Binary Theatre Company presents The Haunting of Hill House. The doors open Friday, April 19th-21st at 7:30pm at the Prism Theater in Tempe. (Photo by Ashley Kesweder)Binary Theatre Company’s final play of the season brings the classic horror story “The Haunting of Hill House” to Tempe.
Based on Shirley Jackson’s novel, the play features four characters who stay at the 80 year-old Hill House to investigate a supposed supernatural phenomenon. All the inhabitants begin to experience strange occurrences while in the house as one of the characters slowly descends into madness.
With this adaptation, the director, Jamie Hendricks, is able to accomplish what might seem impossible — the theater senior makes theater scary.
Everything about this take on “The Haunting of Hill House” works to provoke fear in the audience. The set design creates a classic Gothic space in just two sections, the living room and the bedroom. The small size of the set works to the play’s advantage, as these rooms isolate the characters, as if they’re all trapped in Hill House.
The house becomes alive thanks to sound and light design. During the play, this menacing drone bellows as if the house is moaning. The directional lights create harsh shadows that dramatize the horror, using reds and blues to great effect. And, when the lights go out, it becomes truly scary.
The actors really elevate the material. Theater sophomore Andrea Dilizia plays the domineering, bohemian artist. She brings flamboyance and flare to the character, spouting out one-liners with great ease.
Theater junior LeeVaughn Graves is Dr. Montague, the man of science that tries to find substantial evidence of the supernatural. Graves holds himself not only as a gentleman, but also as a time-beaten scholar, becoming the perfect character to bring the horror-stricken guests back to reality.
Political science senior Ramiro Quezada is bullfighter Luke Sanderson. Quezada completely captured the tone and mannerisms of the time period. Theater freshman Jessica-Marie Cochrane is the caretaker Mrs. Dudley. Her performance is blunt and authoritative as she emasculates the male characters while talking down to the female characters. Her radiant disdain for everyone is such a joy to watch.
Theater sophomore Heidi Hearter and freshman Chad Palmer provide excellent comic relief. When these two come on stage, they steal the limelight and all the other characters stand back hilariously perplexed by how eccentric they are. They’re a treat.
But the standout performance is film junior Beth May. She plays Eleanor, a shy young girl that had experienced paranormal events before coming to Hill House. May’s range of emotion is breathtaking. She drives the play.
When May's character is scared, her face becomes flush and her eyes shake. The fear on her face is so believable that it makes it seem that the events in the house are actually happening. However, do not discredit the rest of the cast; they all also give a stellar performance.
Watching horror live is worth the ticket price alone. Binary’s “The Haunting of Hill House” takes one of the greatest ghost stories one step further. The play creates a terrifying and exhilarating environment. More so, the audience is locked inside Hill House as they witness the terrors awi the characters.
Show dates are April 19 to April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Prism Theatre. Tickets can be purchased on Binary Theatre’s website.
Reach the reporter at tverti@asu.edu
