UMD theater students have gotten the opportunity of a lifetime, as they are the first to ever bring the horror musical “Maxa: The Maddest Women in the World” to an audience.

“Maxa” is the story of horror actress, Paula Maxa, and her story of success and survival. Although this is a difficult story to convey due to its harsh and triggering content, book writer and lyricist Mika Kauffman was able to bring light to Maxa’s story of survival through the art of theater and the art of tragedy and comedy.

From the music, to the script, to the set design and to the actor’s portrayal of characters, this show was breathtaking from start to finish.

Paula Maxa did in fact have this extremely tragic life, and Kauffman, along with composer Thomas Jacobsen, saw this and thought about why this story was important to tell now.

The reason that this was a story to tell now was because Maxa was a survivor. She fought others and herself off for so many years and even though it was tough at times, she rose from the ashes and became stronger because of it.

There are many people who have struggles similar to those of Maxa, by conveying that you are never alone holds importance not just in the present, but will continue to hold relevance for years to come.

Kauffman does a great job of taking these real experiences from Maxa’s life and somewhat overdramatizing them to really show what goes on in the mind of a person who has survived such traumatic events as she had. It was amazing how Kauffman used the event of Maxa’s life to write a character that was a relatable and normal person.

In arts and entertainment, there are lots of characters that you want to be because they are so perfect, where the character of Paula Maxa is a just real person. She has real emotions that every last person sitting in that theater can relate to in some way, shape or form.

When looking at the real-life of Paula Maxa, she was truly the villain and hero of her own story — Kauffman writes this perfectly from a standpoint that can be understood by audience members of all ages and backgrounds.

The music written by Kauffman and Jacobsen was so fun! The songs were bone-chilling and jarring. Because of the out-of-the-ordinary notes and harmonies, the music played to the idea that this was still a horror musical.

All the songs were strong and represented the theme of the show as a whole. Every song also had a purpose and helped the plot progress which I personally really enjoyed. These songs would not have had the impact they did if it was not for the actors and the work that they put into bringing the show to life.

The whole cast did absolutely amazing, but it was hard to take my eyes off of Laura Carlson who played the role of Older Paula.

Artwork and costume design by Caitlin Quinn

Carlson not only had the look down to a tee, but she had a fire inside her that she translated into her character that was mesmerizing! As one of the main characters and the narrator, the part of Older Paula was obviously emotion-filled and Carlson made those emotions pop one after another almost seamlessly. She was breathtaking and did everything she could to embody the real Paula Maxa.

The theater department did an unbelievable job at re-creating the Grand Guignol which is where Maxa used to perform and is a main setting throughout the musical. The Grand Guignol was a place that frightened the average person but struck interest in the peculiar due to the horror shows they were known to put on.

The set and costume design were something out of a horror fanatic’s dream. It was as if “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” met 1900s macabre glamour! It was very beautiful and elegant, but was another layer into helping tell this intense survival horror story.

Overall, “Maxa: The Maddest Women in the World” is definitely a historic moment for the UMD theater department and for writers Kauffman and Jacobsen. They took the elements of Paula Maxa’s life, the horror scene of the 1900s and the struggles of many survivors who have faced similar issues and made it into something beautiful and informative.

“Maxa: The Maddest Women in the World” is showing October 20-23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marshall Performing Arts Center Mainstage. Click here for more information about the show and how you can buy tickets for upcoming performances.

“Maxa: The Maddest Women in the World” Review