It’s hard to forget Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ellen Ripley, a feminist icon and action hero of the Alien film series. So it’s nothing short of jaw-dropping that Weaver reached out to North Bergen High School drama students about their recent production, Alien: The Play.
If you managed to dodge the Alien franchise in the 70s, 80s and 90s, the original is a scary flick about a space crew that crosses paths with a dangerous extraterrestrial, aka Xenomorph. Long story short, every member of the crew meets his fate—except for Ripley, the heroine who blasts the alien into space before heading back to Earth.
Eight students took on the major roles in the two-night run of the show on March 19 and 22. In contrast to the film series’ Hollywood budget, the high school production used mostly donated and recycled goods for costumes, props and sets, according to The New York Times. The play was an idea by two teachers at the school (one teaches English, and the other art). The teachers say the total cost for the play was less than $3,500.
After receiving tons of national (and international) attention, North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco pledged funds from his nonprofit to run encore showings of the play. Maybe Weaver will drop by for a performance? Let’s just hope Xenomorph doesn’t.
Watch Weaver’s video below: