Spooky season has arrived, and this year, Chicago theaters are prepared for a fright. There are shows and experiences around the city where you can enjoy Halloween the way you like, whether it be jump-scares or big laughs, classic stories or contemporary.
Want a comedy? A long-running Beverly community theater is staging a musical production of “The Addams Family.” Craving something a little more creepy? Stephen King’s novel “Misery,” about an ax-wielding nurse fangirl with questionable intentions, is a play on American Blues Theater’s shiny new stage. Do you go for classics? A Naperville theater is putting on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” And as a bonus, we found an interactive puppet haunted house, an improvised murder mystery and a spine-chilling shadow-puppet spin on “Frankenstein.”
Here’s our list of 10 shows you should see this October.
‘Misery’
Where: American Blues Theater
When: Through Oct. 26
A secluded cabin in Colorado is the setting of this psychological thriller. The theatrical adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling novel stars award-winning American Blues Theater ensemble members Steve Key and Wanda Christine in the roles of the famous romance-novelist and the superfan who kidnaps him.
If you go: 5627 N. Lincoln Ave.; tickets, $30+
‘Becky Nurse of Salem’
Where: Presented by Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit
When: Through Nov. 15
Is it really Halloween without stories about the Salem witch trials? In this tale, a sharp-witted tour guide at the Salem Museum of Witchcraft named Becky Nurse — a descendent of Rebecca Nurse, who was executed for witchcraft — loses her job for criticizing The Crucible. The ensuing story, penned by award-winning American playwright and Chicago-area native Sarah Ruhl, is a spell-riddled journey of family legacy and self discovery.
If you go: 1229 W. Belmont Ave.; tickets, $15+
‘House of the Exquisite Corpse IV: Superstition’
Where: Presented by Rough House Theater in the Steppenwolf Merle Reskin Garage Space
When: Oct. 10-12
This experience is a fusion of a spooked-out puppet show and a haunted house. Six teams of multidisciplinary puppet artists designed six different immersive acts of puppet horror aimed at delightfully shocking audiences. Each act is themed around a superstition, and these artists are determined to scare. The recommended age for entry is 14 and up.
If you go: 1624 N. Halsted St.; tickets, $21+
‘Clued In: An Invitation to Die For’
Where: Up Comedy Club at Second City
When: Oct 10, 17, 27, 31
Not everyone loves to be frightened on Halloween. Sometimes, a great laugh can be better than a jumpscare. At Second City, the scariest holiday deserves a comedic twist — an improved version of a murder mystery. In this unscripted immersive experience, audiences hunt for the killer in the room and they are assisted, in the funniest way possible, by a cast of comedians searching for clues.
If you go: 230 W. North Ave.; tickets, $30+
‘The Golden Girls Meet the Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush’
Where: Presented by Hell in a Handbag Productions at The Chopin Theatre
When: Oct. 10-Nov. 3
This world-premiere play joins two beloved groups of Hell in a Handbag parody characters into one chilling Halloween farce — the spoofed versions of The Golden Girls and the Scooby Doo Mystery Team. A script written by founding artistic director and respected character actor David Cerda delivers as many plot points as characters, which is a lot. But the laughs will be plentiful, and a mystery will be solved in this production stocked with favorite characters.
If you go: 1543 W. Division St.; tickets, $29+
Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’
Where: Presented by Brightside Theatre at Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall
When: Oct. 18-Nov. 3
Passion meets terror in Bram Stoker’s seductive tale of the famous vampire. This adaptation of the timeless novel will reintroduce the audience to familiar characters Count Dracula, Van Helsing and Renfield as necks are bitten, and vampires are hunted in a production perfect for a Halloween night.
If you go: 31 S. Ellsworth St, Napervile; tickets, $32+
Manual Cinema’s ‘Frankenstein’
Where: Studebaker Theater
When: Oct. 25 through 27
Manuel Cinema’s spin on “Frankenstein” has toured the country. I saw it in Seattle, and if you hope to catch the show here in Chicago, grab tickets fast as they usually sell out. In this creative take on the gothic classic, audiences will see the production unfold through shadow-puppetry, live music and creative cinematic techniques. This show is just as cool as it is creepy — and trust me … it is very creepy.
If you go: 410 S. Michigan Avenue in the Fine Arts Building; tickets, $54.50+
‘Sweeney Todd in Concert’
Where: Governors State University Center for Performing Arts Theater
When: Oct. 19
For one night only, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is back. You can catch the cast from the Jeff Award-winning Kokandy production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” singing the songs from the production with live music by the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. This is a great night out for both classical music fans and musical theater lovers who missed the award-winning Chicago run or simply crave a reprise.
If you go: 1 University Parkway, University Park; tickets, $47.70+
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’
Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre
When: Oct. 20
The magic of theater and film converge on this special night in Chicago. A screening of the original, unedited film (with Barry Bostwick, the original actor who played Brad Majors, on site for VIP meet-and-greet) will be paired with a live shadow cast by Rocky Horror in Abundance — a group of actors who stage live performances while the film projects behind them. And there will be plenty of opportunities for audience participation. The show will be full of strong language and adult content, so ages 18 and up are recommended. If you go, confetti, glowsticks and party hats are all encouraged as props.
If you go: 151 W. Randolph St.; tickets, $53.50+
‘The Addams Family’
Where: The Baer Theater at Morgan Park Academy
When: Oct. 25-27
One of the longest-running local community theaters in Chicago is staging this Broadway musical comedy. In the show, the beloved creepy Addams family finds itself embroiled in secrets and new love when Wednesday brings home a — gasp — “normal” boyfriend.
If you go: 2153 W. 111th St.; tickets, $27+