REVIEW: Trepany House Presents: Alien Encounter

October 19, 2024

review: Trepany House Presents: Alien Encounter

The biggest surprise of this season has easily been the Trepany House presentation of Alien Encounter. Hosted at the legendary animation house Titmouse (Star Trek: Lower Decks, Metalocalypse, The Venture Bros.), this action-packed, horror-based play spends twenty minutes recreating (and destroying) the infamous ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter attraction that once existed in Disney World. This attraction entered into Disney lore thanks to the partnership between Imagineers and LucasFilm, whose inspiration was drawn from the film, Alien. Deemed too scary by audiences, the attraction was eventually repurposed in 2003.

Directed by Adam Franklin, an active Juggalo who is the director of Netflix’s The Magic Prank Show and Magic for Humans, this play brings the Alien Encounter attraction to life through incredible set design, absolutely amazing actors with perfect timing (including a cameo from Dana Snyder - the voice of Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force), and perfectly calibrated lighting (a rare treat!). Created by Franklin and Amit Itelman (Trepany House), the story follows a Disney cast member who ends up in quite a pickle when they accidentally warp the wrong alien into the room. The Alien, who is custom built by Big Nazo Lab, is immediately captivating upon its entrance. Its appearance, featuring light-up eyes and a puppeteered tongue (think Jabba the Hutt), is a psychedelic combination of a Tardigrade mixed with a space slug.

What follows is complete mayhem as lights go out for minutes at a time and objects fly through the air. At times the actors are all over the place as a LOT of body fluids are aggressively projectiled through the room. You will experience the energy of a punk show, the chaos of Insane Clown Posse, and the showmanship of Gwar. This makes sense with Franklin's background as a Juggalo who has spent a considerable amount of time in his past at strange punk shows. Alien Encounter truly harnesses a chaotic energy that is mastered by the performers who possess a technical and dramatic excellence in their deliveries. 

Alien Encounter is a very special gem this Halloween season. Offered to the public at a very modest price - this experience gives you a very big bang for your buck. Plus, we won't lie - we are punks who love and greatly enjoy seeing a performance space become completely dismantled, bloodied, and destroyed. If you are a fan of horror and Disney, then put Alien Encounter at the top of your Halloween to-do list. 

VC

October 19, 2024

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