‘The Walking Dead’ Star Returns to Hawaii

Zombies are in. AMC’s drama series “The Walking Dead,” based on a graphic novel series of the same name, is a huge hit. And Kennedy Theatre at the University of Hawaii has just wrapped a presentation of “Uncle Vanya and Zombies,” a post-apocalyptic zombie story set on the UH campus.

This Saturday, ‘Walking Dead’ star Sarah Wayne Callies will be in Honolulu to share her unique insights on the topic of zombies and their place in historical art and pop culture.

Callies grew up in the islands, arriving on O’ahu from Illinois when she was one year old. Her parents were professors at UH Manoa (professor of English Valerie Wayne and Richardson School of Law professor David Callies, per the Honolulu Star-Bulletin) and she graduated from Punahou School, where she got her start in the performing arts.

She went on to earn a masters degree in fine arts, then roles in a number of films and TV shows, including “Tarzan” on The WB and “Prison Break” on Fox. But she is now perhaps best known as Lori Grimes, the wife of former cop protagonist of “The Walking Dead.”

In fact, Callies — who holds a masters degree in Fine Arts — will be speaking on the connection between the zombie phenomenon and the Russian author Anton Chekhov. Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” inspired “Uncle Vanya and Zombies,” a mash-up similar to 2009’s “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”

Saturday’s presentation at Kennedy Theatre is the grand finale in a series of a series of zombie-themed events spearheaded by theatre director Markus Wessendorf. Tickets are required, and are free, but will only be issued on the day of the event, beginning at 5 p.m.

For more information, call (808) 956-7655.

See Also:

• ‘Walking Dead’ Star to Speak at UH on ‘Chekhov and Zombies’