‘SHAKESFEAR AFTER DARK’
Presented by Vidor, production’s unveiling is Friday through Sunday
It was never Dalia Vidor’s intention of presenting “Midsummer’s Fright Dream,” “King Fear,” or “Maiming of the Shrew.”
Still, when you’re the woman behind the annual Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park, it’s inevitable that some parts — perhaps some body parts — of William Shakespeare would seep into a haunted house created in a 101-year-old building at 2112 Sonoma Blvd.
Of course, with the event named “V-Town ShakesFEAR in the Dark,” one can expect some appearance — a charred Bard, perhaps? — of the famed writer during the production’s unveiling Friday through Sunday and again Halloween Weekend Oct. 29-31.
“Shakespeare would love this. He would be a part of it,” beamed Vidor, orchestrating the finishing touches early Wednesday night.
Though the homage to Shakespeare isn’t really seen until the end of the four-minute stroll through various frightful visuals and animatronics, the core group of actors previously participated in various Shakespeare in the Park presentations at Hanns Park.
“This is very different, though equally stressful,” Vidor said. “This, you can take more casually. There’s no story line you have to follow or script you have to memorize. It’s a matter of getting lights glued down and having fun decorating.”
Vidor got the haunted house idea for her property a year ago, “but COVID put the kibosh to it,” she said. “This year, I decided I would have it and if COVID ended up shutting it down again, then COVID would shut it in.”
Ironing out the kinks Wednesday, Vidor said that “we did in four weeks what you normally do in six months to a year. It’s quite an accomplishment. We really busted our butts. It’s been a collaborative effort. I brought it to these people and they all just ran with the idea.”
Vidor said the 3,000 square foot building is ideal, tickled that the late horror movie icon, Boris Karloff, lived a few blocks away at 614 Capitol St. in 1918 and acted locally until the Span
ish Flu — in a touch of irony — shut theaters down.
More importantly, there’s plenty of free parking across the street at First Baptist Church.
Vidor stops the in-person interview momentarily.
“Zombies! I need zombies!” she yelled.
Three appear, gladly transitioning from their Shakespeare in the Park performances to playing the undead.
“I love horror stuff,” said 27-year-old Brandi Freeman, believing that in real life, the actor is “a little bit of both” scary and mellow.
“I like to create weird, gory things. I don’t know why,” said fellow zombie Tia Beem. “It just comes out of my brain, I guess. There’s a catharsis in being able to scare people. When you’re having a hard time, it makes you feel a little bit better. I do scare pretty easy.”
Beem and her brother, Tavis, created the animatronics for the haunted house. Their mother, Eileen Beem, helped out, though don’t expect mom at any of the actual haunts.
“I don’t like them,” she said. And no, she never liked horror movies.
“I’m just a mother helping my son and daughter,” Beem said. “Cleaning. I’m very good at that.”
Working on the haunted house, however, is a positive thing for her kids, she said.
“I think it’s great. He loves it and so does my daughter,” Momma Beem said.
Another Shakespearean actress, Ofeibia LaudDarku, can’t wait to let down her hair and let up her snarl as a zombie.
“Anger … and slowness,” is the key, she said.
“Because it’s creepier if I move slower with sudden jumps of movement,” Laud-Darku said, adding that the role “is really fun because I’m terrified of zombies. I think a lot of people will enjoy it.”
After performing in five of Vidor’s Shakespeare in the Park productions, Laud-Darku said there is an adjustment playing a zombie.
“I actually get to say words with Shakespeare, though the Shakespeare language can be tough,” Laud-Darku said. “But it’s beautiful and I love saying it.”
And zombie talk?
“I’ll probably growl,” she said. “Yeah, and some groans, definitely.”
Beyond the fenced out zombies, there’s a zombie spider, and a laboratory area of “totally dead, dead heads, mostly dead and dead parts,” grinned Vidor.
There’s also “Anthony,” a decapitated fellow with blood dripping from his head and bobbing eyes. And a real-life spider woman, Emma Wilson, elegantly spinning down a silk rope as an aerialist. Correction. “Scare-ialist,” said Vidor. V-Town ShakesFEAR in the Dark is this Friday through Sunday and Oct. 29-31, 5 to 9 p.m. at 2112 Sonoma Blvd., Vallejo. Admission is $20. For more information, call (510) 8728539 or email VallejoShakespeare@gmail.com.