LA LLORONA, DRACULA'S GUEST and THE MONK Set for Unbound Productions' WICKED LIT 2014, Now thru 11/8

Unbound Productions Executive Director Jonathan Josephson, Artistic Director Paul Millet, and Producing Artistic Director Jeff G. Rack have announced the line-up for WICKED LIT 2014, the 6th annual immersive theatre event that will take place at Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery in Altadena, California.

The production will run from today, October 3-November 8, 2014 and feature world premiere adaptations of the Mexican Legend La Llorona, adapted by Josephson (2013 Humana Festival of New American Plays) and directed by Millet (Smoke and Mirrors, 2012 LA Times Critic's Pick); Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest (the previously unpublished first chapter of the novel Dracula), adapted by John Leslie (Amazing Stories fiction contest winner) and directed by Rack (Ovation Award winner), and The Monk, inspired by the 1796 novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, adapted by Douglas Clayton (The 24th Annual LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards), and directed by Debbie McMahon (Grand Guignolers). The production will also include a pre-show and interstitial "frame" inspired by the German Wulpurgisnacht festival of the dead, conceived and directed by Charlie Mount (Against the Wall, 2014 LA Times Critic's Pick) and Aurora Long (On the Edge Theatre Productions).

"For our 6th Wicked Production, we have assembled the biggest creative team that we have ever had," said Rack, who also oversees the production design and special effects for the event. "Last year's show had a total of four playwrights and directors building the event, this year we have eight creative minds breathing life into WICKED LIT."

Said Millet, "Every year, we push ourselves to instill WICKED LIT with more surprises and more creative ways to tell great classic stories. We have become known as a Halloween event but we take great pride in our commitment to playwrights and our theatrical work." La Llorona, Dracula's Guest, and The Monk are the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd play to receive their world premiere from Unbound.

WICKED LIT 2013 played to 99.6% capacity over six weeks and drew nearly 2,200 patrons to Altadena. The immersive event was named "Best Halloween Attraction of 2013" by Hollywood Gothique (ahead of Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights and Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary) and Broadwayworld exclaimed "I see why the shows sell out every year!"

WICKED LIT 2014 will run six weeks with additional midweek performances added, increasing the capacity to nearly 3,000. Behind-the-scenes "Insider Tours" will be led after every performance, for an additional fee, allowing a small number of guests to get insight from the creators of the show while touring the Mausoleum.

"The audience and critical response to our show has been astounding, said Josephson. "Our Insider Tours will give our patrons unprecedented access to our creative process. We have also made other customer service improvements to the show, such as enhanced restrooms and a more interactive lobby experience."

WICKED LIT audiences will experience three short plays as they are led through the grounds of the mausoleum and cemetery by Storyguides. WICKED LIT is a walking show - patrons must be able to comfortably walk a minimum of 2,000 paces and climb stairs in order to experience this production. WICKED LIT 2014 contains mature themes, theatrical violence, and adult situations - the production is recommended for audiences ages 13+. The running time will be approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with two intervals.

The first annual WICKED LIT production was staged in 2009 on the grounds of Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Since that time, over 6,000 patrons have enjoyed full productions of adaptations of authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Robert E. Howard, Washington Irving, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and many others at Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery and installation events throughout Southern California.

The mission of Unbound Productions, the theatre company that produces WICKED LIT is to reimagine timeless stories for new audiences by creating immersive, theatrical adaptations of literature.

Visit wickedlit.org for complete pricing and scheduling details. WICKED LIT is also on Facebook.

THE PLAYS

La Llorona
Adapted by Jonathan Josephson
Directed by Paul Millet

The Mexican folk legend La Llorona ("The Weeping Woman") tells the story of a desperate mother who murders her children by drowning them in a river. But what compels her to commit such an atrocious act? Fear? Insanity? Spite? Conveyed through dialogue, storytelling, dance, song, and music, this new adaptation will plunge audiences into five different perspectives of this haunting cautionary tale. Beginning with the legend's historical origins in 16th Century Mexico and ending in modern day Los Angeles with a story that was inspired by actual events, this senses-blasting theatrical event is unlike anything ever produced by Unbound Productions.

Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest
Adapted by John Leslie
Directed by Jeff G. Rack

Determined Brit, Jonathan Harker has travelled to Romania to meet with a mysterious Count about selling him property in London - but he can't get a coach. He is only a few miles from his destination in the Transylvania mountains, but on Walpurgisnacht, only one man is willing to make the sacrifice to get him up the hill. What are the villagers so afraid of? Originally written to be the first chapter of the groundbreaking horror novel Dracula. This chilling short story was published posthumously by Stoker's wife in 1914.

The Monk, inspired by the novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis
Adapted by Douglas Clayton
Directed by Debbie McMahon

Evil can take many forms - especially in Inquisition-era Spain. Matilda has journeyed to Madrid to seek the help of a clergyman who is known not only for his skills as an orator but for his ability to help those oppressed by the church. To what lengths will she go to secure her future - and at whose expense? This stylized, lyrical production examines the faces of sin in all of its many forms.

PERFORMANCES AND TICKETS:

October 3 - November 8, 2014, Limited engagement!
Thursday, October 2 (preview)
Friday-Sunday, Oct 3-5;
Wednesday-Sunday, Oct 8-12;
Wednesday-Sunday, Oct 15-19;
Wednesday-Sunday, Oct 22-26;
Wednesday-Sunday, Oct 29-Nov 2
Wednesday-Saturday, Nov 5-8

All performances will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $39-70, see website for details. Insider Tours will be available for an additional $25. For more information go to wickedlit.org or call (323) 332-2065. Performances take place at the Mountain View Mausoleum & Cemetery, 2300 N. Marengo Ave. Altadena CA 91001. Free parking on the grounds. Please consult a map before driving to the Mausoleum.

ABOUT UNBOUND PRODUCTIONS - Founded by Jonathan Josephson, Paul Millet, and Jeff G. Rack, the mission of Unbound Productions is to create new adaptations of classic literature as a way of reimagining great stories for new audiences. With its flagship theatre festival Wicked Lit, and its newest projects History Lit and Mystery Lit, Unbound takes pride in engaging in ambitious storytelling and creating surprising and impactful theatrical experiences.

ABOUT WICKED LIT - The scope of Wicked Lit is to create dynamic new adaptations of classic horror literature. Wicked Lit launched its inaugural production in 2009 at the haunted Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. From 20010-2013, Wicked Lit productions took place at Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery in Altadena. Wicked Lit installations) have been produced at the Los Angeles Millennium Biltmore Hotel in conjunction with the 2011 Theatre Communications Group National Conference (Mark Twain's A Ghost Story), ScareLA at the LA Mart (Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart), and Strub Manion at the Historic Mayfield Senior School (Algernon Blackwood's The Doll). In addition to full productions and installations, Unbound has mounted over 100 staged readings of Wicked Lit plays since 2008. Readings have taken place at theatres, libraries, schools, festivals, and special events all over Southern California including the Pasadena ArtWalk, West Hollywood Book Fair, Long Beach ComicCon, and many others.

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