Let the Right One In (WAVE Productions)

What​ ​is​ ​LET​ ​THE​ ​RIGHT​ ​ONE​ ​IN?

Let the Right One In is a stage adaptation of the Swedish horror movie of the same name that follows the supernatural friendship of two misfit children. The show will be performed this winter (February 22-24) and is presented by WAVE Productions, a not-for-profit student theater group committed to empowering artists, stretching theatrical boundaries, and creating a warm space for Northwestern students. The show will be staged in Norris University Center’s Louis Room, a dynamic space with plenty of potential for technical innovation. WAVE’s winter production is always our largest of the year, and it welcomes a sizable team (last year, 50+ students) that works over the course of several months to direct, design, act, fundraise, market, and construct the piece.

Project​ ​Overview

Oskar is a bullied, lonely teenage boy facing a world filled with fear and hate. Eli is the mysterious girl who just moved in next door. They recognize something of themselves in one another, and, before they know it, it is them against the world. But then Oskar realizes that Eli isn’t quite who he thought she was. Let the Right One In is a visceral, dark coming-of-age story that just happens to be about a vampire. It is a story about love, fear and otherness, and exploring where they intersect.

Our​ ​Goals

Technical​ ​quality:​ ​Let the Right One In is cinematic and visceral. To tell this story as fully as possible, we have set goals for high production value: vast lighting, an intricate gore design, trap doors, and a multi-story set. We need your support to accomplish these goals. For designers, more funding means the ability to use professional equipment and materials, a final product that reflects their skill and imagination, and a process that provides them with valuable growth and professional experience in their fields.

Fostering​ ​community:​ ​In addition, the team of WAVE’s annual Louis Room show (this year, Let the Right One In), always prides itself on fostering a sense of community. The team is large (already 30+ and growing), with students mentoring other students through all areas of the production: directing, designing, fundraising, marketing, acting, outreach, and everything in between. The larger the scale of the production, the more hands we need to make it happen. This year, we are especially excited about inviting the perspectives of first-year students into the room and welcoming them into the WAVE community.

Forging​ ​connections​ ​between​ ​student​ ​groups:​  The interdisciplinary nature of this show offers unique outreach and marketing opportunities. We are excited to learn how to market a film adaptation, and we look forward to partnering with other student groups on campus (such as organizations interested in LGBTQIA+ issues, which the play explores heavily, or in film or horror) with whom WAVE might not normally interact. We are also interested in reaching out to film, literature, and gender studies professors and, in conjunction with our show, create panels and conversations that will be learning opportunities for both the Let the Right One In team and the general Northwestern student body. Thank you so much for your time and support!

Writer/representation credits:

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is a stage adaptation by Jack Thorne based on the Swedish novel and film by John Ajvide Lindqvist, by arrangement with Marla Rubin Productions Ltd.