Outcry Theatre presents House of Stairs

House of Stairs

Directed by Jason Johnson-Spinos

My thoughts on Outcry Theatre’s House of Stairs or…with every step you take I’ll be watching you.

Outcry Theatre Presents

House of Stairs

Adapted from the book by William Sleator

by Jason Johnson-Spinos

Directed by Jason Johnson-Spinos

Choreographed by Becca Johnson-Spinos

House of Stairs is a strange, but always intriguing piece of theater. Five teenagers arrive at a place where there is nothing but stairs leading to more stairs. They are all orphans but seem to have nothing else in common. The drama comes from their interactions as they try to adapt to their new reality in the sterile dystopian world in which they find themselves.

 I never knew where this play was going as the five characters form bonds. They try to please an unseen presence that provides them food through a machine that must be coaxed into releasing the food. The characters even start to perform bizarre dance rituals. For a while, I thought it was going to become Lord of the Flies, but where this plot goes is completely unpredictable, and therein lies the creepy fun of watching House of Stairs.

This cast of five teens, dressed as you might encounter them on the street, is exemplary. Marcy Bogner, Apache Browne, Samantha Garcia, Stori James, and Adrian Theisen all deliver confident, convincing performances in roles that would challenge seasoned professionals. Director Jason Johnson-Spinos keeps the action fast paced but allows time for the audience to become familiar with each character.

The cast gets a cardio workout at each performance traversing all those steps in the set designed by Jason Johnson-Spinos. The set looks like it could have been a part of the Starship Enterprise, especially in the eerie lighting designed by Libby Jantz and Jason Johnson-Spinos.

House of Stairs is unsettling, exciting, and perplexing. I’m still not certain what happened at the end, but I really didn’t mind as the journey to get there was thrilling and the young performers kept me constantly engaged.