Drama groups put on Death Prom, an interactive zombie fest

It was the night they were all waiting for. But when a fire destroyed the school gymnasium with everyone inside, the Glendale Class of 1958 was forced to postpone their senior prom … for fifty years. This Halloween, a handful of young dramatists are producing the only interactive Halloween theater party in Beijing we know of. Appropriately titled “Death Prom,” the event includes the Beijing Big Band, swing dancers from Swing Beijing and, of course, the requisite flesh-eating zombies.

“Death Prom could best be summed up as the Breakfast Club meets Night of the Living Dead,” says director Kris Chung of BITE. “The prom characters come from Breakfast Club-type archetypes (jock, geek, rebel, princess and authoritarian principal as chaperone), and the zombies who infiltrate the prom dance hall are right out of a Romero masterpiece.” Some of these characters turn into flesh-eating zombies, and other characters, along with spectators, try to fend off the zombies. In addition to interacting with the characters, revelers will be able to participate in usual prom activities like slow dancing, limbo and hokey-pokey throughout the evening.

Chung explains, “One of the most interesting aspects of the experience is the feeling being trapped in the space with the actors, surrounded by zombies trying to get in. Sounds like groaning, scraping and pounding, as well as glimpses of the zombies through windows, shadows and such intensify a very three-dimensional, claustrophobic element. This experience is central to the show.”

“Once the zombies arrive and start taking over the space, the surviving main characters butt heads with their conflicting plans/prejudices, enlist spectators to join their causes, and the dramatic question is raised, ‘will we survive despite our own conflicts?’” Chung pauses, “Overall, the tone of the event in my mind is in turns, hilarious and horrifying.” We don’t know exactly what to expect, but we do know the evening climaxes in an interesting version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance.

Death Prom is being put on by the China International Performing arts Association (CIPA), a new network of organizations designed to promote and advance the performing arts community in Beijing. Actors participating in the show come from several groups, including the Beijing Actors Workshop, Cheeky Monkey Productions, Beijing Improv Group and BITE. Partygoers are encouraged to dress the part as well by donning zombified ‘50s fashions. Given the prom dress-aesthetic that dominates many Xidan clothing outlets, this shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.

In all, the evening is a balance of story, interaction, dancing, prizes and party games. Kind of like a real prom ... but with zombies.

Anna-Grace Carter

Where: Block 8 i-space

When: Friday, October 31 9pm-12am followed by after-party

Tickets: RMB50

Contact: cipabeijing@gmail.com