Submitted photo The Davis & Elkins College Theatre & Film program is excited to present ‘Very Still and Hard to See’ written by Steve Yockey today through Saturday.

ELKINS – The Davis & Elkins College Theatre & Film program is excited to present “Very Still and Hard to See” written by Steve Yockey today through Saturday.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Harper McNeely Auditorium at the Myles Center for the Arts on the campus of Davis & Elkins College.

Originally presented in Los Angeles in 2012, “Very Still and Hard to See” is a cycle of seven loosely connected horror-themed plays that all take place in a classic California hotel. From riding in an erratic elevator and dealing with possessive ghosts to managing an ever-expanding hole in the floor armed only with cleaning supplies, these encounters with the unknown chillingly collapse the distance between the real and the surreal.

Director and Assistant Professor of Film & Theatre Lonnie Martin has added musical interludes between the short plays to lean into an obscure form of French theatre from the early 20th century.

“Le Theatre du Grand-Guignol was an underground performance space in Paris that presented horror-themed cabarets that specialized in short and often very gory short plays. It was intimate, which added to the wild nature of it all,” Martin said.

“Whether he meant to or not, Yockey’s play has the structure that lends itself into creating that kind of experience. Adding musical numbers has really created that classic nightclub vibe.”

To enhance this experience, audience members for D&E performance will be seated on the stage. Guests are being asked to enter through the loading dock of the Harper Mac Auditorium, located around the back of the Myles Center. Multiple signs and ushers will be available to assist audiences in locating the correct entrance.

Martin adds, “It seems like counter-programing for spring, but while dealing with dark and genuinely scary, there’s a lot of levity in Yockey’s writing as well. That mix of scary and funny has really connected with our students.”

Junior Kyia McGill plays The Obake and Mud Woman, two of the monsters that inhabit the hotel.

“Being able to be in a show like Very Still and Hard to See has been such a fun challenge,” she said. “Every day, this process and the roles I play push me to my physical and mental limits, and I come out of every rehearsal with a new feeling of accomplishment and pride in myself. Never in my life would I ever have imagined playing such a terrifying villain. I highly encourage anyone looking for a bit of a thrill to come and see the show! Our actors have put so much work into this.”

Freshman Sidney Apanowicz, who plays “Shikigami 1” and “Guest” in the production, said, “Being a part of this show has been such a great experience so far! I’m really looking forward to hitting the stage and sharing what the amazing cast and crew has been working on so hard on!”

Additional cast members for the show include Caden Blizzard, Star Eakle, Roger “Doug” Gabbert III, Giovanni Romero, Quinn Staunton, Nicole Schumacher, and Becca Thacker. The design team and back stage crew members include Cindy Marie Martin (Scenic Design and Choreography) Adalia (Costume Design), Emma Engle (Hairr and Make-up), Eric Armstrong (Lighting Design), Jonathan Shields (Sound Design), and Donna Baroudi Huffman (Musical Directio. The stage crew consists of Heather Humphrey, Natasha Mackey, Victoria Noonan, Thomas Butler, Nina Arbogast and Corey Price. The box office team is Willow Ferguso and Maggie Gunning,

Please note the play includes profanity. It also depicts intimate partner violence and has a reference to child abuse.

To reserve a ticket for the upcoming show, visit the D&E Theater website or call the Box Office at 304-637-1255.