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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New Jersey high school’s celebrated ‘Alien’ play gets encore

In this May 4, 2017 file photo, director Ridley Scott appears at the premiere of the film "Alien: Covenant" in London. A New Jersey high school’s stage production of “Alien” is coming back with help from the 1979 film’s director, Ridley Scott. (Joel Ryan / Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
Associated Press

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. – A New Jersey high school’s stage production of “Alien” is coming back with help from the 1979 film’s director, Ridley Scott.

“Alien: The Play” was performed last month at North Bergen High School, which sits about 2 miles from the Lincoln Tunnel into New York City.

Images of the production’s elaborate sets and special effects drew a huge response online, and Scott wrote a letter to the school praising the students’ creativity.

Sigourney Weaver played the character Ellen Ripley in the movie that spawned a franchise. She taped a YouTube video in which she called the production “incredible.”

The play’s director, teacher Perfecto Cuervo, said in an email that Scott’s production company provided $5,000 so the school could put on an encore performance April 26.