By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published October 24, 2025
HAZEL PARK — Hazel Park Drama will soon deliver a different sort of “stage fright,” and right in time for Halloween.
The club’s production of “Night of the Living Dead” is a retelling of the George Romero cult classic film of the same name, about a group of strangers holed up in an isolated farmhouse under siege by ravenous ghouls.
There will be showings on Thursday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Nov. 1. Both start at 7 p.m. and take place in the auditorium at Hazel Park High School, 23400 Hughes Ave. The performance runs about 70 minutes, and there is no intermission.
Tickets start at $9 online at hazelparkdrama.org and $10 at the door for general admission, with premium reserved seating starting at $14 online and $15 at the door.
Due to violence and gore, the show is recommended for audiences 13 and older. The play includes water-based fog, flashing lights and sudden loud noises.
About 45 minutes before showtime, there will be a complimentary community coffee hour in the lobby. There will also be a gore makeup workshop before each show, starting at 5 p.m. and lasting about an hour. The workshop is suitable for those 12 and older and costs $22 per person.
During the workshop, members of Hazel Park Drama will guide participants in designing and applying spooky stage makeup. Registration is encouraged at hazelparkdrama.org.
It’s all part of the fun leading up to the show. The original film, released in black and white in 1968, has become a cornerstone of the horror genre, notable for its subversive critique of Vietnam-era America. Mark Fairbrother, the play’s producer and director, said via email that the drama club’s adaption will be faithful, but with some “added flair” that only theater can provide.
“We’re living in a time of great social upheaval,” Fairbrother said. “This story has taken on new relevance as trust in powerful institutions continues to erode, and everyday people feel more isolated, hopeless, and distrustful of one another.”
This will be the drama club’s first foray into the zombie genre. Other recent productions include “James and the Giant Peach” (March 2025), “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” (December 2024) and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (March 2024).
“I opted for (‘Night of the Living Dead’) because I wanted to take on the challenge of staging horror, a decision that has been enthusiastically received by program members and the public alike,” Fairbrother said. “At its core, Hazel Park is a Halloween town. Community members go all out on the spooky fun and the macabre delight of this holiday, so we wanted to give them a safe and enjoyable way to further celebrate it.”
Fairbrother said the students have put in the extra effort with hair, makeup and costuming, developing the look of each zombie. The students playing each ghoul even developed backstories for their undead characters to better inhabit the role, and they participated in movement and vocal workshops to get the performances just right.
Student technicians, two alumni and a professional theatrical lighting designer collaborated on the lighting set up, with the aim of immersing the audience and surprising them with zombies that lurk in the shadows. There is also a grayscale countryside and farmhouse set that evokes the monochrome look of the original film.
“To further connect the story’s timeless message to the present, audiences will notice the use of modern synth and hip-hop beats punctuating key moments in the show,” Fairbrother said of the sound design.
The drama club is also being thoughtful about the depiction of violence.
“Just like in the movie, the play’s violence is at times implied and at times explicit,” Fairbrother said. “For our production, I brought in Joe Wright, a professional fight director, to ensure only modern, safe and compelling stage combat practices are used. The students have loved getting even more physical in their acting!”
There are currently more than 40 students in the drama program, in grades nine through 12, plus one seventh grader who is involved in various capacities. Depending on their roles, students were called to rehearsal two to five times per week.
The major cast includes senior Axel Cochran as Barbara, sophomore Tahj Logan-Brown as Johnny, senior Kayden Morton-Tellis as Ben, junior Timothy Hawk as Harry Cooper, sophomore Malaysia Hicks as Helen Cooper, seventh grader Miya Paschall as Karen Cooper, senior Preston Blaze as Tom, and sophomore Aubrie Kelly as Judy.
Quinn Beverlin, a junior, is the stage manager, assisted by junior Dylan America and senior Bria Collins. The lighting and sound team is led by sophomore Aubrie Kelly and senior Jayla Gaines under the guidance of Hazel Park High School alumni Nick Lemere (Class of 2012) — now a teacher at Hoover Elementary — and Jeremiah Kemp (Class of 2025), now a technical theater undergrad at Wayne State University, as well as Matthew Bobzien, a professional lighting designer and MFA student at Eastern Michigan University.
“This drama program has a place for anyone willing to collaborate, act with kindness and demonstrate reliability,” Fairbrother said. “Most new members join without having even seen any theater except for the matinee performances our drama program invited them to attend while they were in junior high and elementary. We attract young people of varying interests and aptitudes: the trades, business, the arts, etc.”
Hazel Park Public Schools Superintendent Amy Wilcox said Hazel Park Drama always has a lot of fun with their productions.
“Our (drama program) continues to entertain our community and students,” she said. “I’m confident this fall’s play will be full of ghoulish adventures!”
Fairbrother said the program has been transformative for many students. He described the case of a girl who had been a reliable but quiet member working out of sight backstage, but then he challenged her to step outside her comfort zone and find her voice. She then joined the cast for “James and the Giant Peach.”
After the show, her father approached Fairbrother.
“Her father thanked me tearfully, admitting he had never thought he would get to see his daughter singing and dancing in front of a huge crowd,” Fairbrother said. “That was so gratifying and reminds me why I do what I do.”