Andrew Caira (left) and Adam Parbhoo (proper) star in a efficiency of Saw the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw at Manhattan’s ATM theater.

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Andrew Caira (left) and Adam Parbhoo (proper) star in a efficiency of Saw the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw at Manhattan’s ATM theater.

Natalie Keyssar for NPR

The Saw motion pictures may be divisive.

The grotesque, nearly 20-year-old horror franchise a few villain named Jigsaw who traps his victims in life-or-death video games got here out with its newest film in September.

But that isn’t the one addition to the Saw universe. There is now an off-Broadway parody musical that has loads of gore and intercourse — and in addition manages to be camp.

“This is a love story that I think people wanted for 20 years,” mentioned Stephanie Rosenberg, the director of Saw the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw.

A love story just isn’t the very first thing that involves thoughts when considering of the collection, however that is precisely what the musical is – after which some.

Turning gore into love

Think of the basic meet-cute: Two characters trapped in a room collectively on reverse sides, forbidden to the touch. Their ankles are chained to a pipe and there is a lifeless man between them. It’s a totally regular solution to meet somebody – a minimum of within the Saw universe.

“This started with two men in a bathroom with one person sawing off his foot,” play producer Cooper Jordan mentioned of the premise of the unique movie.

Jordan has needed to deliver Saw to life on stage for years: “I was just moved so much by it, that it was so daring at the time for what it was doing.”

Jill Owen sings on stage throughout a efficiency on Sunday night, Nov. 12.

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Jill Owen sings on stage throughout a efficiency on Sunday night, Nov. 12.

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Jill Owen (left) and Adam Parbhoo (proper) on stage.

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Jill Owen (left) and Adam Parbhoo (proper) on stage.

Natalie Keyssar for NPR

He is not speaking concerning the gore, which Saw would turn out to be well-known for pushing the boundaries on. The franchise’s later motion pictures garnered a popularity for being “torture-porn,” although that label would not precisely mirror the film’s 2004 entry.

Instead, what Jordan was moved by was the film’s premise, which seems easy on the floor: stay or die, make your alternative.

John Kramer, the franchise’s major antagonist who goes by the moniker Jigsaw, is a most cancers affected person who as soon as tried to take his personal life, which resulted in a automobile crash that he managed to outlive. But not with out enduring nice bodily ache. Thus his philosophy to stay or die was born.

Jigsaw begins to arrange grisly traps the place persons are compelled to make troublesome, painful selections. All of that is designed to check an individual’s will to stay.

John Kramer’s apprentices, who assist him arrange traps for victims, put on pig masks to cover their id.

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“Jigsaw’s message of cherishing your life and living your life to the fullest translates to this acceptance of one another that we don’t have in this country right now,” Jordan mentioned.

Making the choice to reimagine Saw by means of a queer lens wouldn’t be a stretch given the supply materials, he mentioned. Jordan’s sister, Zoe Ann Jordan, researched the film and wrote the e-book for the play. When she went again to the unique movie, she discovered queer wordplay constructed into the script itself.

“My sister called me and said, ‘Cooper, they’re gay!’ and I said no,” Jordan mentioned. “And I watched it again and I was like, oh my god. We really didn’t see this in 2004 when we were kids.”

All of that underlying queer subtext within the film is on full show on this musical parody.

Bisexual illustration on stage

“This musical is so bisexual it is beautiful,” mentioned Andrew Caira, who performs oncologist Lawrence Gordon.

In the play, as within the unique movie, Gordon is trapped in a grimy toilet with one other man, photographer Adam Stanheight.

The play’s script would possibly simply be as soiled as the lavatory the lads are trapped in. It thrives on its raunchy and erotic humor.

The campy musical riffs on themes from the horror collection, turning the scary film idea into an irreverent comedy.

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The campy musical riffs on themes from the horror collection, turning the scary film idea into an irreverent comedy.

Natalie Keyssar for NPR

“You want to be funny, but the funniest thing you can do is play it absolutely straight,” Jill Owen mentioned.

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“You want to be funny, but the funniest thing you can do is play it absolutely straight,” Jill Owen mentioned.

Natalie Keyssar for NPR

“I’ve never come across a script quite like this where I’ve had to say the things that I say and do the things that I do,” Caira mentioned. “My parents saw the show and I had to tell my mom, ‘Just a fair warning, this is a character that I’m playing and … be warned!'”

Caira does lots of outlandish issues in the course of the play, like dancing round with a blow up intercourse doll named Carla who is meant to characterize the girl he’s dishonest on his spouse with.

The act is hilariously absurd, but it surely’s a direct nod to Gordon’s bisexuality. Throughout the play, it is obvious how Gordon struggles with popping out and going again within the closet.

“He’s somebody who I feel like was sold on the 1950s dream of the perfect life and did everything in his power to accomplish that,” director Rosenberg mentioned. “And so his bisexuality does not fit into that picture.”

Meanwhile, the person he is trapped within the room with, Stanheight, is extra open along with his sexuality on the whole. Throughout the play dozens of condoms fall out of his pockets and he references some sacrilegious R-rated actions he will get as much as in his spare time.

“Sexually-hyphen-frustrating,” is how actor Adam Parbhoo, who performs Stanheight, describes the musical. Parbhoo mentioned that in an effort to promote the comedy in a parody, he appreciated to maintain it grounded in actuality.

“I feel like most comedy comes from real situations and circumstances and then the reaction to that is the funny thing. Rather than hamming things up for fun,” Parbhoo mentioned. “But there’s plenty of moments in this that beg for hamming it up!”

Jill Owen performs Amanda Young, a uncommon survivor of considered one of Jigsaw’s traps.

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Actor Jill Owen agrees with enjoying comedy straight to entertain the audiences. Owen performs each John Kramer — aka Jigsaw — and Amanda Young – a uncommon survivor of considered one of Jigsaw’s traps.

In her a number of roles, Owen strikes that stability between being excessive and being severe.

“He [Jigsaw] wants them to fight for the life that they want and stop lying to themselves, and so that’s something that I kinda use to get the character going,” she mentioned.

For 90 minutes, the viewers watches because the characters on stage uncover themselves and because the clock ticks nearer to the deadline for Gordon and Adam to determine how they may get out of their traps. What decisions will they make to take action?

Saw followers know the way the film concludes and in the end the play ends the identical method. But it does so with a slight twist that can please long-term shippers of Gordon and Stanheight.

“Most of the show is, ‘I need this guy, I need this guy, but I can’t have him!’ So it’s just pure 90-whatever minutes of like … ahhhh!” Parbhoo mentioned.

Until, lastly: A climax that begins with a pinky promise and ends with a kiss.

It’s a (type of) glad ending. Because in the end Gordon and Stanheight cease mendacity to themselves about who they’re and what they need of their lives.

Andrew Caira (left) and Adam Parbhoo (proper) play surprising star-crossed lovers who’re caught up in a lethal entice that assessments their will to stay.

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Andrew Caira (left) and Adam Parbhoo (proper) play surprising star-crossed lovers who’re caught up in a lethal entice that assessments their will to stay.

Natalie Keyssar for NPR

SAW the Musical is an unapologetically queer and campy comedy that has a deeper underlying message. Rather than “live or die, make your choice,” director Rosenberg mentioned this play is about residing your fact.

“We’re here to be a place that people know that they’re safe. That they can express themselves in their fluidity, in their gender expression, in their sexuality,” Rosenberg mentioned.

“We are a place to come to be a haven, to laugh with your loved one and hold their hand regardless of who they are.”

SAW the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw is at the moment working in New York and Los Angeles.