Cher Álvarez Photo by Kyle Flubacker

Lou (Cher Álvarez) and James (Travis A. Knight) have recently moved to London from Chicago for James to take a new job. The company has set them up with a rather spacious (by London standards) home over two floors (a spectacular set by Fly Davis), which includes an extra room they hope to turn into a nursery one day. But does Lou really want to be a mother, suffering from a severe depression, even though her meds are evidently keeping the worst symptoms at bay? James' religious mother Carolanne (Shannon Cochran), who regularly reaches out from her Boca Raton home to video chat with the couple, doesn't like the idea of Lou being on antidepressants and regularly threatens to get on a plane to come "help."

I shall refrain from going any deeper into the plot, as that could end up spoiling some of the many surprises Holloway has baked into the story. Suffice to say, things start out slowly–a door suddenly opens on its own (which caused a woman behind me to blurt out "oh hell no")–then build to a point where the horror gets pretty darn horrible, and payment for past sins suddenly comes due–with interest–for the couple.

I am not generally a fan of the horror genre, preferring my thrills to be based more in reality. But if you actually enjoy being shocked and scared, there are plenty of moments in Paranormal Activity that will have you gasping and smoothing down the goosebumps it raises. Sadly, too many of these moments are based on cheap "jump scares"–loud moments that come out of silence, or sudden appearances of unexpected images. A note for those triggered by loud noises or high volumes: there are a lot of times when the action gets so loud that I noted more than one theatregoer putting their hands over their ears. Even the soundtrack of walk-in music–including songs by Nirvana, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails–is pumped into the theater at a volume that my watch warned me could be dangerous to my hearing.

Despite horror/ghost stories not really being my thing, it would be impossible not to appreciate the technical and stagecraft tricks on display here. Director Felix Barrett and his creative team–scenic and costume designer Fly Davis, as well as lighting designer Anne Watson, sound designer Gareth Fry, video designer Luke Halls, and illusions designer Chris Fisher–have combined to create an environment that is both marvelously realized and, more important, elicits the gasps and shivers which I'm certain the team set as a goal for their work.

The cast do terrific work in support of Holloway's taut script. Álvarez and Knight are perfectly believable as a young couple navigating the early years of their relationship. Their tenderness with each other and their physical affection positively scream "newlyweds." Conversely, when things get tense between the pair, and harsh words are spoken, the couple are equally adept at physically and emotionally communicating this tension. As pushy mother Carolanne (is the choice of that name a callback to Spielberg's Poltergeist?), Shannon Cochran plays her role with a creepy combination of love and cruelty. As the spiritualist Etheline Cotgrave, whom the couple call upon to help them communicate with the spirit(s) that may be haunting their existence, Kate Fry is believable as both a charlatan and a woman who recoils in horror when unexplainable, truly horrifying things begin to occur.

If you're a horror/ghost story fan, Paranormal Activity is not to be missed. Even if you are a hardened skeptic like me, the show is worth seeing if only for the amazing stagecraft on display and the bravura performances by its talented cast.

Paranormal Activity runs through March 22, 2026, at American Conservatory Theater, Toni Rembe Theater, 415 Geary Street, San Francisco CA. Tickets range from $25-$130, plus fees. For tickets and information, please visit www.act-sf.org.