This year, the Sunflower Troupe will perform its first Halloween show, Maniac Lake, from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3. The show is also the world premiere and full production of the play, something the troupe noted is a Sunflower Theatre first.
“Truth, illusion and sanity are at play in this darkly humorous, postmodern horror story,” the troupe said.
The show also “represents a new direction” for the theater, as it is rated R, for mature, adult audiences only.
“Maniac Lake is a bumpy ride filled with twists and turns, punctuated with one huge final revelation and a terrifying ending,” the troupe said. “It's not all scary, though. This racy, dark-humored script will make you giggle and squirm in the same moment.”
The play was written by fourth-generation Coloradan Jeff Carey, who died of ALS in 2019. His sister Julie Carey shared his script with the troupe. According to the troupe, Jeff spent 30 years completing this play, with the completion of Act I in 1987 and Act 2 in 1989.
“The complete version of Maniac Lake was workshopped at the Denver’s Avenue Theater in 2016 and Benchmark Theater in 2017, but never fully produced until its 2024 world premier at our very own Sunflower Theatre,” Julie Carey said.
Jeff Carey was born and raised in Denver. Julie Carey told The Journal that from early childhood, Jeff wanted to do anything that was creative.
“All Jeff wanted to do was create, whether it was drawing, painting, acting, writing or making films with his Super 8 camera, most of which featured dramatic death scenes,” Julie said.
She added that Halloween was his favorite time of the year, and he even turned their old Victorian home into a “booming haunted house enterprise” for his Eagle Scout project.
“As his little sister, when I wasn't attending his performances, I was recruited to act in his creative projects,” Julie said. “He courageously fought a lifelong heavyweight battle with bipolar disorder, an experience which colored much of his work.”
Carey earned his BFA in acting at New York University and an MFA in Playwrighting at the National Theater Conservatory. He was also a member of the playwrights unit at the Denver Center Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons and the Organic Theatre Company in Chicago.
His plays have been produced across the country and in London, England.
He worked for Hades Haunted House in Chicago for 10 years acting and designing before he began developing content for the website Haunted America.
He published five children’s books and write six children’s plays, which have been produced by Creede Repertory Theater, The Coterie in Kansas City and Maple Tree Repertory.
Carey was also a visual artist and had a “one-man retrospective show” of over 300 pieces of his art at the Phantom Gallery in Denver and the San Diego Art Institute. He authored and illustrated many children’s books and magazines as well as creating the “iconic” character Reynard Blanc from the two-volume serial cyber-novel “Reynard Blanc.”
His work, “both haunted and whimsical,” can be found on his website www.tjeffersoncarey.com.
“Jeff always strived to put his audiences in the position where they didn’t know quite how to feel, whether it was to laugh, be horrified or cry,” Julie Carey said.
Some of the troupe cast members include Gene Reininger and Hattie Miller, who play a “passionate” couple on a date at a “haunted” remote cabin in the mountains. Miller, along with playing one of the characters, also directs the play. Aaron Lesse plays Officer Burke.
“I was immediately drawn to Maniac Lake. From the title, to the awkwardness of the characters, to the daring topics intertwined with the full array of human emotions,” Miller told The Journal. “I immediately knew I wanted to direct it as a Halloween show for the grown ups.”
The haunted cabin is based off Carey’s family cabin near Conifer, Colorado, according to the troupe.
“He wasn’t afraid to mention the unmentionable and he does it in such a playful way. I immediately connected with the humanity of it all,” Miller shared. “I wanted to share that with the community in hopes that we can all feel a little safer being our authentic selves.”
Miller added that she hopes the show will help bring awareness to mental illness.
“Carey shines the spotlight on mental illness, something he struggled with most of his life,” Miller said. “It creates a unique window into the mind of someone who struggles with conditions like depression, bipolar and psychosis. I am hopeful that this production will help our community gain understanding and compassion for anyone dealing with these conditions, whether it is themselves or someone they love.”
Opening weekend will take place on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. The following weekend, there will be a 7 p.m. showing on Friday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 2. Sunday, Nov. 3 will also have a show time at 7 p.m., but will also offer a matinee at 2 p.m.
Ticket information can be found online at www.sunflowertheatre.org/events/maniac-lake-a-halloween-play/.
