View to a Thrill

October's end is near, bringing us closer to Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations. Even the weather is contributing to the mood. Dark days are upon us as we use these seasonal celebrations to contemplate the meanings of death, mortality and the soul's essence.

In sync with the season, Hollywood is ready to unleash plenty of film fare to provide people with catharsis for discharging anxiety about death. Up next... "Paranormal Activity 2." But may I recommend live theater as alternative form of entertainment?

A few weeks ago I attended a performance of Delondra William's play, "Skeleton Stories" at Theatre of Note in Hollywood. It's a story about a young girl's efforts to rescue her mother's soul in the Mesoamerican Underworld of the Dead. Using animation, lighting effects, mixed media, puppetry and masks, director Bill Voorhees has created one of the most eye-catching productions that I've ever seen. It's as if Julie Taymor adapted Gulliermo Del Toro's movie, "Hell Boy," for the stage.

I leave you with some photographs of the production but this is something you should experience in person. The play runs every weekend through November 6th.