YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – “You unlock this door with a key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension …”
So states the opening monologue to the classic television series “The Twilight Zone.”
The show, created by Rod Serling, aired from 1959 to 1964. Its tense episodes took strange and mind-bending turns that fascinated viewers.
Hopewell Theatre will bring five of those tales to its stage when it presents “In the Zone” over the next two weekends.
It will be the second time the theater will stage adaptations of episodes from the series. The last time was in 2018.
Turning the episodes into stage plays requires explicit approval of the Serling estate, which the Hopewell was able to get for a second time.
The theater was told it could select from only the 92 episodes written by Serling – there are a total of 156 – and that it could not use the title of the series to name or advertise its show, because the rights to “The Twilight Zone” are owned by CBS.
“We were thrilled to receive an email from Rod’s daughter Anne, who gave us permission to produce episodes written by her father,” said Regina Rees, board president of the Hopewell Theatre.
Turning old TV scripts into a live performance posed some unique challenges. “I think people will like it,” Rees said.
The show might rekindle television memories for some. It’s also suitable for young people who have never seen the series.
“‘Twilight Zone’ wasn’t actually scary or gory,” Rees said. “[It was] more of a psychological thing that made you think.”
Chris Fidram is directing the show. He’s also the one who selected the episodes and adapted them into scripts for the five short plays that will comprise the performance.
His goal is to maintain the television show’s authenticity on a stage, and it required some special ideas.
“As brilliantly written as these scripts are, they’re teleplays that weren’t intended to serve as stage pieces,” Fidram said.
Each television show has multiple locations and uses eight to 10 actors. They also portray the story in ways best done by cameras and editors.
Fidram found himself coming up with creative ways to boil them down into plays while keeping the stories intact.
“My intention was never to rewrite the episodes, but to stay true to the original scripts,” he said. “Sometimes that involves being patient until a fantastic idea pops in your head.”
In choosing which episodes to produce, he sought ones that were different in theme and tone. His goal was to provide variety for the audience and to display Serling’s many styles.
“Fans of the series know that some episodes are dark and mysterious, some are more whimsical, and others are surprisingly heartwarming or disturbingly realistic,” Fidram said.
Another factor was to find scripts that can transfer to the stage.
“There are several of Serling’s stories that I absolutely love but rely too much upon a camera shot closing in on a newspaper headline or on something that’s essential to the plot, but which the audience can’t see from 30 feet away,” he said.
Fidram made no attempt to modernize the shows. Instead, he stayed loyal to the era during which they were made.
“I want the audience to feel like it’s traveling back in time,” he said. “[Producers] have tried twice already to reprise the series in modern times. But for me, it just doesn’t feel like the series without that 1950s old-school swagger.”
The issues that propel many of the tales – corruption, greed, bigotry, fear of other people – never go out of date and are still relevant today. Serling addressed those topics in ways that were thought-provoking and entertaining but without the use of eye-popping visuals.
“I think what made the series so impactful was its simplicity,” Fidram said. “It never relied on expensive special effects. But it had great writers and also great actors who could make even the most outrageous storylines feel plausible and real.”
Still, the Hopewell’s show does have “a couple of tricks up its sleeve,” Fidram said.
The cast includes Stephanie Cambro, Connie Cassidy, Jenna Cintavey, Renee Cuerden, Rhonny Dam, Steven Fraley, Bob Gerdes, Collin Goddard, Brenda Hickman, Matthew Liller, Mel Lyon, Chase Miles, Haylee Mohn, Casey Murphy, Bill Rees, Karianne Retauno, Mario Ricciardi, Terry Shears, Richard Smiley, Brian Suchora, Sarah Whitlatch, Chuck Wilcox and Brenda Zyvith.
Tickets are $20 (($15 for senior citizens and students). For reservations, go to HopewellTheatre.org or call 330 746 5455.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31-Nov. 1 and Nov. 7-8, and at 2 p.m. Nov. 9. The Hopewell is at 702 Mahoning Ave.
Pictured at top: From left, Steven Fraley, Terry Shears and Jenna Cintavey in a scene from Hopewell Theatre’s “Into the Zone: An Evening of Rod Serling.”