Have any weekend plans?

Come out and support your classmates and professors Thursday through Saturday for Gannon’s production of the musical “Evil Dead: The Musical” at the Schuster Theatre.

The three shows for this weekend begin at 8 p.m.

Can’t make it this weekend?

The production is also being shown at the theater at 8 p.m Oct. 28 and Oct. 29. and at 2 p.m Oct. 30. for a matinee showing.

“Evil Dead: The Musical” is a comedic horror musical about college students, making the Gannon actors primarily typecast, which is when a director casts their characters based upon their demographics like age, gender, appearance and race.

In Gannon’s press release of the show announcement, theatre director Alaina Manchester gave her personal vantage point of the musical’s synopsis.

“This show is campy, creepy, silly, bloody and a great show for Halloween time,” said Manchester.

“It makes fun of itself and of horror movies in general, and you can’t do that without respecting the genre you are poking fun at.”

The preview of this musical reminds me of a 2012 horror film I once saw, called “Cabin in the Woods,” where five teenagers visit a cabin, and after reading from an old book amongst other creepy knickknacks, character Dana awakens a family of hungry zombies who wreak havoc on the group.

Could this musical have been an inspiration for the film, as it was first performed on stage in 2003?

The musical too is set in a cabin in the woods where they also awaken an evil force, but instead of this force being zombies, it is a spirit that possesses them, turning the characters into demons.

The main character, Ash, played by freshman actor Anthony Nunez, is equipped with weapons to kill these evil spirits and become the hero of the story.

The musical is gory, but in a humorous way, making it suitable for an easily frightened audience.

The production was timed perfectly for the Halloween season and the associated activities and celebrations.

Tickets are available at www.gannontickets.universitytickets.com at $15 each. Gannon students can receive a $10 discount when using the code “ASH” at checkout, which can only be used once per transaction.

Students purchasing multiple tickets should use separate transactions for each.

Audience members are asked to wear a mask while visiting the theater, following CDC and Gannon University COVID-19 protocol.