Allen County youth shimmy and shake during this summer’s production of “Shake with a Zombie.”
The musical is the 15th annual Allen Community College Summer Youth production. Performances start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the ACC Theatre. Admission is free.
Wet grounds at Riverside Park forced the location change.
The story takes place in Pete’s Luncheonette in Desert County, Calif. Pete, played by Jud Wiltse, opened the restaurant against his mother’s wishes. His mother, played by Sarah Price, wants her son to be something extraordinary. Pete is well-liked by his staff and the high school kids who frequently stop by after school for his unique shakes.
Then things around town start to become weird. Strange frequencies on his ham radio alert Pete.
The restaurant experiences a large earthquake, after which a creature named Mongo, played by Roy Anderson, appears.
At first, Mongo seems innocent enough. That is until he recruits the students for his special teenage army to overake the world. Mongo has the ability to steal their intelligence and make them into teenage zombies. The kids read stacks of books to learn information for Mongo.
It’s up to Pete, with the help of his girlfriend Marlene, played by Alanna Knavel, to stop Mongo.
The young actors do a great job of hitting their punch lines and keeping high energy. The audience can sit back and enjoy a variety of songs and dance numbers.
The show is directed by Tony Piazza and is sponsored by the Sleeper Family Trust.
