CAN HORROR WORK ONSTAGE?
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY MAKES ITS CASE

I imagine most people’s response to hearing that Paranormal Activity has been turned into a stage play is a raised eyebrow—doubt mixed with intrigue. How is that going to work? Horror—especially supernatural horror—isn’t a genre you often find in theatre. It thrives in film, where the director has god-like control over time and space and can finely tune the audience’s visual and auditory experience. In a live theatrical setting, however, you can’t rely on jump cuts, close-ups, CGI, limitless locations, and so forth. Plus, this film series leans heavily on the “found footage” conceit to create a sense of modernity, intimacy, and credibility. On stage, we’re limited to a static proscenium, practical effects, and finite sets.

Cher Álvarez and Patrick Heusinger

That being said, Levi Holloway’s stage-based contribution to the Paranormal Activity franchise manages to pull it off. The opening night performance at the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown L.A. elicited a healthy number of screams, yelps, gasps, and anxious laughter.

Cher Álvarez

The story centers on Lou and James, married Chicagoan expats who’ve taken up residence in a disturbed house in London, having brought their demons—figurative and literal—with them. Carolanne (Shannon Cochran), James’s Bible-toting, overbearing mother from Boca Raton, and Etheline Cotgrave (Kate Fry), a British paranormal podcaster, drop in periodically to further complicate their lives, which are rapidly being upended by a menacing, ghostly presence.

Patrick Heusinger

One major strength of the play is its commitment to keeping all the scares diegetic. Past horror productions—such as 2:22 A Ghost Story—leaned too heavily on cheap startles generated by lighting and sound effects that had nothing to do with the actual plot. Paranormal Activity, by contrast, frightens you solely from within its storyworld.

Cher Álvarez and Patrick Heusinger

Another key to its success is the choice of illusionist Chris Fisher as its creative lynchpin. Story and design development were built around several pivotal visual effects that serve as the pièce de résistance of the production.

Cher Álvarez and Patrick Heusinger

The show isn’t without its minor flaws. While Cher Álvarez (Lou) and Patrick Heusinger (James) carry the entire show as the lead couple, their performances drift into melodrama on occasion. The proportions of suspense and surprise leave you wanting a bit more in the scare department. And if you scrutinize the details of the storytelling too closely, you’ll find a few loose ends swept under the rug of convenient scene changes. For example, what became of the mother after the blackout during her infamous visit? What happened to the other robe? These are small issues, though—easily forgiven or missed entirely.

Cher Álvarez

Nevertheless, Paranormal Activity is a thrilling night of theatre that horror fans won’t want to miss. Holloway’s script is tight, dynamic, and delivers on its promises. Director Felix Barrett (Sleep No More) commands every element of the production with terror-inducing precision, and Gareth Fry’s sound design creeps under your skin and chills your bones.

All in all, the team behind Paranormal Activity has achieved something impressive—expanding the scope of what theatre can offer and raising the bar for anyone who aims to terrify a live audience.

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photos by Kyle Flubacker

Paranormal Activity
presented by Center Theatre Group
Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave.
ends on December 7, 2025
for tickets, call 213.972.4400 or visit CTG

the full North American premiere engagement continues:
Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. (January 28-February 7, 2026)
American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco (February 19-March 15, 2026)

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