Special Programming Alert!
The Post Mortem Players will present Vive le Grand-Guignol !, a one-night celebration of Paris’s legendary “theatre of horror,” the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at The Independent Picture House.
Founded in Paris in 1897 and operating until 1962, the Grand Guignol became famous for short plays of terror, madness, crime, and graphic violence, using elaborate stage effects to shock audiences and helping establish many of the visual and theatrical conventions that continue to influence horror today.
The evening will feature a French-inspired reception with pastries from Concord’s Chocolatier Barrucand, followed by a screening of Severin Films’ new documentary Theatre of Horrors: The Sordid Story of Paris’ Grand Guignol and a panel discussion exploring the theatre’s history, its influence on modern horror, and its continuing legacy.
The event will also support an international fundraising campaign to create a permanent memorial for Maxa, the Grand Guignol’s legendary leading lady and the world’s first Scream Queen. Known during her career as “the most assassinated woman in the world,” Maxa became famous for the extraordinary number of murders, tortures, and gruesome deaths she performed on the Grand Guignol stage. Despite her fame, she is currently buried in an unmarked grave outside Paris.
Post Mortem Players became involved with the memorial campaign after connecting with Maxa’s descendants in France and is helping raise awareness and funds for a permanent marker honoring her life and legacy. A member of Maxa’s family will also travel from France to North Carolina later in October to support PMP’s Grand Guignol production.
The October 7 panel will feature Grand Guignol scholar Richard J. Hand, Professor of Drama and Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia and co-author of four volumes on Grand-Guignol horror theatre, and filmmaker and producer Robert Parigi, whose credits include the cult horror film Love Object, Tales from the Crypt, and Freddy’s Nightmares. The discussion will be moderated by Charlotte writer, actor, and horror-film veteran Pat Moran. Hand will join remotely from Norwich, England, with Parigi joining from Los Angeles.
Vive le Grand-Guignol ! also serves as a companion event to PMP’s upcoming stage production, La Maison des Horreurs: An Evening at the Grand Guignol, running October 22-November 1 at Old Courthouse Theatre in Concord. That production brings six classic Grand Guignol plays back to the stage in new adaptations from the original French texts.
The October 7 event is made possible in part through an Arts & Science Council Venue Access Grant, which supports access to cultural venues for arts, science, history, and heritage programming in Mecklenburg County.
About Post Mortem Players
Founded in 2022, Post Mortem Players is a Concord-area theatre company specializing in horror, the macabre, and other darkly theatrical works. The company presents horror-inspired productions that explore fear as a universal human experience, using bold, engaging storytelling to frighten diverse audiences and build community. Post Mortem Players was named the 2024 Metrolina Theatre Association Theatre Company of the Year.
Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for students, plus applicable taxes and fees.
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