), The Chimes is a haunting tale of renewal, goblins, and the ties the bind.

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS:

October 21-30, 2010, 7 performances only

Thursday-Sunday, all performances start promptly at 8:00 p.m.

** Tickets for all announced performances are $45. **

For more information go here or call 818-242-7910

SEATING IS LIMITED TO 70 PATRONS PER EVENING – ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASES ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Location: Mountain View Mausoleum & Cemetery Altadena, 2400 Fair Oaks Avenue, Altadena, California 91001.

Please note: Enter the parking lot on Marengo in between Woodbury and Garfield  ***DO NOT ENTER FROM FAIR OAKS***

AMPLE FREE PARKING available.

Please look at a map and allot plenty of time before driving to Mausoleum.

PLEASE NOTE:

THIS IS A WALKING PRODUCTION THAT TAKES PLACE AT NIGHT.

So dress comfortably and warmly.

THIS PRODUCTION IS MEANT TO BE SCARY!

ABOUT WICKED LIT:

The scope of Wicked Literature: A Halloween Theatre Festival is to create and produce new stage plays based on classic gothic literature. Since 2008, Wicked Lit has presented over 40 readings of new plays at theatres, libraries, schools, and festivals all over Southern California and has proudly worked with communities throughout Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. In addition to the annual Halloween reading series which began in 2008, Wicked Lit launched its inaugural theatre festival production in 2009 at the haunted Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Wicked Lit: A Halloween Theatre Festival is thrilled to announce this exciting new play series for 2010.

Report by Pauline Adamek