Schuster Theatre is taking a different approach with its musical this year. “Evil Dead: The Musical” is a comedic thriller about a group of college students. They stay in a cabin in the woods and during that stay they awaken an evil force that possesses them and turns them into demons. Ash, the main character, is equipped with weapons to kill the demons and save the day.

There are seven showings, six of which start at 8 p.m. The 8 p.m. performances will take place Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 28-30, and a 2 p.m. performance will take place Oct. 30.

With lots of blood, gore and flying limbs, it’s bound to make the audience laugh.

Freshman actor Anthony Nunez will be playing the role of Ash, and he said he was excited to be able to perform in the Schuster Theatre this year.

Nunez said this experience has differed from his past acting roles, and the pandemic has played a part in that.

“COVID-19 has affected the musical in many ways,” Nunez said. “We have to practice with masks on and take extra precaution when working and acting together.”

Due to the ongoing pandemic, students are still required to wear masks indoors, but the actors this year are hopeful that they will be able to perform without the pesky face coverings.

As a freshman, Nunez must adapt to many things in the theater as it’s a different experience from high school.

“As a freshman, it’s hard having practice every day but it’s helpful because everyone around me has just as much or more experience,” Nunez said.

Grace Dible, a sophomore actor in this year’s musical, agreed that this year’s musical is different from what she experienced in high school.

“It’s even different from our spring performance last year,” Dible said.

Dible said that the performers aren’t the only ones who benefit from “Evil Dead.”

“The musical provides a creative outlet for the performers and all of the people watching,” she said. “It’s something a little out of the ordinary compared to events people regularly attend on campus.”

With fall under way and Halloween season in effect, students are excited to see what the Schuster Theatre has in store for this year.

Tickets will be made available at www.gannontickets.universitytickets.com. Tickets cost $15 each, but Gannon students can receive a $10 discount per ticket by using the code “ASH” during online checkout. The code can be used only once per transaction, so students wanting to purchase multiple tickets should use separate transactions.

Audience members will be required to wear a face mask while inside the theater.

TYLER HUFNAGEL

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