Photo by James Zambon Photography
On October 25-November 16, get ready to scream and laugh your head off—Stageworks Theatre is turning the camp dial up to eleven with Evil Dead: The Musical. It’s got everything you’d want in a Halloween-season night out: catchy songs, cursed cabins, and more fake blood than a vampire’s brunch buffet.
Director Karla Hartley explains the casting process, “The main ingredient is the singing and acting so, in that sense, it was like casting any other musical. The trick was to find actors who understood the assignment in regards to the campy style.”
When asked how she balanced horror and comedy in staging the musical, she emphasizes that audiences know exactly what they’re in for. “The blood pretty much takes care of the gore and there is plenty of that,” she explains. But Hartley also revealed it’s all about getting the comedy right. “The comedy is harder and has been the focus of rehearsal.”
So while chainsaws roar and demons dance, you can rest assured the show delivers just as many laughs as screams—true to the outrageous spirit of the cult classic.
For fans of the original films, she hints at a few surprises: “There are very famous scenes in Evil Dead 2 that are replicated in the play, but are shorter in the live play structure.”
Photo by James Zambon Photography
And if you’re sitting in the “splatter zone,” consider yourself part of the action. “Bloody chaos is the best part!” Hartley says. “We have many deaths and a lot of blood in the final attack scene, so we have choreographed blood tricks for each death, as well as a few bloody surprises.” Translation: if you wear white, you’re braver than Ash himself.
Speaking of Ash—the man, the myth, the one-liner legend—he’s brought to gloriously gory life by Ben Sutherland, who’s been tearing up Tampa stages and now takes on his biggest battle yet. “Ash is THE hero of horror. I mean, how cool is that?” Sutherland says. “Although I incorporate the energy that they gave to the role into my performance, I really try to ‘be my own Ash’… I believe my physicality really shine through in my interpretation (like my goofy movements, or as Karla, our director, likes to say, the ‘weird sh*t [I] do with my body’).”
If you think battling demons is a challenge, wait until you see Ash take on his own possessed hand. Forget the chainsaw—his wild, self-inflicted showdown might just be the most outrageous moment on stage.
“The hardest part is a fight scene with my own hand,” Sutherland says. “This moment involves some intense hand-ography, like punching myself multiple times, flipping myself forward by my hair, and even a few plates to the head.” He swears the audience will love every ridiculous, blood-splattered second of it.
So how does he keep his timing when he’s covered in blood and body parts? “It’s all about confidence,” he says. “Once Ash faces the horrors of the Deadites and transforms into a true hero, he knows he’s going to come out on top, no matter how messy things get… It’s pretty hard! But so fun!”
If you’re hoping for killer musical numbers, Sutherland’s favorites include “What the F*@k Was That?” and the duet “Housewares Employee.” But he also loves the chainsaw-filled “It’s Time” and the explosive finale, “Blew That ***** Away.” And don’t worry, iconic Ash fan-favorite one-liners like “This is my boomstick!” and “Groovy” are locked and loaded.
For anyone craving an outrageous rock-and-roll romp through the underworld, Evil Dead: The Musical is Tampa’s goriest good time this Spooky season. Just remember: if you’re brave enough for the splatter zone, Stageworks is selling ponchos in the lobby.
Evil Dead: The Musical is October 25 – November 16 at Stageworks Theatre, 1120 E Kennedy Blvd. Learn more and purchase tickets at https://stageworkstheatre.org/show/evil-dead-the-musical
