Kellerteater "The School of Horror"

Children of all ages are fascinated by horror stories and urban legends. We are all familiar with spine-tingling stories such as “In a Dark, Dark Room”, “The Green Ribbon” or “The Night it Rained”. Such campfire stories have inspired the book entitled “School of Horror”. Its author, Grigoriy Oster, is also known as the screenwriter of the animated films “PT for the tail” and “38 parrots”.

The horror stories associated with this genre are witty and funny. The typical characters in such stories include a demon of studies, enchanted gym equipment, a bloodsucking blackboard eraser, and many others. These short stories take us back to the Soviet era, to a 70’s school where the reign of total order and an outdated educational system create an environment that is absurd and goofy. “School of Horror” is a parody that draws on horror film clichés. The play leads the young audience to realize that the changing, uncertain, and unsettling world around us – about which the media tells us so much – is not so scary after all. In fact, the play advises that we look at the world through the lens of humor, absurdity, and irony because, if you can laugh at the “monster in the closet”, it won't look so scary anymore.