Aliens, vampires, and zombies, oh my! All these ghouls will be populating the Jesuit Theater at the PAC this weekend, along with the humans trying to stop them from taking over!

Directed by Prof. Matt Chiorini, Boot & Buskin presents Plan 9 from Outer Space based on Ed Wood’s original screenplay in collaboration with the Le Moyne College Symphony Orchestra, led by Dr. Travis Newton. Based on the campy 1950s sci-fi movie, the story details an alien invasion following the use of the atomic bomb in WWII; the onstage shenanigans accompanied by a space-themed soundtrack performed by the orchestra.

Chiorini shared that the idea of staging Plan 9 first came about last year as eclipse programming was being planned on campus: “It’s a truly horrible movie, but made with such gusto and care by people, many of whom had never worked on a movie before, who were doing their very best,” he shared. “Despite the awkward dialogue, the cheesy special effects, and the numerous plot holes, there’s something about this movie that’s still joyous, silly, anarchic, and wonderful, so I was eager to put some version of it onstage. It’s a great ending to another great year of Theatre at Le Moyne.”

Newton, who is conducting the orchestra, shared his excitement about the collaboration: “Blurring the lines between artistic disciplines is something that we love to do here at Le Moyne. Why do a concert one night and a play the next night when you can do both simultaneously? This type of ‘concert version’ of a play adds a cinematic quality that only a full orchestra can provide, and we can’t wait to add some symphonic flair to the show this weekend!”

Performances will take place April 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. at the W. Carroll Coyne Center for the Performing Arts. Additionally, each purchase of a ticket will enter you into a raffle to win an out-of-this-world gift basket — you won’t want to miss it!