On Stage: Double shot of comedy at Zanies, costumes and improv

Double shot

Zanies in St. Charles delivers a double shot of comedy this weekend courtesy of co-headliners Michael Palascak, an Indiana native who studied sketch comedy at Second City, IO Chicago and Annoyance Theatre, and Northwestern University alum, Prescott Tolk of Comedy Central's "Premium Blend."

8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Pheasant Run Resort & Spa, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 584-6342 or zanies.com.

Dress up for laughs

Wear a Halloween costume to today's adults-only "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" style improv show at the Comedy Shrine and you'll receive $3 off the price of an adult ticket. One beverage minimum required.

10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. (630) 355-2844 or comedyshrine.com.

Happy High Holidays

Evanston playwright Alan Gross and director Steven Robman debut Gross' semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age comedy about a Jewish family in north suburban Chicago rocked to their core when the oldest college student son reveals unorthodox ideas about his future. The great Keith Kupferer stars as patriarch Nate.

Previews begin Saturday, Oct. 31, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The "High Holidays" world premiere is Monday, Nov. 9. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

• A tragedy threatens to splinter a family until an Elvis impersonator shows up to make things right in Deborah Zoe Laufer's "End Days," in its Chicago area premiere at Next Theatre. Director Shade Murray, a regular at Chicago's Strawdog Theatre, makes his Next debut with the production which continues previews through Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. The production opens Monday, Nov. 2. (847) 475-1875, ext. 2 or nexttheatre.org.

• Genesis Ensemble presents its second performance piece, "sweet, half-darkness," examining those crossroad moments at which we sometimes find ourselves. Amanda Jane Dunne directs the ensemble-generated show which begins previews Friday, Oct. 30, at the Menomonee Club, 1535 N. Dayton St., Chicago. The show opens Sunday, Nov. 1. See genesisensemble.org for tickets.

• Collaboraction Theatre and the Dadio Foundation team up for Haunting in the Square, a Halloween celebration that includes a program for children during the day and short plays, DJs and dancing for adults at night. Programs run from 3 p.m. to midnight on Friday, Oct. 30, and noon to midnight on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Firehouse Square at 459 N. Wolcott, Chicago. The suggested donation is $5 for adults, $2 for children. (312) 226-9633 or collaboraction.org.

• The Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, hosts midnight performances of its adults-only "Peek-A-Boo! An Ooky Spooky Halloween Burlesque Revue," at midnight Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.

• A group of hipsters try to create a meaningful musical in the parody "Musical DEEP," opening Monday, Nov. 2, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.

• Stage Left Theatre honors its former producing artistic director Kevin Heckman with a benefit including a retrospective of the company's last nine years and a salute to incoming artistic director Vance Smith from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Theater Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $50. They're available by phone at (773) 883-8830 or stagelefttheatre.com.

• The Chicago stop on the national tour of the Mel Brooks' musical "Young Frankenstein" begins Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. Roger Bart (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein) and Shuler Hensley (The Monster) reprise their roles from the Broadway production of the musical based on Brooks' 1974 comedy starring Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• Isadora Duncan, a seminal figure in modern dance, is the subject of "When She Danced," Martin Sherman's portrait of the artist which begins previews Wednesday, Nov. 4, at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. 2009 Jeff Award winner Nick Bowling directs Jennifer Engstrom, who stars as Duncan. The production opens Saturday, Nov. 7. (773) 281-8463, ext. 24 or timelinetheatre.com.

• Previews begins Wednesday, Nov. 4, for UrbanTheater and People's Theater of Chicago's coproduction of "Cuba and His Teddy Bear," the late playwright Reinaldo Povod's tale about the relationships between a small-time NYC drug dealer and his sensitive young son. The production opens Friday, Nov. 6, at Batey Urbano Performance Space, 2620 W. Division St., Chicago. (773) 371-1868 or peoplestheaterchicago.org.

• John Hartman brings his solo sketch comedy show "Your Friends and Enemies" to the Annoyance Theatre for two nights only. Hartman performs Thursdays, Nov. 5, and 12, at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 561-4665 or annoyanceproductions.com.