Terror on the Stage: Remembering Slumber Party in a Dangerous Land By Brian Kirst

In May of 1992, a burgeoning Illinois theater company, Theater Wyrzuc, combined the slasher-female revenge flick with some feministic moralizing for their extremely low budget production of an original work, Slumber Party in a Dangerous Land. With the recent advent of such Chicagoan theater companies as Wild Claw, Scooty and Jo Jo and New Millennium, whom regularly bring cult and terror flavor to the jagged boards, now seems like a good time to salute the hardworking (underpaid) cast that brought a bloody vision to life in the early 90’s.

Slumber Party chronicled the misadventures of a young cast of B-Movie actresses (and one faded country singer) touring a show about women’s rights. After their performance in the hometown of one of the actresses, the women are attacked (with two of their members eventually being murdered) by a group of angry townsmen. Taking its cue from Straw Dogs, I Spit on Your Grave and the ilk, the women strike back by castrating one of their attackers. Drawing, once again, on the demented energy of exploitation and twisted 1970’s grind house flicks, the town sheriff covers up the crime, blackmailing the surviving members of the troop into committing a vigilante crime wave across the country. (And while the production was relatively bloodless – relying on strong poetic imagery and simple set pieces – the ‘amputating’ platform was spray painted a deep red symbolizing the violence at hand.)

Filled with veteran performers such as Marian Carol (who appeared in many industrials, stage productions and an Academy Award nominated short film), Kelly Jones (a one-time professional model and one of Ron Howard’s many firefighters in Backdraft) and Tom Rakness along with talented newcomers – Michele Mastrodomenico (who has continued to appear in national commercials, music videos and industrials to this day), Andrea Stark (a well regarded theatrical and voice instructor), Klahr Thorsen (a sought after stage actress in San Francisco), the graceful Virginia Schneider, energetic Mary Elizabeth Baugh and the lovely Jessica Levy (whom recalls being able to gather strong emotional significance from the afore mentioned blood red set piece) as the leader of the troupe, Karen Quigley, Slumber Party divided some critics – but all praised the ferocious intensity of its passionate cast. Indeed, one must honor not only these performers – but all storefront stage performers in general – who give so much and receive so little permanent recognition or cultural remembrance in the long run.

An early effort at paying homage to the horror films of the 70’s and 80’s (while addressing the power of feminine resolve) Slumber Party also bowed down before the mysterious beauty of the scream queen, as well, by basing its character’s names around the terror goddesses of the day including Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, Karen Mayo Chandler, Shelley Abblett (from Blood Games – the film most directly responsible for inspiring Slumber Party) and Melissa Moore. (In fact, in a weird state of symbiosis, the original issue of Femme Fatales magazine – the now classic publication devoted to terror queens of all avenues- first hit newsstands during Slumber Party’s run.)

Just like those beauties (some deceased or long gone from the performing field), Slumber Party will live on in the hearts of those lucky enough to see it in that late Spring of 1992.