Scott Barsotti: Exploring the genre of Fear
Profile in F Newsmagazine, Chicago, October 2009
Short List: Week of October 15-22
Preview for THE REVENANTS in Pittsburgh City Paper, Pittsburgh, October 2009
Chicago Theatregoers Brace For Zombies
Interview with Rue Morgue Magazine, Toronto, May 2009
WildClaw Theatre, “The Revenants,” Podcast #18
Interview with The Graveyard Show, Los Angeles, April 2009
“Scott T. Barsotti’s somber zombie drama The Revenants contains a surprising emotional elasticity particularly for those anticipating nothing more than an all out limb flinging gore fest. Those schooled in horror, though, know that the best of the genre (wherein The Revenants firmly places itself) picks at the heart as well as the fear bone.”
~ Chicago Free Press, Brian Kirst (The Revenants)
“It’s like Chekhov with the walking dead. Barsotti nails it. The Revenants is NOT about people getting a weird virus or the end of the world. It is NOT about the zombies or the heroes who flee from them. The Revenants is about the death of relationships – divorce, infidelity, and the pain of one partner letting go while the other so desperately wants to cling to what once was. The idea that a spouse, upon deciding to split with his/her partner after X number of years suddenly resembles someone unthinking, unreasonable and somehow soulless is strong. The idea that a spouse would have difficulty letting go of the other, in spite of all indications that the relationship is long over, feels like Truth.”
~ An Angry White Guy in Chicago, Don Hall (The Revenants)
“CRITIC’S CHOICE: [The Revenants] is compelling…at once uncanny and emotionally powerful.”
~ Chicago Reader, Tony Adler (The Revenants)
“[A] thoroughly successful melding of the relationship drama and the zombie apocalypse. The Revenants is horror all the way — especially if the notion of missing, broken, or mutilated love is horrific. Or the notion of love, like zombification, destroying your personality, your history, your free will…Chekov would approve, as would George Romero. In other words — go see it…see it with someone you’d shoot through the brain, or chain up in the garage, should it come to that.”
~ FlamesRising.com, Kenneth Hite (The Revenants)
“Scott T. Barsotti’s tale of the undead among us…transcends formula schlock. The Revenants opens with…a mini-masterpiece of unnerving terror. As the tightly paced story winds on…the intriguingly troubled history of this four-way friendship unwinds as the desperation increases. The end, as you might expect, isn’t pretty. But it is as perverse a happily-ever-after as you could possibly want from a tale of love among ghouls.”
~ Windy City Times, Catey Sullivan (The Revenants)
“I left the theater with every intention of making sure my spouse and I are in agreement, should we ever find ourselves in a zombie predicament. This play has the perfect balance of humor, creepiness, emotional moments, and yes even some blood and gore. You feel as though you are really there in the basement living the hell of the situation with these characters. The Revenants is definitely a play worth seeing.”
~ Horror Society, Jessica Wells (The Revenants)
“Now, you might think; “Why wouldn’t [Gary and Karen] just kill [Molly and Joe] and move on?” Why indeed? Anyone who thinks that they’d actually be able to kill the people they love without emotion, thought, or conflict, just isn’t being realistic. In a strange way, The Revenants is very realistic. Scott T. Barsotti has hit the nail on the head when it comes to zombies. It’s not really about the zombies; it’s about the people left behind. The Revenants is not to be missed!”
~ Killer-Works.com, Jude Mire (The Revenants)
“Barsotti’s play offers more brain food than cheap thrills…it’s refreshing to see a piece firmly centered on the central question of what makes us human–our appetite for survival at any cost, or our need for love and companionship?”
~ Chicago Tribune, Kerry Reid (The Revenants)
“RECOMMENDED: A Must-See Show! When the emotional entanglements of all four characters’ shared pasts are laid bare, the horror-house shocks and interpersonal bickering become something far more emotionally arresting. The Revenants shows how love can last longer than life itself, and its effects can be both beautiful and terrifying.”
~ Centerstage Chicago, Geoff Hyatt (The Revenants)
“The audience feels like they are trapped in the basement with these four characters, giving a total theatre experience that is appropriately unnerving.”
~ NYTheatre.com, Josh Sherman (The Revenants)
“[A] tight, edgy, claustrophobic and suspenseful character drama with harrowing moments and deep emotional resonance. It’s full of terror, pathos, humor, and humanity that serves to elevate the zombie archetype into a rich metaphor for past love, relationships, and self-images.”
~ Sword and Cloak, David Schmidt (The Revenants)
“…a wistful, intelligent meditation on the demons that drive women—and an increasing number of men—to go under the knife.”
~ Chicago Reader, Kerry Reid (Facing Angela)
“…a meticulous rendering of two thoughtful voices addressing each other, themselves and the audience, in a penetrating exploration of self identity…Barsotti shows great skill…”
~ Lerner/Skyline Chicago, Beverly Friend (Facing Angela)
“…oddball characters and witty dialogue…”
~ TimeOut Chicago, Novid Parsi (Brewed)
“Elliptical, veiled, and mysterious…[A] kooky, spooky saga.”
~ New Orleans Times-Picayune, David Cuthbert (Brewed)
“[E]xpert: its humorous, off-the-wall conversation between two neurotics has a dark subtext.”
~ Chicago Reader, Laura Molzhan (Burrowing Anxiety/TRANSITions)
“Part meditation on the isolating effects of the Internet age, part send-up of the pop philosophers who lament such isolation, the piece contains several clever insights.”
~ Chicago Tribune, Kerry Reid (Capital O/The Other Side of the Elephant)
“…fiercely intelligent…”
~ TimeOut Chicago, Brian Nemtusak (Capital O/The Other Side of the Elephant)
