Video: In space, no one can hear you scream. But in a high school auditorium? That’s a whole different story. Alien Anthology has released a new behind the scenes look at that high school play about Alien, whose encore performance got a surprise visit from Alien series star Sigourney Weaver. And yeah, she thinks the whole thing is pretty awesome.
Earlier this year, North Bergen High School in New Jersey ended up on the front pages after it was announced its students were performing Alien: The Play, based on Ripley Scott’s horror sci-fi classic.
Directed by Perfecto Cuevero, the play was a testament to student creativity and ingenuity. For example, most of the props were created by hand, using everyday items such as egg cartons and foam. You can watch a bit of the horror in action below.
It might seem strange to have a bunch of high schoolers put on a play based on a 40-year-old M-rated alien horror that some of them had probably never seen before — but in the video above, Weaver says that it’s no surprise to her, since Alien is a timeless story with an even more timeless fear.
“Science fiction does often feel relevant because it’s always in the future, and I think this was such a universal kind of fear for everybody that they’d be trapped where they worked with this creature,” she says. “I think all of those buttons that they pushed back then, we still have now.”
Now, all that’s left is to figure out what the high school should adapt next. I’m voting for Silent Hill. That would look stellar.