Original Musical “Blood Runs Cold” Opens This Summer at Fourth Wall Theater

April 29, 2022

By Dayton Mendoza

VIRGINIA -- After a sold-out run of “A Murder is Announced,” Fourth Wall Theater continues its spine-chilling 28th season with a brand new original musical, “Blood Runs Cold,” which opens this summer.

“Blood Runs Cold” is the second show of the season, and this year’s Local Writer Spotlight, a Fourth Wall tradition that highlights one original play or musical per year. This year, the honor goes to writers Julia Stafford and Tess Lyons, along with music writer Cassandra Quinn. Stafford, Lyons, and Quinn have spent the past three years writing this show, and are finally putting it to stage starting in June.

“Blood Runs Cold” is a horror comedy musical about a woman, Nora, who is given the chance to bring her wife back from the dead – at a deadly cost. The show is two hours of fourth-wall breaking, cosmic horror, and judgement between coworkers.

“There’s kind of a contrast here between the show that we see, and the show that is ‘supposed’ to happen,” said Stafford. “There are forces at play that want to tell a traditional horror story, but Nora isn’t quite playing along.”

Rehearsals began in early April, according to stage manager Leo Parrish, and the entire cast and crew has been hard at work bringing this story to life. Because “Blood Runs Cold” is an original musical, every element of the show is being designed from scratch.

“It’s a totally different experience, working on a brand new show,” said Lydia Anne Burke, who plays Iris. “You don’t get to base your performance on what’s been done before, so you really have to create the character yourself. I feel like I put a lot of myself into Iris – maybe a bit of a dark part, but definitely some part of myself.”

Costume designer Sophia Collins has been working closely with the show's writers, scenic designers, and lighting designers in order to create a cohesive look for the show. She spends some of her time scouring through thrift stores, some of her time combing through Fourth Wall’s archive of costumes, and a lot of time sewing custom costumes.

“It’s a lot of work,” said Collins. “But we really have a vision for the look of this show, and I think we’re creating something unique here.”

Performances run from June 10 to August 14, with performances at 8:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available to purchase online on Fourth Wall’s website, or in person at the box office.