The Light Fantastic
Written by Ike Holter
World Premiere
Jackalope Theatre
May 9 – June 30, 2018
In an unremarkable town on an uneventful evening, something truly terrible occurs, and a small family is thrust into a tit-for-tat game of survival against forces that are far from human. The writer and director of Jackalope's smash hit Exit Strategy and the Roustabouts' summer blockbuster Put Your House in Order team up again for a world-premiere play that is equal parts drama and comedy, and brings old school horror into the now and new.
★★★½ OUT OF ★★★★
"Directed with smarts and sass by Gus Menary, “The Light Fantastic” is a mashup of horror and pointed commentary on poverty, homophobia, assisted suicide and – crucially – whether a flaming dumpster fire of a human can change her ways... A frightening thriller on so many levels... Jackalope achieves Amityville-worthy horrors... Get there."
-Chicago Sun Times
★★★★☆ OUT OF ★★★★★ !
"Ike Holter’s new play is smart, saucy, touching—and will scare you silly... Directed by Gus Menary, The Light Fantastic knows how to scare you out of nowhere and how to ratchet up the tension till you burst."
-Time Out
"A fascinating departure... It’s a show that wants you to jump in the night. And jump you most certainly will. All of those things happens very effectively in director Gus Menary’s juicy Jackalope production, which manages to be scary and suspenseful enough to elicit involuntary shouts and cries from the audience."
-Chicago Tribune
"Darkly playful...a testament to the whole concept of Chicago storefront theater."
-Chicago Reader
"A deliciously spooky thriller with a reverse Faustian twist."
-Rescripted
"The Chicago theatre equivalent of a blockbuster film."
-Newcity
"Nothing less than a fantastic night of theatre."
-Splash Magazine
Poster by Joel Maisonet and Jake Fruend / Photos by Joel Maisonet