Comedy and horror don’t always go hand in hand, but Space 55 Theatre in downtown Phoenix is up for the challenge. “The First Annual Bookburners Convention” is the new cosmic horror play written by Ashley Naftule and directed by Dennis Frederick at Space 55.
Naftule was inspired by his experience at a used bookstore and his love of horror fiction to create his new story.
“It started turning from a workplace comedy to a cosmic horror story. It’s about a slacker who works at a used bookstore when one day a shifty customer comes in and sells a strange book,” said Naftule, “(The slacker) ends up stealing the book for himself which causes a lot of problems because a lot of strange people who come looking for it aren’t human.”
Naftule has been involved with Space 55 for six years, working as an actor, playwright and volunteer. His play “Ear” premiered at Space 55 last season and when the theatre was planning it’s new season, Naftule knew the new one would fit right in.
“The people who are working on the play, I couldn’t be happier with,” Naftule said. “The cast is doing phenomenal work. It came together really beautifully and I’m very happy with how it’s going.”
Sky Donovan plays Francis Neville, the employee who decides to keep the strange book for himself. Donovan said he believes the play is a huge success for the cosmic horror genre.
“I think that it is a really good stepping stone and that there are some really cool themes and urban legends that people might have otherwise not have known about,” Donovan said. “It really opens a limitless world of additional content and additional thought experiment and exercise.”
Donovan is a huge fan of cosmic horror. To him, the genre exposes people to a thought process they probably have never considered before.
“Some of the most important themes of cosmic horror are to manage to close off and come to a conclusion while still keeping things open-ended and people are still inspired to keep thinking about it,” said Donovan.
With “The First Annual Bookburners Convention,” Donovan hopes to help people think outside of the box.
“I think people should want to know more,” Donovan said. “They should have questions, that they may or may not have answered. They should feel inspired to speculate, or fill in details that they may not think should be there, and create a thought experiment in addition to having the theatrical experience.”
Artistic Director John Perovich produces and selects all of the shows for Space 55.
“I also bring together the artists for the shows and I try to make the best teams that I possibly can to produce those show,” said Perovich.
Perovich said he hopes “The First Annual Bookburners Convention” inspires audiences in a way they are not used to.
“I hope the audience is fascinated with the piece and that they’re inspired to think about what a play can do in terms of storytelling,” said Perovich, “It’s a very unique sort of experience when you go to a theater and you don’t know what you are going to see because it’s the first time the play is ever getting done.”
Because of the unique experience, Naftule hopes his audiences can enjoy his story in their own ways.
“Sure, I want them to laugh or be a little disturbed by some part of it,” he said. “But ultimately what I find fascinating about art are people’s varying reactions to it. I love hearing what people get out of it because often times people pull things from it that I never thought of at all.”
If you’re looking for a different experience at the theater, then Naftule’s new show is the one for you.
“I think people should come and see the production if they are looking for something that’s different, offbeat, indie, and alternative,” Perovich said. “I want people to know that if they come they are going to have a great time, and they won’t be able to predict what’s happening. It’s both shocking and entertaining.”
“The First Annual Bookburners Convention” will be running from Sept. 7 to 30. The last show is a matinee Sept. 30 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
For questions, contact the reporter at ldiethelm@asu.edu.
Lisa Diethelm is the Politics editor for the Downtown Devil while she studies at The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in downtown Phoenix. She grew up in California and started her journalism career in high school.
