ARTx3 Campus - George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead Live
All ARTx3 members receive these basic benefits:
l Quarterly mailer and postcards of upcoming events mailed to your home or business
l Discount on theater tickets
l 20% off class and summer camp tuition
l 50% off Live@5 and ART WORKS Presents admission
l Recognition listing in our Annual Report
calories, 2.6g carbs, 0.6g protein and 0.0g fat, per 12 oz.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
George Romero embarked upon his career in the film industry while attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Having gained experience creating television commercials, industrial films, and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood segments through his production company The Latent Image, a company he co-founded with his friend Russell Streiner, Romero felt that The Latent Image had the experience and equipment to produce a feature film and wanted to capitalize on the film industry’s “thirst for the bizarre.”
Inspired by Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend (1954), which explored a plague turning people into vampire-like creatures, Romero envisioned a different approach for Night of the Living Dead. He wanted to focus on how people would react as a disaster unfolded, rather than on its aftermath as Matheson had done.
The film’s tight budget shaped much of the production. The team rented a farmhouse set for demolition, which lacked running water, forcing some crew to bathe in a nearby creek. Basement scenes were shot in The Latent Image offices, and props were kept simple—chocolate syrup served as blood, and a butcher donated meat for the gory scenes. Zombie makeup started basic but became more detailed with mortician’s wax as filming went on.
Night of the Living Dead premiered Oct. 1, 1968, at the Fulton Theater in Pittsburgh. Since the MPAA film rating system wasn’t yet in place, children could attend the screening. Chicago critic Roger Ebert criticized this, noting the young audience’s shocked silence as the film’s grim events unfolded—marking a shift from traditional horror films.
The film went on to gross over $30 million worldwide (over 250 times its production budget), becoming one of the most profitable film ever made. Frequently identified as a touchstone in the development of the horror genre, retrospective scholarly analysis has focused on its reflection of the social and cultural changes in the United States during the 1960s, with particular attention towards the casting of Duane Jones, an African-American, in the leading role. The lead role was initially written for a white actor, but upon casting Jones, Romero intentionally did not alter the script to reflect this. The film appeared in theaters at a time when very few black actors played leading roles. In 1999, the film was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
The Catherine M. Bellamy Theater Proudly Presents
October 17-20, 2024
Written by CHRISTOPHER BOND , DALE BOYER and TREVOR MARTIN
Created by CHRISTOPHER HARRISON and PHIL PATTISON
Based on the original film Night of the Living Dead™, written by George A Romero and John Russo and produced by Russ Streiner. First produced by Nictophobia Films in Toronto in 2013. Recorded sound effects and music by Jamie Lamb and Mike Trebilcock. “Work Together” written by Christopher Bond, Jamie Lamb and Trevor Martin. Track Arrangement by Jamie Lamb and Mike Trebilcock.
“Night of the Living Dead Live” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. concordtheatricals.com
PLEASE NOTE:
Any video/audio recording or livestreaming is strictly prohibited.
This play is approximately 90 minutes long, with one 15-minute intermission.
LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR ........................................................ Jacob Evans
SET CONSTRUCTION/PAINTING .........
Jonathan R. Hoover, Sr., Will Witt, Raymond Wallace, Gregory Tatum, Jorge Arazoza, Briar Thompson, Ashley Hoover, Crystal Jennings, Lily Jennings, Violet Jennings, Briah West, Brayon West, Christopher Hale, Margaret Sides, Jacob Evans, Susan Carolan, Alice Weeley, Eria Kriner, Austin McCann
SPECIAL THANKS
Pine Bluff Arsenal Commanding Officer, COL. Collin K. Keenan
WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST
Jorge Arazoza HARRY
This is Jorge’s ARTx3 debut! In fact, he has never been in a production of any kind and thought this would be exciting, and we are so happy to have him! Jorge is a husband to an amazing wife and father to three great girls. They moved to Arkansas from Oregon in November of 2022. In his free time, Jorge enjoys playing video games, watching soccer, and spending time with his family. He has worked in sales and as an electrician.
Isaiah Austin VINCE
Isaiah, affectionately known as Zay by his family and friends, is excited to be returning to the Bellamy stage for the second show in a row! Previous acting roles include Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (Michael Wormwood/Ensemble), The Secret Garden (Dickon Sowerby), The Outsiders (Two-Bit), and White Hall High School’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Grandpa Joe), where he is a junior. He is starring in the movie Jason, Return from Hell and working on his acting career. He would like to warn everyone that he does swear in this show and the last time that happened, his grandmother yelled his name from the audience, so he would like to apologize in advance.
Deja Bates ZOMBIE
This is Deja’s ARTx3 debut! Deja Bates is the daughter of Taniya Austin and Antoine Walker. She is majoring in Criminal Justice at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She is a recent graduate of White Hall High School. Deja is a member of Highland Ministries in Pine Bluff. She has worked for The City of Pine Bluff summer program for the last three years. With aspirations to work in law, Deja is driven by a strong belief in justice, equality, and the importance of serving her community. She looks forward to becoming a leader in the field of criminal justice and ready to take on the world with a passion for learning and growth.
Susan Carolan ZOMBIE
Susan made her ARTx3 debut as “Greta” in our 2022 production of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, and she is so excited to be back! Susan also enjoys volunteering at the Pine Bluff Animal Control and the Delta Rivers Nature Center, and is a member of Heart and Hands Extension Homemakers Club and First Baptist Church, White Hall. She thanks her husband and family for supporting her in all of her endeavors.
WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST
Christopher Hale TV ANNOUNCER/ZOMBIE
Chris is so excited to be a part of this production! He was previously seen on the Bellamy stage as “Friar Laurence” in our 2004 production of Romeo and Juliet, and as “Ben Weatherstaff” in our 2024 production of The Secret Garden. Chris also worked on the tech crew for Puffs and Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. He enjoys reading, and is finishing his Bachelor of Science in Education at University of Arkansas Online.
Kaleb Hughes ZOMBIE
Kaleb is an award-winning autistic actor/comedian who has been taking the stage for the past 15 years! Here at ARTx3, Kaleb played “Doctor” in The Miracle Worker, “Little John” in The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood (a role which won him a 2023 Broadway World Award for Best Supporting Performer In A Play), and “Uncle the Pig” in Charlotte’s Web. He also appeared in 2022’s Miracle on Main. Kaleb has also appeared in several Grant County Theater productions, including “Dr. Barry” in Murder in the Air, “Officer Carl” in A Killer Prom, “Humpty-Dumpty” in Alice in Wonderland, and Final Bow. He was also seen in The Royal Theatre’s The SpongeBob Musical Kaleb lives in Sheridan with his family. You can see Kaleb’s friendly face at his local Circle K. Kaleb is planning on writing and directing a movie entitled Jaguar-man. He plans to go to Hollywood to continue his career in showbiz to try to land himself in a film and/or television show. But for now, he hopes to eat your brains when you come watch the show!
Crystal Jennings BARBRA
Crystal has been an ARTx3 volunteer since 2019, receiving the Good Egg Award in 2021 and the Bellamy Award in 2023. An incredibly talented artist, she has served as a set painter for many productions. When she serves as our props master, everyone knows that she will be able to find what we need, no matter how random the item might be! While she is always happy to help out behind the scenes, you might have also spotted Crystal’s appearances in Puffs, The Secret Garden, Three Murders and It’s Only Monday!, Meet the Creeps, Charlotte’s Web, and A Seussified Christmas Carol. She lives in Woodlawn with her husband Matthew, daughters Lily and Violet (who she loves sharing the stage with), and a menagerie of dogs and chickens.
WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST
Lily Jennings JUDY
Lily has been in ARTx3’s theater productions since she was 9, both on the stage and behind the scenes. Some of her previous shows include Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (Ensemble), The Secret Garden (Martha Sowerby), Charlotte’s Web (Edith Zuckerman), The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood (Fawning Lady), Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall (The Evil Queen), and her favorite onstage role “Helen Keller” in The Miracle Worker. She has also volunteered her talents building and painting sets, and working on the backstage crew. She is the daughter of Matthew and Crystal Jennings of Woodlawn and big sister to Violet. She is a 2023 Good Egg Award recipient.
Violet Jennings KAREN
Violet has been performing since she was 6. Previous credits include The Secret Garden (Agnes), Charlotte’s Web (Wilbur), Miracle on Main: A Holiday Special (Ensemble), The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood (Beulah), A Seussified Christmas Carol (Ensemble), A Charlie Brown Christmas (Sally), The Miracle Worker (Percy), and Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall (Blingy). Violet has also helped build and paint sets for many of our productions. Violet is the daughter of Matthew and Crystal Jennings of Woodlawn, and little sister to Lily.
Erica Kriner HELEN
Erica has been involved in a number of productions at ARTx3 over the last year, playing “Beatrice Smith” in Three Murders and It’s Only Monday! and “Mrs. Medlock” in The Secret Garden. She also performed in Razzle Dazzle: A Holiday Spectacular in 2023, and was the Stage Manager for Puffs. Outside of the theater, Erica enjoys travel, animals, and board games. She offers a warm thanks to all the members of ARTx3 who bought tickets to this production.
Austin McCann JOHNNY
This is Austin’s sixth year in performing arts, and he was seen previously in our productions of A Christmas Story, The Outsiders, and The Play That Goes Wrong: High School Edition. He also participates in the theater program and is in the marching band at Sheridan High School, where he is a senior. Austin is pumped to come back for another show on this stage!
WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST
Margaret Sides ZOMBIE
This is Margaret’s ARTx3 debut, and she is so excited to be taking the stage for the very first time in the Catherine M. Bellamy Theater! Well … the first time you’ll SEE her onstage, that is. Margaret was a huge help backstage during The Secret Garden and often volunteers alongside her children to work in the lobby during our productions. She was also part of a play in Cleveland County. Margaret enjoys collaborating with her kids in theater, both on and off stage.
Greg “The Shogun” Tatum RADIO VOICE/ZOMBIE
This is Greg’s ARTx3 debut! Lover of all things acting since childhood, he has always felt it was his purpose in life to entertain the world! With his “never meet strangers” attitude, he loves being a part of bringing creations to life and brings a lifetime of passion and dedication as he “adopts” any project his name is attached to as his own. Greg is the owner of GActsiT Entertainment, formerly known as ShoNuff Voice Acting. Open for representation, bookings in film, voiceover, commercial, and theater, Greg would love for you to contact him today and work together to see your vision through to fruition.
Briar Thompson TOM
Briar is excited to be back on the Catherine M. Bellamy Theater stage! He was just recently seen as “Oliver Rivers” in Puffs earlier this year. Briar has been volunteering here for 11 years, doing shows since he was 9 years old. He is the assistant bookkeeper at Connect Bank in his hometown of Star City.
Raymond Wallace BEN
Raymond Wallace is 25 years old, an Eagle Scout, and an ARTx3 employee. Previous acting roles include The Play That Goes Wrong: High School Edition (Inspector Carter/Chris), The Secret Garden (Mr. Craven), and Puffs (Cedric/Mr. Voldy). “If it’s your first time coming to see a show, thanks for dropping by! I hope to see your lovely faces again. If you’ve been here before, welcome back! We’re always happy to have you. Your being here makes these months of rehearsals and set construction so much sweeter! I hope to see y’all again at other shows or programs during the year. *wink* That was weird ... I’m sorry. Don’t be creeped ou-”
WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST
Alice Weeley ZOMBIE
Alice, a ninth grader at Explore Academy, loves being part of the theater program at ARTx3! She made her debut in The Play That Goes Wrong: High School Edition and was also in Charlotte’s Web. Alice enjoys many different forms of art, including theater, drawing, and singing. She is a dog mom to a very bossy beagle. Alice enjoys school and aspires to get a medical degree either as an anesthesiologist or a radiologist.
Braylon West ZOMBIE
This is Braylon’s ARTx3 debut! An aspiring actor with big dreams, his inspirations are Timothee Chalamet and Samuel L. Jackson. Braylon is having fun during this production and completely ignoring the fact that he has really bad stage fright (We bet you couldn’t even tell! That’s just how good of an actor he is!). He also loves spending time playing video games. Whether onstage or in the game, Braylon is always up for a challenge.
Briah West ZOMBIE
This is Briah’s ARTx3 debut! She first became interested in performing when she participated in one of our acting workshops a few months ago, and discovered that acting could be a fun new hobby for her. Briah also enjoys playing football, basketball, and boxing.
Will Witt ZOMBIE
Will is excited to be back on the Bellamy stage! He has just returned from a small stint at the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in New York City and is planning to return next fall to obtain his bachelor’s degree. Some of Will’s past credits include “Johnathan” in The Play that Goes Wrong: High School Edition and “Darry” in The Outsiders.
WHO’S WHO IN THE CREW
Jonathan R. Hoover, Sr. DIRECTOR / CHIEF McCLELLAND
Jonathan R. Hoover is a contractor for GSA at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. A Jefferson County resident originally from Watson Chapel, he has either been in the cast or crew of most ASC productions for the past 17 years. His favorite past shows include Bus Stop, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Outsiders. He and his wonderful wife, Shannon, are the proud parents of three beautiful children. Jonathan is a collector of comics, retro video games, and autographed memorabilia. He is also an avid sports fan, primarily football, boxing, and the sport of kings: professional wrestling.
Lindsey Collins STAGE MANAGER
Lindsey is the Assistant Director for the ARTx3 Campus. Over the past 20-plus years, she has appeared in several productions, including Hairspray (Velma VonTussle), Gypsy (Mamma Rose), and numerous Razzle Dazzle productions. She also directed ARTx3’s productions of Sister Act, Legally Blonde The Musical, A Christmas Story, Clue: At Home Version, 9 to 5 The Musical, Razzle Dazzle: The Show Must Go On, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Miracle on Main: A Holiday Special, Steel Magnolias, Rock of Ages, and Razzle Dazzle: A Holiday Spectacular. Her extremely understanding and supportive husband, Jeff, has been putting up with her for over 16 years, and together they pass the time by attempting to raise a couple of extraordinary and likable humans, Dorian (19) and Caylex (15).
SUPPORTING ROLES
ARTS & SCIENCE CENTER BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Pia Woods, Chair
Dr. Iry Rice, Vice Chair
Sandra Fisher, Secretary
Tracy Sutherland, Treasurer
Tom Bennett, Immediate Past-Chair
Tavante Calhoun, Lazenie Collins, Dr. Tasnuva Enam, Teki Hunt-Jimenez, Dr. Jerry Ingram, Jodie Jolly, Portia Jones, Florence Love, Dr. Stacy Pfluger, Scott Robinson, Laura Beth Shaner, Shalisha Thomas
ARTS & SCIENCE CENTER ENDOWMENT FUND, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Troy DeBill, President
Julie Bridgforth , Vice-President
Tom Richard, Secretary
Tracy Sutherland, Treasurer
Tom Bennett, Martin Carty, Annette Kline, Wendy Talbot, Pia Woods
ART x 3 CENTER STAFF
Lindsey Collins, Interim Director
Kevin Haynie, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions
Cynthia Gaddy, Administrative & Finance Manager
Shakeelah Rahmaan, Programs Director
Erica Kriner, Development Coordinator
Matthew Howard, Visitor Relations Coordinator
Shannon Frazeur, Communications Coordinator
Dorian Henry, Gallery & Collections Assistant
Bethany Gere, Public Programs Coordinator — The ARTSpace on Main
Martin Carty, Facilities Manager — The ARTSpace on Main
Kayla Earnest, Theater Assistant — The ARTSpace on Main
