Barely sixty minutes before the witching hour struck on the cold night of Saturday 28 October of last year, my wife, Dana, and I entered the Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Dallas for a date with something monstrous.We strode into a small, but suitably atmospheric and darkly-lit room where a waitress dressed as a demon genially asked us what we would like to drink. "Do you have any virgin’s blood?" I inquired in a fashion that I considered quite appropriate for the evening of entertainment that was to follow. She, however, gave me a slightly worried smile, said no, and asked if Bud-Light would be okay instead. It would indeed be okay, I replied.
And so it was that we sat back to watch the entertainment: an intriguing and well-presented stage-play on Bigfoot titled Hecate Hill, and one that mixes the best of The Evil Dead, War of the Worlds, and a good, solid, horror story into one heady brew.
Several nights later, I met up with Bill Fountain - the brainchild behind Hecate Hill - to interview him for an article that appeared earlier this year in Fortean Times magazine. Since then, we have become friends and have a project or two in the works.
Up until now, if you wanted to learn more about Hecate Hill, you would have had to travel to blistering hot Dallas (yes, it's around 100 degrees today and my English paleness and black garb prevent me from venturing outdoors during such extremes; the darkness is much more inviting). But that situation is about to change.
I was very pleased to receive the following press release from Bill yesterday:
WHAT IS THE SECRET OF HECATE HILL?
Bill Fountain’s BIGFOOT play launches film, graphic novel and new production!
Bigfoot is taking over, starting with the stage, moving on to film and comic book and finally conquering the world! This new original play by Dallas playwright/director Bill Fountain is opening this October as a full production directed by the playwright in Plano , Texas . There is also funding in place for the start of the “Hecate Hill” feature length independent film, set to begin production in November, 2007!
“Hecate Hill” is now also available for productions and licensing through Playscripts.com. November will also see a junior version of the Hecate Hill saga in the form of “Hecate Hill High School,” produced and performed by students, as well as a brand new graphic novel, written and illustrated by playwright Bill Fountain called “Hecate Hill: Dark Arrival.”
What is “Hecate Hill” all about? A group of cycling friends meet up for a reunion in a remote cabin in Southern Oklahoma rumored to be Bigfoot territory. Just as they arrive, there are news reports of a nearby hunter killing a Bigfoot, and suddenly the friends find themselves completely isolated as an electromagnetic pulse shuts down power grids all over the world, and the shrieking creatures attack. Out in the dark woods, the six friends fight to survive the night. But is it really happening? Will anyone survive to find out the truth about Hecate Hill?
The play has had several very successful incarnations over the last year (a radio drama, a late night theatrical production, and a public workshop) before being published by Playscripts. There are already productions being planned for the upcoming year! The play was featured in a great article in Fortean Times and has received media attention in the form of television interviews, radio broadcasts of the drama and the upcoming graphic novel.
More information can be located at http://www.hecatehill.com/ or http://www.levelgroundfilms.com/
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