Tales from the Crypt has always had a great opportunity to fail. Trying to explain it in any way makes it sound like a strain: nine to ten teenagers performing scripts they wrote themselves in front of hundreds of people for four to five nights. There are no real breaks provided, and the show must always go on. Yet, despite all of this, each year these students (and all the others that serve as guides) manage to pull off a feat that could and should be revered. These students manage to bring back the dead.

This year, nine students were selected to perform their own scripts with an additional six students chosen to serve as Decoration Day ladies. From the start, the amount of preparation that had gone into each performance was evident; each performer managed to make their characters feel lived in and realistic. Many certainly courted the more absurd corners of reality (bricks!), but each one imbued their performance with a sense of humanity that drew onlookers in with ease.

Of course, one issue with Tales is that there are only so many distinct stories to tell, and many acts this year repeated similar themes from previous Tales performances, such as the horrors of war and addiction. However, despite all of this, each performer still found ways to make their respective performances stand separate. Performers Joseph Mimbs and Harpreet Singh both discussed the Civil War, but while Mimbs explored the after-effects of war, Singh painted a raw portrait of grief over a fallen brother.

Similarly, two performers, Kamal Bhalla and Jessica Smith, both addressed the struggles of single women in the 19th century, but the distinct world views of each character made both performances gems. One of the best performers, however, was Tija Johnson. Her portrait of a slave woman who worked as a nanny for the same family for years managed to have audience members laughing one moment and crying the next; her emotions felt entirely real and her performance seemed as natural as could be. In this way, Tales transcends what a regular theatre performance can do. There in the cemetery, illuminated by candles and the moon above, the dead come back to life, and they have plenty of stories to tell.