From creepy to corny, Halloween always gives rise to a lively body of theatrical work. This year, local playwrights and theater companies bring fresh blood to the scene, joining repeat offenders such as “Carpenters’ Halloween” and “Disturbed.” We’ve plucked five highlights from the crop. Find more online at metromix.com.
‘Night Falls’ and ‘Laughing in the Face of Death’
The Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway. 773-561-4665
The shtick: In “Night Falls,” an homage to ’60s horror TV series such as “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits,” the narrator guides the audience through four “episodes” set in a tiny Maine town that’s trapped in time. “Laughing in the Face of Death” features a comic onslaught of unsympathetic characters who meet their untimely ends after making stupid choices. Founding member Susan Messing directs.
Next performances: “Night Falls” 7 p.m. Sunday. Through Nov. 2.; “Laughing in the Face of Death” 8 p.m. Saturday. Through Nov. 29. Tickets range from $10-$15: theannoyance.com
‘Frankenstein in Love (or The Life of Death)’
Chemically Imbalanced Theater, 1420 W. Irving Park Rd. 773-327-9725
The shtick: This rarely produced horror play by freaky filmmaker Clive Barker (“Hellraiser”) is based on Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein,” in which a lab-created monster in a fictional South American country leads a rebellion in a desperate bid for affection.
Next performance: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Through Nov. 1. $10-$18. Tickets: willactforfood.com
‘The Screwtape Letters’
Fellowship for the Performing Arts at Mercury Theatre, 3745 N. Southport Ave. 773-325-1700
The shtick: Human faith and virtue fall prey to the manipulations of devils who, from their office workplace in hell, teach an apprentice demon how to undermine a young man’s recent conversion to Christianity.
Next performance: 8 p.m. Wednesday. Through Nov. 9. $29-$48.50.
‘Jarred: A Hoodoo Comedy’
Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. 773-878-5862
The shtick: Local playwright Tanya Saracho debuts her new play about a young woman who turns to folk magic in an attempt to recover from a heartaching breakup. Performed in English with a sprinkling of Spanish.
First performance: Oct. 31. Through Dec. 14. $15.
