Theater Review: '10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse: The Musical' at CT State Housatonic

Review by Connecticut Critics Circle member and Naugatuck Patch neighbor Nancy Sasso Janis

CT State Housatonic’s Theater Program is presenting a fun parody musical about Zombies this weekend on their Bridgeport campus. “10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse: The Musical!” is a play written by Don Zolidis, with clever music and lyrics by Billy Recce, based on the play written by Don Zolidis. I was invited to attend the preview performance for my review; this was the first time I had attended a production at the community college in the city where I was born.

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The premise of this comedy is that when zombies attack, a ragtag group of survivors are thrown into a chaotic and silly fight for their lives. Four less-than-qualified heroes stumble through ten outrageous methods to survive the titular apocalypse. Three sarcastic narrators introduce the ten methods of survival, which include sacrificing the weak, education, weaponizing song and dance, and running really fast. Of course, each new promising idea keeps coming up short.

The ten methods are essentially the musical numbers of the cheeky score, marked with plenty of mayhem by the undead. This is a very funny story that the licensing agency says “turns the end of the world into a show-stopping, brain-eating, laugh-out-loud adventure.”

Geoffrey Sheehan directs the students and adds some fun choreography to the song and dance numbers. He is the founder of Capital Classics Theatre Company, Connecticut’s longest-running Shakespeare festival, which he established in 1991 and a working actor. Sheehan, who directed “Hamlet” for Capital Classics starring faculty member Mauricio Miranda, told me that he insists that all of the instructors in this theater program be working in the field.

Faculty member Heidi Hanson is in charge of the costume design, which includes specific outfits for the narrators, street clothes for the four humans and plenty of shredded pieces and strong make-up for the zombies.

Hanson also works as the technical director of the production, which in addition to lights and sound includes slides of cute graphics for each of the 10 methods. Joel Oramas, another faculty member, worked as vocal and singing director. The students act and sing without microphones and sing along to recorded tracks. Because much of the performance is in the round, some lines and lyrics were a bit hard to make out if the actor was facing the other side of the theater.

The diverse cast is made up of well-rehearsed students. The four humans that are repeatedly attacked and come back to life are played by four talented college students. Corey Campbell does well with the role of Jimmy. Roberto De Santis shows off great comic timing in the role of Sam. Charnelle White sings really well and brings out all of the comedic lines in the role of Christy. Miriam Valencia-Romero has a fun stage presence as Susan.

There are three narrators that move the story along, introducing each of the 10+ methods to survive. Paul Bak plays the Game Show Narrator, Molly Kenny is cute as the Cowboy Narrator and Sharmen Wallace takes on the role (on book) of the Disaster Prep Narrator in a safety vest. Expect some bonus methods at the end of the show, including one that gives the audience permission to leave the theater, although everyone stayed for the curtain call. I found myself smiling at the silliness throughout the 50-minute performance and the audience seemed to enjoy the not-overly-scary story.

The zombies are brought to well, death, by Jayden Domenech, Ozem Singleton, and Rachel Kish, Jake Salemme. Valeria Roncoli doubles as a Zombie and Nanna who opens the show. Kudos to all of these undead performers for constantly running around backstage to be ready for their next entrance on the opposite side of the space.

The song/method list includes “Ten Ways," "Leave Me Behind," “Unbelievable Pain,” “Men Not So Bad,” “Use Your Brain” “Hero Song,” "The Singing Song,” “Run Really Fast,” “Dance, Zombie, Dance!,” “A World Without Zombies.”

The following students are credited in the program as having “performed all components of creating and executing the set, costumes, lighting and sound: Edward Calderon, Campbell, Krisleyde Cabrera, De Santis, Kamy Giacomarro, Jamison Hoover, Chasity Kennedy, Elena Magliochetti, Sophia Naranjo, Sincere Roberson, Salemme, Kadeshia Samuels, and Alyssa Verrilli.

The set almost surrounds the black box theater, with rows of seating set up around the space. There are raised platforms perpendicular to the entrance, one of which has a bloody arm protruding from beneath the steps. Other (fake) body parts are scattered around the space, and the performers get to use some great props and costume add ons for particular scenes.

The Fall 2026 Theater Program courses will include Movement and Expression, Acting 1, Musical Theater Training I and II, Acting for the Camera, Voice and Diction, Improvisation, Into to Theater - Online, Drama - Online and Independent Study in Theater Arts.

The target audience for the musical is adults and it runs just under an hour. Remaining performances are Apr. 30 at 6:30 p.m. and May 1 at 7:00 p.m. The show is performed at the Performing Arts Center in Lafayette Hall, 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport. Admission is free and there is free parking in the college’s parking garage. Try to catch one of the remaining shows to learn some cheeky survival skills as you enjoy a fun and quirky musical production.