Dream Theatre’s Annual Horror Play takes a horrific new twist by taking the Audience out of Anna’s living room and into the bowels of the basement... A young teacher has barricaded herself in the basement while the entire bloodthirsty town masses to kill her… And lucky you... You're down in the darkness with her...
A lean, tragicomic version of the Faustus story, An Apology … presents Doctor Faustus in the last hour of his final night on earth – irritated, whining, drunk, and repentant of nothing save his failure to keep a proper diary. Over the course of this hour he rails against his silent servant Mephistopheles and tells the fantastic tale of his life – a life filled with wonders, as well as an immeasurably vast evil.
Boys and Ghouls (of an adult age) are bound to be delighted by the onstage antics of Peeka-boo! An Ooky Spooky Halloween Burlesque Revue! Your charming host, Mr. Bones, will be resurrecting some of the most haunting boooo-lesque you've ever seen! Thrill to the amazing mental feats of Dr. Percepto! Chortle to the hilarious antics of Frank-N-Stein and Dr. Acula, and if that is not enough, dancing Zombies!!!
A musical developed from an old Roger Corman script, Bucket of Blood follows an eager-to-please busboy working at a hipster cafe. When he haplessly kills a cat, he plasters over the corpse to hide his accident. The life-like sculpture, though, is revered to such a degree that the busboy has to produce more and more elaborate works to keep from arousing suspician.
The Castle of Otranto marked the invention of the Gothic novel and provided inspiration for the greatest writers of horror stories in the English language, from Mary Shelley to Edgar Allan Poe to Bram Stoker. One family curse, two murders and three ghosts combine to produce a macabre tale of adventure and romance. Otranto has been adapted for the stage by David Rice, whose script for 2006’s The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe was nominated for a Jeff Award.
A 15-minute performance piece devised each year to create "crap-your-pants scary" theatre performed continually throughout a performance night.This year, Artistic Director Ben Fuchsen and company member Max Truax create a horrifying spectacle transposed from the beginning cantos of Dante's Inferno. Drawing from Butoh dance techniques, grotesque, trancelike performance and shocking special effects lead audiences through a nightmare world on a journey to the edge of hell. 15-minute performances run every half-hour from 8-10:30p.m.
Acclaimed story teller Megan Wells will usher in the Halloween season by presenting her adaptation of the original "Dracula" story. The story of Dracula, which has thrived to this day, was originally crafted by the 19th century novelist Bram Stoker. Its adaptation is among Wells' most well-regarded works. She has included in her performance repertoire throughout the Midwest and elsewhere, and has been touring her epic story experiences for fifteen years.
Wealth! Power! Youth! Love! Faust wants it all - and Mephistopheles lets him have it in return for his immortal soul. When you deal with the devil, everyone loses — as Faust soon discovers when he finds himself seducing the innocent Marguerite, humiliating the man who cherishes her, killing her brother, and driving her to madness and death.
Using their unique location above a funeral home to its full potential, the Neo-Futurists raise your blood pressure as they move you through terrifying literary-themed exhibits. Fear goes beyond typical haunted house methods to enter the deep, dark corners of your mind through the timeless works of Edgar Allen Poe. This Halloween event hits nerves of paranoia, dread and the macabre, discussing the anticipation and certainty of death.
The Flaming Dames are back to drain you dry and leave you screaming for more in Vamp II—a wickedly sexy burlesque revue! Join the party with Chicago’s premier concept burlesque troupe as they invite you to rock n’ roll all night long in their bordello of sin. Joined by everyone’s favorite un-dead creatures Mr. Vampire and Ms. Zombie keep the party going all night long. You’ll be stuck to your seats as these sultry ladies become vicious vampires hell bent on teasing and titillating, while on the hunt for a pound of flesh to sink their teeth into.
This early 19th century novel has experienced numerous re-tellings over the last 200 years, each aggressively reflecting the concerns of its own era. Sean Graney's world-premiere adaptation examines the crippling burden of creation in the name of human advancement. This four-actor, promenade production combines several historical versions of the gothic tale crafting a contemporary literary monster that captures the pure horror and chilling philosophy of Shelley's original.
A 90-minute interactive concert and party experience full of laughs and gags, followed by Halloween games and surprises with the Jolly Rogers themselves. Wear your Halloween costume or you'll walk the plank! Activities include Pirate Dance Parrrty, Aye Mask-Makin' and Theater Games - Pirates, Ghosts, Goblins an' Witches! Once you've completed each activity, make sure to pick up your Pirate Loot Bag!
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, based on the classic short story by Washington Irving, tells the tale of superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, who arrives in the haunted village of Sleepy Hollow and competes with rough-and-tumble local hero Brom Bones for the hand of the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, until his fateful encounter with the legendary Headless Horseman.
The people of Sleepy Hollow have gathered to tell the story of that fateful night that Ichabod Crane was spirited away by the Headless Horseman. By examining Ichabod’s story and sharing popular folk songs and ghost stories, they attempt to make sense of the horrifying tragedy that has become known as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The latest full length show to grow from The Annoyance's Triple Feature New Director series, "Lights Out Alma" tells the story of three women pushed to betray and murder in the name of sisterhood. As part of the writing process, the director and cast spent a night at Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, one of the top nine most haunted places in America, according to Life Magazine.
Join Corpse de Cabaret of the undead on a kooky and spooky journey into the macabre. Macabaret is a collection of humorous new songs which twist towards the morbid. Murderous spouses, horror films, evil cows, and supermodels are just a few of the things parodied by a Corpse de Cabaret. Macabaret, a devilishly delightful musical revue is the best way to celebrate Halloween in Chicago.
Your favorite Halloween characters come to life to perform an interactive night of Comedy. Join Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, a Ghostbuster and more as they improvise with the audience. You may get pulled up on stage to be a part of the fun.
With script and lyrics by Jack Schultz and 11 new songs written by Kathleen Dooley and Jack Schultz, the play is based on the classic movie Night Of The Living Dead by George Romero and John Russo. The play tells the story of seven people trapped in a rural house by re-animated corpses who hunt down the living to subsist on human flesh. Victims of these undead creatures also become reanimated and turn on their living counterparts.
In Night Watch, an unbalanced society woman witnesses two murders across a dark alley…or does she?! This suspenseful thriller, in the tradition of Rear Window and Wait Until Dark keep you guessing until the very end.
A horror sketch show with a decidedly non-comedy focus. Serial infant killers, murderous couples, incestuous cannibals, and insane mothers haunt the Corn stage this Halloween. Rated NC 17 and not for the faint of heart or weak of bladder.
Audiences are invited to witness the performance of classic radio scripts by voice actors, sound effects artists and, often, live musicians. The AFTRA/SAG Players stay faithful to the original model by having to get it right the first time – no retakes permitted.
Celebrate the Halloween season with alien overlords Eros, Tanna, and the nefarious Ruler as they as they wage war on the human race. From psychotropic soda pop and the subliminal music of Eros Presley to a new world religion based on a science fiction novel, audiences will experience the true face of fear while receiving a valuable history lesson on a future that might have been in the future! Based on the work of visionary director, Ed Wood, Plans 1 Through 8 From Outer Space answers the question, what went wrong the first eight times?
For this Midwest premiere, InFusion Theatre Company brings creepy puppets and visual spectacle to a very human tale of an imaginative and inventive stay-at-home dad. In his Midwest farm house, he creates a beautiful yet bizarre world of puppets, costumed characters and fanciful stories for his young daughter. But all is not what it seems in this suspense-filled and disturbing tale of love, loss and danger appropriate for the Halloween season.
Just in time for the Halloween season, NightBlue Performing Arts Company is thrilled to present their restaged production of the crowd-pleasing, cult classic musical “The Rocky Horror Show.” While on the way to visit an old college professor, two clean cut young people, Brad Majors and his fiancée Janet Weiss, run into a little car trouble and seek help at the freaky Frankenstein mansion. Little do they know that the mansion is home to Dr. Frank N Furter, a maniacal scientist, and his alien transsexual companions from the planet Transylvania. Science Fiction, horror and a healthy dose of good old rock n' roll come together to create a musical experience unlike anything else. Audiences are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Rocky Horror characters. A Master of Ceremonies will be on hand each night to coach any “Rocky Horror Virgins” (first-time viewers) on the audience participation. NightBlue will have participation kits available for purchase at the door as outside props are not permitted for the safety of the actors.
Salem! The Musical is a bewitching musical set in the Puritan town of Salem in 1692 - just when things were getting interesting. New to the neighborhood, bumbling businessman Reverend Parris and his daughter get wrapped up in the most musical witch-hunt in history.
Sleepy Hollow is a charming family musical about romance and other terrors. Tensions in the little village escalate when schoolmaster Ichabod Crane vies with a shy blacksmith to win the heart of the wealthiest woman in town. Meanwhile, rumors circulate that the local ghost, the Headless Horseman, is seeking his revenge.
A parody of Friday the 13th type movies, the characters in “Splatter Theater” include such archetypes as a nun, the school jock, the virgin, the class dick, and of course the bumbling old man. Laugh and watch them all die in different ways: Tongue pulled out, drill in the head, intestines being ripped out, slashed throat, and the list goes on. With freshly painted white walls on the stage before each performance, the audience will be horrified and delighted by the end, when the walls are covered in blood!
"Is it real? Or isn't it?," marvels the Chicago Tribune. So will you, when you experience this funny and slightly creepy one-man show by Neil Tobin, Necromancer that explores the true stories of Chicago's paranormal past, and brings them to life for the audience through interactive demonstrations of psychic magic. It all takes place in the landmark (and reputedly haunted) Excalibur nightclub. Now in its fourth year of weekly performances.
Theatre of Souls is an exploration of the strange, the macabre, and the terrifying. This is the tale of three souls who run afoul of the mysterious Randolph L. Howard. It unfolds within the intimate confines of Village Players studio performance space, which brings you eerily close to the three souls and the fate that awaits them. Learn what lurks in their minds, what haunts their dreams, and what scares them. For the suspenseful shock of your life, you must see "Theatre of Souls.”
The hilarious harlots of Off Off Broadzway get into the Halloween spirit with their latest musical sketch comedy show! This burlesque-inspired revue features the five Broadz and their gloriously creepy ringmaster, Andy Drogynous, slaying the audience with sharp writing, catchy songs and anything-goes humor. Sequins and dirty jokes abound in a non-reveal performance that is not for the faint of heart. These ladies are sexy, sharp, and, oh yeah, they're hysterical. Guests are encouraged to dress up in their Halloween garb and participate in the fun.
