Why do we love scary movies and terrifying amusement park rides? The scarier it is, the more we scream first, then giggle. Why are these experiences so entertaining? Maybe because they are controlled and often shared. We are not alone. It is our choice where to ride or watch. I recall being terrified while watching the movie "The Silence of the Lambs" years ago. Each time the movie became too intense, I paused and took a break,

We were in good company at the August Wilson Theatre last Wednesday evening for the performance of Paranormal Activity. Although many in the audience might have been fans of the movie franchise series that inspired playwright Levi Holloway, we were not among them and were totally unfamiliar with the films.

Going in, all I knew was the show’s tagline "places aren’t haunted, people are.” The people in this case are Jimmy and Lou Singer, an attractive young couple who recently moved from Chicago to London for Jimmy’s new position.

Something terrible happened in Chicago…but we don’t know what yet. In the opening moments of the story, Jimmy is speaking with his mother whose face appears on their TV screen through an Facetime-type program, and it is revealed that Lou has had problems and is now on anti-depressants.

Married only one year, the appealing couple is loving, and they are obviously attracted to one another. Yet Lou's problems are causing a rift between them. She feels a presence, a darkness, and the audience begins to see strange things happening on stage. Lou’s upset that Jimmy doesn’t believe her and says he scoffs when she tries to explain. He doesn’t believe until…he does. They need help and call in a medium, Ethelin Cotgrave (Eva Kaminsky ) who runs a seance in their home. Interestingly, she has them turn off all devices, even the smoke detector, to allow the dead to ‘communicate.’

The sound effects of the show are loud, catching the audience off guard and people reacted with a collective scream. Then came embarrassing giggles. All of which adds to the fun of the show and we all feed off one another’s energy as tension builds that lasts till the very last moment of the show.

The audience must pay close attention, especially when the power in this English home goes wonky, and several scenes take place in near darkness. (Better to cast shadows, my dear.) My colleague who often closes his eyes during shows, didn't dare but instead sat with his eyes glued to the stage.

For a show like this to work, everyone has to be in sync: The actors, illusions designs by Chris Fisher, lighting design by Anna Watson, sound design by Gareth Fry, video and projections design by Luke Hall. The two hour show runs like a well-oiled timepiece. The action is seamless.

As Jimmy, Travis A. Knight is calm at first and believable. He’s logical, struggling to make sense of an irrational situation. He becomes obsessive, losing his cool when he tries to figure out what seems like an odd series of numbers,195019, that have mysteriously appeared on the upstairs nursery walls. His mantra is that If there’s a problem, there’s a solution. (I sat in the theater trying to figure out for myself what the numbers meant- I was wrong!) We can identify withJimmy’s skepticism, so when he starts to believe so do we.

As his adorable wife Lou, Cher Álvarez is warm and emotional. At first it’s hard to accept her psychological issues which include hallucinations and time lapses until, like Jimmy, we ‘experience’ things and begin to believe her.

There are a few comic relief moments with Shannon Cochran as Carolanne, Jimmy's mother, who offers to come to England to ‘help’ them. A religious woman with a slight Southern drawl, she introduces the notion of prayer for forgiveness.

“Do you believe in God?” Lou later asks her husband, who answers that he’s atheist. But will he turn to prayer when things in the house are unanswerable?

Skillfully directed by Felix Barrett, Paranormal Activity is unlike other shows on Broadway. It sucks you in and doesn' t let go until the very last minute. It’s not for the faint-hearted or the squeamish. The audience easily adds to the fun during this communal fright night as we all jumped,shrieked and screamed together. Sounds unpleasant -yet it was so much fun because of the immersive effects and fine performances. Although we sat in anticipation of something frightening happening, we still reacted, but at least, we were all in it together.