Theater companies scare up suspense for Halloween weekend

There's good news and bad news for theatergoers looking for seasonal entertainment this weekend. First the bad news: “The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story,” First Folio Theatre's terrific remount of its original tribute to the master of macabre fiction, is sold out. But there are plenty of other suspenseful and scary shows on stages over the next few days.

• Steel Beam Theatre and the St. Charles Park District collaborate on GRIMrose Farm, a haunted house featuring Steel Beam actors running from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31, at Primrose Farm, 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles. The historic haunt includes hayrides, a bonfire and refreshments. There's a “monster-free” performance for kids from 5 to 6:30 p.m. both nights. $16, $22. Proceeds benefit the theater. (630) 587-8521 or grimrosefarm.com.

• Magician and author David Parr serves as guide for a Haunting History tour of the Dawes House in Evanston that combines magic, urban myths and ghost stories. Tours for ages 13 and older take place at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31, at the Dawes House located at 225 Greenwood St., Evanston. $20. See davidparr.com.

• Talk about timing. The Chicago Mammals' fourth all-female production is “All Girl Dracula.” Inspired by Bram Stoker's novel, it has a distinctly “Mammalian” twist. The adults-only show runs at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday through Nov. 14 at 4001 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago. $25. See chicagomammals.com.

• “The Trouble With Angels” is the latest interactive, adults-only production by Dream Theatre Company. Part of its Audience Annihilated series, performances of this combination horror show and haunted house last about 20 minutes and run from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, at 5026 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $20. See dreamtheatrecompany.com.

• Stage 773 hosts its adults-only One Act Festival: Halloween Edition featuring seven seasonal plays commissioned by seven Chicago theater companies. “Window Dressing,” from Babes With Blades, is about an art school dropout who designs department store displays late at night. Cold Basement Dramatics performs an excerpt from “Goblin,” about two people trapped in a closet with a kidney as a “companion.” Hobo Junction Productions stages “Bernie Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street's Brother,” about the brothers of Sweeney Todd and Victor Frankenstein who realize their siblings' penchant for murder has become a huge public relations problem. Organic Theater Company's “The Haunter of the Dark” evokes a fear of the unknown, and (re) discover theater company's “Wendigo” is about four people who uncover a secret in a cave. The Ruckus sheds a grim light on a fairy tale in “Gretel,” and New Millennium Theatre Company looks at how monsters and slashers live out their golden years in “Whitehair on Elm Street.” The final performance is at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. $15. (773) 327-5252 or stage773.com.

• ComedySportz, at 929 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, presents family-friendly Halloween improv shows at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, for a discount price of $15. An adults-only costume dance party and Gilda's Club Chicago benefit follows at 10 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $35 depending on the package. (773) 549-8080 or cszchicago.com.

• Libertyville's Improv Playhouse adapts Washington Irving's tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” — about schoolteacher Ichabod Crane who meets the feared headless horseman on his way home from courting the beautiful Katrina — as a 1940s radio drama complete with sound effects and background music. Performances are at 7:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. $5-$15. (847) 968-4529 or improvplayhouse.com.

• The Neo-Futurists promise dark humor, existential dread and candy as part of “Too Much Fright Makes the Baby Go Blind,” the adults-only Halloween edition of its long-running show. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. $25. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.

• Redmoon Theatre hosts its sixth annual Halloween spectacle “Boneshaker” beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the company's home at 2120 S. Jefferson St., Chicago. Regular admission is $125, VIP tickets are $150 for the event, which includes music, dancing, food, beverages, videos, movies and carnival games along with the theater's signature contraptions. (312) 850-8440, ext. 123, or redmoon.org.