←Recommendations of The Hanging Girl

A great Halloween (and any time) read! As a lover of horror movies, I'm always on the lookout for plays that satisfy that itch but in a theatrical way that only live theater can. As we wind back and forth through time and through different theatrical realities, the mystery of the "hanging girl" and of Sonny's connection to her becomes clearer and clearer in exciting and tension-filled ways. This piece combines movement theater, folklore/urban legend, interesting and naturally written teenage characters, and much more. I'd love to see this staged--would be super cool in an environmental setup!

I think most people can remember some sort of urban myth associated with their hometown. Mine involved a mysterious recluse named “Hatchet Jack.” And millenials will probably forever remember when “Slenderman” invaded their phones. Aleks Merilo has frighteningly expanded the lore with his outstanding play “The Hanging Girl.” The story offers a terrifying local legend grounded in a plausible reality. His title character presents wild opportunities for a performer with a dance and movement background, and the play would be exciting for directors with a passion for creating suspense and dread. Highly recommended. I want to see this one!

We as an audience are gifted first with an illicit high school party, then watch, mesmerized, as it turns into a ghost story before our eyes, building to a shattering exploration of the past's impact upon the present. Like the haunting tale Sonny sucks his friends in with, Merilo captures us before we even suspect we've been snagged. Thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing.