13 scary (and silly) shows for Halloween
Spooks or spoofs? Chicago and suburban theaters bring plenty of both to the stage for Halloween. Some shows aim to terrify. Others scare up laughs thanks to campy bloodshed and cartoonish violence.
Here are 13 suggestions of shows playing this month to get you in the mood for Halloween.
1. “Dr. Seward's Dracula”
Dracula may be dead, but Dr. Seward (Christian Gray) faces an investigation into another rash of dead bodies. First Folio Theatre once again uses the historic Mayslake Peabody Estate to horrifying effect in the Chicago-area premiere of Joseph Zettelmaier's drama.
Oct. 5 through Nov. 6 at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 31st St., Oak Brook. (630) 986-8067 or firstfolio.org
2. “The Birds”
The title of Citadel Theatre's latest production evokes scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's celebrated 1963 horror film, about masses of attacking birds. But Irish playwright Conor McPherson's tense 2009 drama, drawn from the same Daphne du Maurier short story that inspired the movie, takes an intimate psychological approach to the tale.
Through Oct. 30 at Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. (847) 735-8554 or citadeltheatre.org
3. “10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse”
Zombies pursue audiences in Theatre-Hikes' interactive outdoor staging of Don Zolidis's advice-filled play. Hold onto your brains by following the directions provided in the hilariously helpful handbook at the top of the show.
Through Oct. 30 at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. Also at locations in Chicago. (312) 744-5472 or theatre-hikes.org
4. “Young Frankenstein”
Suburban audiences have their pick of two productions of Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan's 2007 Broadway musical adaptation of the hilarious 1974 movie spoof. See how Dr. Frederick Frankenstein transforms his cadaverous Monster into a suave song-and-dance man courtesy of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre or with the newly formed Lake Forest Theatre.
Through Nov. 6 at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com
Oct. 7 through Oct. 30 by Lake Forest Theatre at the John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. (847) 604-4975 or lakeforesttheatre.org
5. “Hand to God”
Expect to laugh and be shocked by Robert Askins' critically acclaimed 2015 Broadway play in its Chicago premiere. There are shades of “The Exorcist” to this dark comedy about a troubled Christian youth (Alex Weisman) in Texas who falls under the thrall of a foul-mouthed and violently demonic hand puppet.
Through Oct. 23 by Victory Gardens Theater at Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org
6. “Splatter Theater”
The Annoyance Theatre hosts plenty of Halloween-timed shows this month, but it's probably best to catch the company's signature 1987 spoof of Hollywood slasher films. After all, the messy “Splatter Theater” helped to put this quirky company on Chicago's late-night comedy map.
Through Oct. 29 at The Annoyance Theatre and Bar, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com
7. “Skooby Don't”
Keep the kids at home for David Cerda's unashamedly adult spoof of the famed Hanna-Barbera cartoon about mystery-solving teenagers and their talking dog. The campy “guest star” lineup includes portrayals of Cher, Chaz Bono and Kris and Caitlyn Jenner.
Through Nov. 4 by hell in a Handbag Productions at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. (800) 838-3006 or handbagproductions.org
8. “Zombie Broads”
Corrbette Pasko and Sara Sevigny's world-premiere comedy imagines what would happen if a well-prepared book club had to deal with a zombie apocalypse. They'll need all the luck they can get, especially with an accident-prone scientist and a defiant teenager in tow.
Oct. 14 through Nov. 26 at Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., Chicago. (773) 305-5775 or thefactorytheater.com
9. “Lucia di Lammermoor”
What would drive a Scottish bride to go mad and murder her husband on their wedding night? Find out in Donizetti's Italian adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's gothic novel, which features arguably the most famous sung “mad scene” in opera.
Seven performances between Oct. 15 and Nov. 6 at Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Sung in Italian with projected English translations. (312) 827-5600 or lyricopera.org
10. “Macbeth”
French actor and director Georges Bigot promises a nightmarish staging of Shakespeare's classic tragedy. And the Bard gives Bigot plenty to work with, especially with the play's unsettling supernatural elements involving witches and an ambitious couple's assassination of a Scottish king.
Oct. 19 through Dec. 4 by Theatre Y at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. (773) 278-1500 or theatre-y.com
11. “Thrones! A Musical Parody”
Chicago audiences looking for a musical spoof of HBO's violent fantasy drama “Game of Thrones” are in luck. “Thrones! A Musical Parody” is running at the Apollo Theatre, while “Graeme of Thrones” will offer up competition when it plays from Nov. 1 to 13 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
“Thrones! A Musical Parody” through Nov. 13 at Apollo Theatre, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6100 or apollochicago.com
“Graeme of Thrones” Nov. 1 to 13 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E Chestnut St., Chicago. (312) 977-1700 or broadwayinchicago.com.
12. “The Bardy Brunch”
We all know there was a rivalry between the TV sitcom families of “The Brady Bunch” and “The Partridge Family.” But composer and playwright Stephen Garvey turned the battle into a deadly one in an off-Broadway musical comedy spoof, now making its Chicago premiere.
Through Nov. 20 at Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. (773) 325-1700 or mercurytheaterchicago.com
13. “Dia de los Muertor: The Dance of Life and Death”
The Chicago Sinfonietta teams up with the Chicago Film Archives to pair creepy silent films with classic spooky orchestral pieces like Mussorgsky's “Night on Bald Mountain” and Saint-Saens' “Danse Macabre.” Mei-Ann Chen conducts these “Day of the Dead” concerts, which also feature works by Beethoven, Golijov and the Chicago premiere of Rivera's “PizziCuban Polka”
Oct. 29 at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville; Oct. 30 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. (312) 284-1554 or chicagosinfonietta.org