The first time I made the trek to DeSales University campus I was in a hurry. It was Fourth of July, muggy and hot and the lush forests and cornfields offered me little comfort as I rushed from the airport straight to the theater. Anticipation that I’d been trying to stifle for weeks reared up the closer I got to my destination. Although, it didn’t escape my notice that the closer I got the fewer lights there were along the winding country roads. It brought a thrill to this horror fan’s heart the further from the city I got. 

If this was a horror movie, I was surely driving to my death. After all, how many horror movies have we seen that take place on winding country roads lined with cornfields? Or on college campuses? In a theater? What about starring none other than horror icon, Tony Todd? 

It was for this legend that I trekked to Pennsylvania and in mere minutes I would be able to see him perform on stage once more (previously I had seen him in LA for Ghost in the House). This time he would be performing the final autobiographical play by celebrated African American poet and playwright August Wilson, How I Learned What I Learned. A momentous occasion in and of itself, but all the more significant when you consider that Todd has performed two previous plays by August. Hell, he originated the role of King Hedley II! It seemed a short distance to venture to witness such an important event. 

It was as if the horror movie was writing itself the closer I got to the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. As I pulled into the first of the many winding roads that made up the University the parallels continued. Had I made a wrong turn? There’s nobody here. The university, or at least the part of it my GPS had guided me to, was all but abandoned. I trusted the process and continued along through a maze of empty parking lots, searching the posted signs for guidance towards the theater before movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention. 

Bees. There were bees flying around my rental car. 

To anyone else this may mean absolutely nothing. To a horror fan, I took it as a very welcome sign that I was going in the right direction. How nice of them to send out a welcome party! (Listen, if I’m ever in a horror movie, I have no doubt that I would die first). Lo and behold, over the next hill I spied the packed parking lot of the theater and the tents of the Shakespeare festival. I had arrived. 

The gentle notes of a harp (I’m not kidding) played me in as I approached the building. I wandered the blood red halls (no, seriously), content that I had made it on time as I took a few moments to appreciate the stills of Tony Todd that clung to the walls. Even in photographs taken mid monologue, the statuesque actor conveys a dignified presence that is unmistakable. 

Finally I headed inside to get my first glimpse at what I had thus far only seen in photos shared by the actor himself on social media. The stage is made up of a circular platform, with gorgeous wood flooring surrounded by a rich mix of soil illuminated from beneath. Perched upon the platform sits a writing desk adorned with a typewriter, a dictionary and a single stool. Behind it stretches a labyrinth of windows lashed together to form walls through which you can see the projections of vivid art on the backdrop. 

As any fan of the genre will know, few things match up to the first time you get a good look at the titular character in the Bernard Rose classic, Candyman, through which the majority of us are familiar with the actor’s work. It’s broad daylight, in a parking garage and somehow Todd still manages to convey a regal, unforgettable image that sticks with us to this day.

I can assure you that the effect is even more pronounced the moment he steps on stage. It may be a different role, but the way that he carries himself, even when he is in shadow, leaves you helpless to look away. From the first flicker of a lighter in the dark to the standing ovation ninety minutes later, you cannot help but listen. The power that he brought to this play, a retelling of much of Wilson’s own life and the lessons he learned along the way, is palpable. 

For an hour and a half you sit riveted as he walks you through a life well lived. Every movement made, from the most bombastic to the subdued, is chosen with care and reverence to the material. From the tilt of a head to the mannerisms he adopts to convey different characters, every movement is captivating. It is rare to be in the presence of an actor so practiced with his craft, so skilled with his instrument, as is one of the themes of the show.

Todd illustrates the story of hard lessons learned and battles won, of celebration, hope and beauty with such ease it’s easy to forget that these are someone else’s words. Before you know it you’re leaping to your feet to cheer and applaud and you leave the theater with a mind racing to digest the wisdom that had been imparted upon you.

This show is truly a treasure, with a generous mix of humor and hope to balance out the moments that twist your heart into knots. I truly thought I couldn’t be any more impressed.

I returned to the theater one more time before heading home to Los Angeles and I’m pleased to report that the bees escorted me through the campus the second time as well. Despite the ominous clouds in the distance, the feeling that I was driving back into a horror film was far from my mind this time around.

That is, until the lights suddenly went out. 

It is impossible to describe to you what it was like to have every light cut out in the middle of the performance. I have spent the majority of my life as a frequent attendee of the theater and I have never seen anything like it. As the dim white light beneath the circular platform flickered to life, lending a ghostly, ethereal quality to the room, murmurs began. However there was only the briefest of pauses in the performance before the show continued in the dark room.

Not a single audience member rose from their seat as Todd’s voice continued to pour over us like honey. We were entranced as, despite the loss of electricity, he continued his tale. When the generators started up and the watercolor of lights flooded the stage once again, he didn’t miss a beat. It is one of the most extraordinary feats of professionalism that I’ve ever seen in a live performance. We would learn later that the entire campus had lost power. Another play was disrupted but ours had continued under the cloak of shadows.

This truly was an experience for the ages. I can say without reservation that if you have a chance to see this icon perform on stage, you should take it. Even if you don’t get an escort of bees, it is a unique and thought provoking performance carefully crafted with love and respect. It is a celebration of culture and growth that everyone should bear witness to. Tony Todd really is larger than life and a master of his craft, and a trip to see him on the stage is a must for any horror fan.

While the play’s run at DeSales ended on July 11th, there is the likelihood that it will tour elsewhere soon. Keep an eye out for it, and make certain to catch it if you have the opportunity.