The Splatter Play at The Magnetic Theatre
The Magnetic Theatre’s technical director Abby Auman has absolutely killed it (pun 100% intended) with her script for The Splatter Play.
In this contemporary fun horror/comedy, Tina (Morgan Miller) is tasked with selling off her childhood home, which still includes her recently departed mother’s intact evil lab, and tries to spruce up the place with the help of Mr. Levinsky (Erin McCarson), her mother’s live-in Igor. Then the Realtor (Melon Wedick) arrives, ready for all the villainous potential homebuyers to see the open house, and, because it’s a bunch of eeeevil people, hijinks ensue.
Among the memorable cast of characters, Tina’s Uncle Ivill (Jason Phillips) has come to pick up a few things, along with the pieces of his broken heart — shattered because his nemesis Hames Blonde (Daniel Moore) doesn’t care about him anymore. Elsewhere, Dr. Diabolus (Skyler Goff) is curious if there’s enough space for his devilish orgies; Harlowe Dexter-Ward (Dwight Chiles) wants to use the lab to improve upon his senior project for Miskatonic University; and nun Mother Ironwood (Ashleigh Goff) has ulterior motives for inspecting the area. And then there’s the problem of Pooky (Daphodil Phillips-Sprague), the flesh-eating monster in the depths of the house.
The Splatter Play is quite the literal title, as there is so. much. blood. And I mean that in the best way possible. If you’re all about some campy gore, this is a must-see. And the humor is also top-notch — particularly McCarson’s performance, which had me howling with laughter through almost every one of his scenes.
The play could have been absolutely off-the-rails bonkers, but there are absolute perfect moments where director Jessica Johnson and the cast rein it in. Miller’s Tina just wants to have a normal life without dealing with her stepdad-programmed virtual assistant D4-DDY (Jered Shults) malfunctioning, and she plays the straight woman role so well. The story, in addition to being over the top, gory, and hilarious, is so unapologetically queer. Hames and Ivill’s will-they-or-won’t-they (kill each other, that is) provides one of the better romantic-ish plots I’ve seen this year in any medium.
On the production design side, the set from Tyler Johnson is simple, and it keeps the story (and blood) at the forefront. And the costuming from Ashleigh Goff and Christine Caldemeyer is reminiscent of panto plays, doubling down on the show’s goofiness with bright silks and sequins galore.
I always think that the previous production that Magnetic does is my favorite, and then they go and top it each time. It’s the haunting season, so go forth and enjoy some fun gore and ectoplasm — and be sure to wear a poncho if you’re in the first three rows.
The Splatter Play runs through Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Magnetic Theatre. For details and tickets, visit themagnetictheatre.org.
(Photo by Jennifer Bennett)
