Theater events: Remy Bumppo, Barrel of Monkeys, magician Neil Tobin serve up pre-Halloween thrills

• Steppenwolf Theatre for young adults begins its season Friday, Oct. 5, with "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time." Adapted by Simon Stephens from Mark Haddon's book, the coming-of-age tale centers on a young genius named Christopher who tries to solve the mystery of his neighbor's murdered dog, Wellington. Performances run through Oct. 27, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

• Third Eye Theatre Ensemble opens its fifth season with "Patience & Sarah: A Pioneering Love Story," an opera by composer Paula M. Kimper with a libretto by Wende Persons based on Isabel Miller's novel about the love affair between two 19th-century women. Set in 1816, the play tells the story of artist Patience White and farmer's daughter Sarah Dowling who fall in love and go pioneering together. Performances begin Friday, Oct. 5, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. See thirdeyete.com.

• Previews for the all-LGBTQ show "Dreamboat" begin Friday, Oct. 5, at iO Chicago, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 26. Halloween-themed shows running Wednesdays at iO Chicago are "The Mansion" and "The Campfire." Briane Goodrum's solo comedy/horror show "House Lafayette" runs on Saturdays along with the sketch comedy show "Grand Guignol: Bad Milk." (847) 929-2401 or ioimprov.com.

• Silk Road Rising and A-Squared Theatre present "A Great Migration," a "fictional autobiographical play" by Preston Choi about a Korean-American man's quest for the Korean father who abandoned his family. Performances take place at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6-7, at The Chicago Temple Building, 77 W. Washington St., Chicago. (312) 857-1234 or silkroadrising.org.

• Aloft Circus Arts presents a contemporary, pop-up circus titled "Brave Space" that brings audiences up close and personal with acrobats and aerialists. Performances take place at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, at 3324 W. Wrightwood, Chicago. (773) 507-2604 or aloftcircusarts.com.

• Previews begin Sunday, Oct. 7, at Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, for (re) discover theatre's world premiere of the adults-only "Les Innocents/The Innocents," created and directed by co-artistic director Ann Kreitman. Inspired by a real concert that took place in 1897 in Paris' catacombs, the play centers on composer Gui and his "encounter with eccentric and musical ghosts." See rediscovertheatre.com.

• In time for Halloween, writer/performer Neil Tobin returns with an adults-only site-specific, interactive, magic and theater show. He performs his show "Neil Tobin, Necromancer: Near Death Experience" on various dates from Sunday, Oct. 7, to Nov. 4 at May Chapel on the grounds of Rosehill Cemetery, 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago. See neardeathx.com.

• Barrel of Monkeys presents the Halloween edition of its long-running comedy show consisting of sketches adapted from stories written by public school students. "That's Weird, Grandma: Ghosts, Ghouls and Talking Potatoes" runs Sundays beginning Sunday, Oct. 7, at The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. (773) 506-7140 or barrelofmonkeys.org.

• The more than 200 Chicago-area artists involved in Collaboraction's 2018 Peacebook Festival events reunite for a marathon show on Sunday, Oct. 7, at The Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave., Chicago. The showcase features short works about peace, organized according to the themes of power, love and hope. (312) 226-9633 or collaboraction.org.

• Frederick the mouse appears to be frittering the summer away while his fellow field mice gather food for winter. But he's really preparing a surprise to help his friends weather the winter in Leo Lionni's award-winning children's book "Frederick." Chicago Children's Theatre presents the musical adaptation by Suzanne Miller with a folk and blues score by Sarah Durkee and Paul Jacobs. Previews begin Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 13. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

• Chicago Fringe Opera hosts a season kickoff fundraiser featuring food, beverages and karaoke from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Lagunitas Brewing Company, 2608 W. 17th St., Chicago. See chicagofringeopera.com.

• Rough House Theatre premieres an immersive, puppet theater performance titled "The Walls of Harrow House." Conceived and directed by Mike Oleon, it opens Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The premise is that a reclusive, fictional architect named Milton Harrow opens his home and studio for a tour. See roughhousetheater.com.

• The McHenry County Historical Society and Museum presents "Edgar Allan Poe's Imagination" from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Park Place, 406 W. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake. Performer Dan Haughey shares Poe's short stories including "The Tell-Tale Heart" and poems "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee" during the program for which audience members provide sound effects. See mchenrycountyhistory.org.

• Remy Bumppo Theatre Company is the second Chicago-area ensemble to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," with an adaptation of the seminal gothic novel. Ensemble members Nick Sandys and Greg Matthew Anderson alternate in the roles of the Creature and his maker, Victor Frankenstein, whose despair over the death of his mother inspires him to defy the natural order. Already extended by a week, director Ian Frank's production begins previews on Thursday, Oct. 11, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 16. (773) 975-8150 or remybumppo.org.

• Donterrio Johnson stars as the Leading Player in Mercury Theater Chicago's revival of "Pippin," Stephen Schwartz's musical about a prince who finds happiness and fulfillment not on the battlefield or in the throne room, but in extraordinarily ordinary moments. Previews begin Thursday, Oct. 11, at 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The show, directed by L. Walter Stearns, opens Oct. 14. (773) 325-1700 or mercurytheaterchicago.com.

• Pride Films and Plays continues its season with Terrence McNally's "It's Only a Play," a behind-the-scenes Broadway satire that unfolds during an opening night party where a group of theater artists and their friends wait anxiously for the reviews. Previews begin Thursday, Oct. 11, at 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. The show, directed by Jon Martinez, opens Oct. 17. (866) 811-4111 or pridefilmsandplays.com.

• Nothing Without a Company opens its 13th season with its second annual New Play Festival, taking place Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 11-13, plus Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 25-27 at the Berger Park Cultural Center, 6205 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago. The festival features nine, one-act plays about former partners reconnecting over spooky circumstances; an aspiring comedian battling her biggest critic; and a student and his parents preparing for a university admission interview over Skype among other subjects. See nothingwithoutacompany.org.

• "Destinos," the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival produced by the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance and featuring artists from Chicago, Los Angeles, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Puerto Rico, continues at Chicago-area theaters. Those theaters include: Aguijon, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Teatro Vista, UrbanTheater, Victory Gardens and Water People theaters. This week includes the premiere of "The Real Life Adventures of Jimmy de la Rosas," Chicago playwright Ricardo Gamboa's tale about a boy who can move things with his mind. It runs Thursday, Oct. 11, to Oct. 21 at Pulaski Park, 1419 W. Blackhawk St., Chicago. Cara Mia Theatre and Ignite/Arts Dallas' production of "WET: A DACAmented Journey" about Dreamers navigating the U.S. immigration system, runs Thursday, Oct. 11, to Oct. 14 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Puerto Rico's Quarto Blanco presents the U.S. premiere of the family drama "Luna de Cristal/Crystal Moon," which runs Thursday, Oct. 11, to Oct. 14 at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. For a schedule and ticket information, see clata.org or call (312) 631-3112.

• The Chicago Magic Lounge, 5050 N. Clark St., Chicago, hosts "shock illusionist" Dan Sperry, who combines magic with the macabre. He performs Thursday, Oct. 11, to Oct. 13. The show is for adults. (312) 366-4500 or chicagomagiclounge.com.

• The SAG/AFTRA Senior Radio Players return Thursday, Oct. 11, to the Claudia Cassidy Theater at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Washington St., Chicago. The group performs the Halloween-themed radio shows - "The Hermits Cave: The Blackness of Terror" and "Escape: Evening Primrose" - at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

• The League of Chicago Theatre's Theatre Thursday event continues Thursday, Oct. 11, at Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, with a performance of "Witch," Jen Silverman's contemporary take on a 17th-century play about two young men who make a bargain with the devil while the outsider who everyone believes is a witch stands her ground. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by a post-show conversation with the cast. Tickets are $35. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.

• Pivot Arts in cooperation with the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Open House Chicago presents a series of site-specific performances titled "Charged Spaces/Changing Bodies," from Thursday, Oct. 11, to Oct. 14 at the Institute for Cultural Affairs, 4750 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, and at Lawrence House, 1020 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. See pivotarts.org/events.

• TimeLine Theatre Company has extended its production of "A Shayna Maidel," Barbara Lebow's drama about two sisters reunited in New York City decades after they were separated during the Holocaust. Performances run through Dec. 2 at 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. (773) 281-8463, ext. 6, or timelinetheatre.com.

• Curious Theatre Branch and Prop Thtr seeks proposals for its 30th annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, a fringe theater event scheduled to run Jan. 18 to Feb. 24, 2019. Proposals are due Oct. 15. Download the submission form at rhinofest.com.

• The Annoyance Theatre announced a licensing issue has forced the company to change the name of its show "Grease 3: Even Greasier." The parody of a high school comedy has been retitled "Y2Gay: Coming of Age at the End of the World." It runs Saturdays through Oct. 27 at 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Annika Churchill of Round Lake Beach, Joseph Storti of Downers Grove and Nolan Robinson of Evanston are among six students who received college scholarships from the fund named for the late Bernie Yvon, a beloved Chicago-area actor who died in 2014. Established by Yvon's parents in 2015, the Bernie G. Yvon Memorial Fund annually awards $500 scholarships to outstanding young theater artists. Donations to the fund are accepted at jaxcf.org/donate.