Sunday, July 6, 2014

One Foot in the Grave

Death follows me wherever I go.  You might say I've made a career out of it.  So, when Theatre-Hikes needed someone to write their October show, I quickly applied.   I'd worked with Theatre-Hikes before, and I had a sense of how their shows worked.

The task:  adapt five local macabre tales for the "stage."*

The task, part one:  choose those five macabre tales.

Here is some local lore I considered adapting but decided against:

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

Why?  

Probably the most haunted place in the Chicago area, this place has dozens of little stories of hauntings and mysterious phenomena.  One of those stories is about a disappearing house, and one is about a horse that jumps out of a lake.  Perfect!

Why not?

Special FX budget limited.  Too many little stories; no big throughline to hold onto.

US Airways Flight 191

Why?

In 1979, there was a plane crash just outside of O'Hare followed by mysterious phenomena in the local area, like knocks on doors.

Why not?

Are you scared of knocks on doors?  Also, plane crash.

The Fort Dearborn Massacre

Why?

Important historically.  Gruesome.

Why not?

Important historically.  Gruesome.

The Eastland Disaster

Why?

What a crazy story--a ship capsizing before it even set sail, right here in the Chicago river.  One of the biggest ship disasters in history.

Why not?

I could even add music!

Devil in the White City

Why?

The best-selling book, Devil in the White City, covers the history of Mr HH Holmes, in whose death castle dozens of people were allegedly murdered and disposed of.  There's even a curse following his death, and the "castle" burned down under mysterious circumstances.

Why not?

Oh, Pooh Bear.  Maybe if I add some honey to your tea, you'll be able to sleep tonight.

John Wayne Gacy

I work with kids, damn it.

The Trolley of Death

Why?

Trolley.  Death.

Why not?

I have no idea what happens in this story.  I just like the title.

The Red Lion Pub

Why?

Chicago's most haunted pub.

Why not?

The most famous tale has to do with people fainting in front of a stained glass window.

Inez Clarke

Why?

This story is famous.

Why not?

This story is made up.

Hamlet

Why?

No royalties.

Why not?

No royalties.

Superman

Why?

Flying.  Superpowers.  Romance.  It's got everything.

Why not?

Do we really need another Superman movie?

Nightmare on Elm Street

Why?

It's infamous and was shot locally.  Also, we can probably find a cool Freddy Krueger mask and glove.  I loved those things as a kid.

Why not?

The original was shot in California.  Only the remake was shot around here.

Poltergeist 3

Why?

Poltergeist!

Why not?

3

Home Alone

Why?

This Christmas classic brings everyone  . . . Christmas classic . . . Christmas . . .

Why not?

Ahh!

So what local stories did I pick to adapt?

Resurrected will have its first reading this Monday, July 7 at 6 pm in the Theatre-Hikes rehearsal space.  If you've read this far, consider yourself invited.

Come . . . if you dare.

-----
* By "stage," I mean "forest."

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