Acadia Players’ ‘Holy Ground’ opens Friday night

The Acadia Players have a new production premiering this weekend, and it sure is an interesting one.
The play, “Holy Ground,” bills itself as “A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Semi-Musical in an Immersion Environment.”
Try saying that five times fast.
The premise of the tale is that evil has consumed the world and rendered most of mankind soulless “zombies.” A handful of survivors find a safe haven in a rural church and, by accident, they find that they hold the “cure” to the horror that surrounds them.
Not counting the zombies, this is a six-person play that could best be described as an “action musical.”
In fact, there are, by far, more action scenes in this play than in any other of the Acadia Players’ recent productions, and the cast should be commended for making them believable.
Although this is not a traditional horror story, the “creep” factor is high. Soulless creatures inhabit the lobby and loiter about during the show, creating an environment that causes the hair on the back of one’s neck to stand straight up. So, kudos to the zombies – Ashley Turner, Louis Mire, Andrew Mire, Sawyer Bourque, Jude Schexnyder, Shage Guyness and, when she is not in the role of Molly, Amanda Caldwell.
Most of the actors are well prepared and strong in their roles.
Of particular note is Frank Andrus Jr., who was profiled in the Feb. 12 issue of this paper. After graduating from Crowley High School in 2009, Andrus went on to graduate from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Since then, he has traveled all over the country and been involved in all sorts of creative endeavors.
When The Post-Signal interviewed him in February, Andrus had just arrived back in Crowley and could not say how long he would be here, stating, “Probably until I feel it’s time to leave again.”
Well, the Acadia Players and Crowley theater-goers are the lucky beneficiaries of his having stayed put for a minute as he takes the stage in the role of Art in this performance.
Andrus’ voice is, quite simply, amazing. The show opens in a darkened theater with Andrus singing somewhere off-stage, leaving the audience in an almost trance-like state. Later, near the end of the show, Andrus performs “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” and that performance alone is worth the admission price.
And, of course, watching Andrus act is also a pleasure. He seems to have just wandered out of an episode of “The Walking Dead” and onto the Acadia Players’ stage.
There are two roles that are filled by two different people, so who is in what role will vary from production to production. The role of Molly is played by Caldwell and Samantha Leger, and the role of Delia is played by Alyson Hetzel and Lily Mire.
Mire does an excellent job in the role of Delia, particularly hitting stride in the church confessional scene.
But Hetzel is right up there with her in terms of performance. She makes her character a star of the show as soon as she takes the stage.
Also performing well in their roles are Taylor Fontenot as Bea and Ron Ronkartz as Father Jude.
The part of Turk is played by Jason Werth Jr.
Sometimes the tale is hard to follow, but that is at least in part attributable to the script, which is not the most cohesive example of story-telling.
If the cast is able to pick up that slack, this show will be a success.
“Holy Ground” is written by D.M. Larson and is being directed by P.E. Ronkarz, with Tori Bourque as assistant director. Behind the scenes are Ashley Turner and Jennifer Mire heading up lights and sound and Sheila Lawson, who was in charge of poster and program art.
The show opens Friday night with a 7 p.m. performance. There will be a follow-up performance Saturday night at 7, with a matinee Sunday afternoon at 2.
The show will keep the same schedule the following weekend, with 7 p.m. performances on Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28, and a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, May 29.
All performances will be at the Acadia Center for the Arts & Culture, 530 W. Mill St. in Crowley.
The audience is invited to join in the fun and immerse themselves in the action by dressing as zombies or survivors, but no weapons will be allowed in the center.
Attendees should be aware that this is not a production for young children and that certain themes or scenes may cause unease.
Tickets are $10 apiece and may be purchased at the door.
For more information call Patty Ronkartz at 581-8507 or visit the Acadia Players’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/theacadiaplayers/?fref=ts.