‘Paranormal Activity’ Is a Killer Theatrical Experience

Part of the fun of seeing horror movies the old-fashioned way, at a cinema, is the opportunity to be scared witless in the company of not just friends and loved ones but complete strangers. Little wonder, then, that as streaming has grown more popular, live theater, which offers an even more communal experience, has stepped up to fill the void.One of the latest examples of this trend is “Paranormal Activity,” which has just arrived on Broadway after successful runs in London, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities. While inspired by a film series of the same title, which has since 2007 produced seven flicks — an eighth is in the works — in which couples or families are hounded by a hideous demon, the play offers a new story (as a subtitle indicates) by Levi Holloway, who made a splash in the theater district a few years ago with “Grey House,” a psychological thriller involving creepy karmic comeuppance.That description essentially fits Mr. Holloway’s new work as well, but under the guidance of Felix Barrett, who as artistic director of the immersive theater company Punchdrunk helmed the spooky downtown hit “Sleep No More,” and a crack design team, “Paranormal” employs more cinematic gestures throughout. The result is, simply put, a total blast, bound to induce squeals of terror and delight in both hardened fans and more queasy observers.Fly Davis’s dollhouse-like set presents a two-story home in London where James and Lou, married for about a year, have recently relocated from Chicago. The two are planning to turn one room into a nursery, though Lou isn’t yet pregnant, and the prospect of motherhood seems more a source of fear than excitement for her.Something bad happened in Chicago, you see, apparently bad enough that Lou is taking antidepressants to manage her enduring anxiety. In the opening scene, James’s mom, speaking over FaceTime, frets about this, emerging as the nosy, nagging in-law in a play that at first promises to be a domestic comedy, and retains elements of this humor even in some of its most rattling moments.But it’s soon revealed that Lou’s issues didn’t begin with their previous residence. “Places aren’t haunted, people are,” we’re warned at the very beginning of “Paranormal,” by the voice of a medium who will appear onstage towards the end of the first act. By this point, any of James’s suspicions that his wife’s visions are imagined or manufactured have abated — though certain mysteries will linger and new ones emerge, leading up to a final, killer twist, pun definitely intended.Anna Watson’s lighting, Luke Halls’s projections, and Chris Fisher’s illusions add to the mix of suspense and giddy entertainment, incorporating old-fashioned tricks such as shadows, haze, abrupt blackouts, and sleight of hand to keep our eyes darting and our minds wondering. Gareth Fry’s sound design is similarly intuitive, veering from a low, persistent rumble to loud bursts to periods of relative silence that can prove just as terrifying, if not more so.The actors neither try to compete with these forces nor are overwhelmed by them. Cher Álvarez’s Lou is at once plucky and credibly fragile, and a little elusive, which winds up fitting the character’s arc perfectly. Travis A. Knight, who like Ms. Álvarez is making his Broadway debut, manages to evince James’s twinges of selfishness and arrogance while making it clear he adores his wife; he’s just, quite understandably, freaked out by what she seems to have wrought, however involuntarily.Eva Kaminsky and Shannon Cochran round out the cast as, respectively, the medium and James’s mother, who also pays a visit, at a most inopportune time. Mind you, neither character may be whom or what she appears to be at all times; Messrs. Holloway and Barrett, again, keep surprising us, and pose questions that aren’t all resolved by the time the curtain falls. At a recent preview, the man seated behind me mused that the audience member next to him, a woman he had never met before, had gripped his arm during one especially hair-raising juncture. Far from being irritated, he seemed to welcome the sense of connection, which for me enhanced the show’s appeal. Even if you don’t consider that a perk, you’re bound to enjoy the ride.

‘Paranormal Activity’ Is a Killer Theatrical Experience

‘Paranormal Activity’ Is a Killer Theatrical Experience

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