College Avenue Players give Rutgers final Halloween treat with 'Hot Ghoul Halloween'

This past weekend, the College Avenue campus was plunged into chaos. No, it wasn't the ghosts of Brower Commons haunting unsuspecting passersby. No, it wasn't the usual crime alert you wake up to in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat. It wasn't even the annual dread that comes with the end of daylight saving time and the grim realization that it'll consistently be dark by 5 p.m. until spring.

It was the return of the College Avenue Players (CAP) with their annual Halloween show, this time around titled, "Hot Ghoul Halloween" and directed by Jamie Aulisi, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore. For those taking a break from horror movie marathons or late-night partying, the troupe delivered another round of wacky, fully original sketches, all with a seasonal twist.

While the sketches spanned different niches of gothic horror and the macabre, there was one thing uniting them all: a distinctly Generation Z take on everything Halloween.

This was immediately evident in the first installment, "I'm a Monster, Right?" penned by Cedric Gillo, a School of Arts and Sciences junior and one of the MVPs of the show. In it, some of literature's scariest creatures, including a zombie and a werewolf, come together to hold an intervention for the Loch Ness Monster, helping it stomach a tough truth: it's just not that scary.

It's the kind of sardonic realization only a Rutgers student could have made, and it led to some quirky interactions and performances. It injected a jolt of energy into the show, much like Frankenstein's monster, who also made a few appearances throughout the evening.

The sharp tone carried through the rest of the show, culminating in undoubtedly the strongest segment of the night, "The Raven," written by Finn Butler, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore. 

In this reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's masterpiece, Gillo plays the role of the raven, a SoundCloud rapper promoting his latest EP. Anchored by an impressive performance from Aniya Naughton, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, who delivers long-winded, poetic monologues throughout, the segment somehow managed to breathe new life into the timeless tale.

CAP even managed to breathe new life into a well-worn concept with "Twilight Fanfiction," a queer reading of "Twilight." While the parody and observation have been done to death since the film's 2008 release, the segment was admittedly a highlight, mostly due to the actors.

Butler takes on the role of Edward Cullen, sporting a t-shirt with abs printed on, while Michael Yuan, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year, imitates Jacob Black, adorned with doggy ears and inexplicably speaking Spanish, a decision that still puzzles the "Twilight" fandom all these years later.

It's these crude yet hilarious observations that set the tone for the show and ultimately deliver the spooky theming. Whether the writers were questioning Dracula's blood type of choice in "Picky Biter," featuring an inspired performance from Ariel Rivera, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, or debating how early is too early to start playing Mariah Carey in "Scary Movie 69," the satire was spot-on throughout.

Before the intermission of "Hot Ghoul Halloween," which was sketch-driven, the show took an unexpected detour into stand-up comedy, courtesy of Samantha Lishawa, a School of Arts and Sciences senior.

Lishawa had an infectious presence and her terrifying material fit the program's theme, reflecting on the nightmarish reality of being a college student, but the genre shift felt a little abrupt. Considering it was sandwiched between two high-energy skits, the pacing in this section suffered, detracting from the impact of the closer, "Pipe Dream."

Had Lishawa's set been placed as a closer or during the intermission, it could have encouraged more audience interaction and banter, allowing it to flow more smoothly within the show's rhythm. It also would have paired well with the interactive costume contest.

Regardless, it was an interesting programming decision that didn't totally pay off but reflected the versatility of the cast. Following the ensemble's earlier production this semester, "Get Off My Lawn," which repurposed iconic bits from existing properties, both this segment and "Hot Ghoul Halloween" as a whole offered a refreshing reminder that the crew can generate just as many laughs with their own original writing.

For anyone hungover from eating too much candy to attend the performances, CAP still has more in store this semester: its mainstage production of "She Kills Monsters" unleashes on December 6.