THE WOMAN IN BLACK, Haunted Tours, ROCKY HORROR and More Set for Seacoast Rep's 2012 Halloween Lineup

Portsmouth has always had a soft spot for all things Halloween. The Jack o' Lanterns shine a bit brighter, costume choices are a frequent topic of conversation, and the New England twilight seems to be all the more magical during the month of October on the Seacoast. The folks at Seacoast Repertory Theatre welcome the Halloween Season with a wide variety of haunted happenings and spirited programming in preparation for All Hallows Eve 2012.

The Rep offers a ghostly Mainstage show, The Woman In Black, all month long. Come hear the strange and mysterious tale of Arthur Kipps (Bill Humphreys*) as he employs a young actor (CJ Lewis) to help him exorcise the shrouded specter that has plagued his nightmares his whole adult life. The Woman in Black is sponsored by: Anchor Line Web & Screen Works; Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella; Liberty Mutual Group; and Portsmouth Sheraton Hotel. An unmissable and unforgettable theatrical experience - Humphreys and Lewis will bring this cerebral Victorian ghost story to life Oct. 5 through Oct. 28, Thursday-Sunday. Tickets are $18-$42. (*Member of Actors' Equity Association.)

Not to be outdone by the "woman in black", the "real" ghosts of The Rep have been very active of late. The theatre's supernatural inhabitants and resident actor Knate Higgins will be featured on "My Ghost Story" - the most watched television series on A&E's Biography Channel. The segment will air actual footage of ghostly happenings at Seacoast Rep after dark and will also feature Steve Clark of the paranormal investigation group S.T.U.R.S. (Seeking The Unknown Realm Society). The show is slated to air sometime in October - watch seacoastrep.org and The Rep's Facebook page for the announcement of show date and time.

The Rep will continue to offer its Haunted REPutation tours with famed ghost expert, author, and local historian Roxie Zwicker of New England Curiosities. Zwicker and Higgins will lead the monthly haunted tours that explore the depths of The Rep with psychic mediums, fellow ghost hunters, and dowsing experts. "We're excited to be partnering with Seacoast Rep again to invite people in to hear fascinating tales of secrets, ghosts, legends and lore," said Zwicker. October's Haunted REPutation tours will be held on Sunday Oct. 14, 21 and 28 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20 per person. This spine-tingling, hair-raising, and weirdly informative tour is not to be missed!

October is the month for copious amounts of horror movie viewings and The Rep is offering the perfect spooky night out for cinephiles. The Rep will screen New England filmmaker Richard Griffin's Murder University as part of its Red Light series. An independent and wonderfully irreverent film, Murder University contains all the blood, gore and tongue-in-cheek humor required of a classic screamer flick. The film also features a score by local rock legends Tim Fife and Timothy Lang. The evening will kick off with pre-show entertainment featuring The Dirty Dishes Burlesque Revue and … blood wrestling. Don't worry, it's fake (the blood that is!). The Rep stage has never seen anything like this! A formal talk back with the cast and crew of Murder University will take place immediately following the screening. The evening will be hosted by drag sensation Bunny Wonderland and resident artist CJ Lewis. Murder University will be screened on Wednesday Oct. 24 - the festivities will begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are "pay what you can!"(suggested donation $10 per person) Tickets must be purchased at The Rep Box Office to take advantage of the pay what you can deal. General Admission.

After a summer hiatus, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show: LIVE! returns to The Rep stage for a splashy new makeover! Patrick Dorow Productions produces the Seacoast's favorite midnight show. Complete with screaming fans, fierce singers, and campy comedy, this cult classic is sure to wake the dead and let them rock! A deliberately kitschy rock 'n' roll sci-fi gothic spectacle, this show bursts at the seams with the toe-tapping, pelvic-thrusting favorites "Sweet Transvestite", "Damn it Janet", and of course, "Time Warp". So, dig out your boa, dust off your favorite stilettos, and come ready for a night of rock 'n roll, classic call backs, a costume contest, and insanity. (For mature audiences, only!) Seacoast Outright is the Community Focus Partner for this production. Seacoast Outright is a support and advocacy organization that seeks to change the social climate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth in the NH Seacoast region (www.seacoastoutright.org). The Rocky Horror Show: LIVE! runs Friday Oct. 26, Saturday Oct. 27, Friday Nov. 2 and Saturday Nov. 3 - all showings at Midnight! It's more fun that way… Tickets are $20 per person. General Admission.

For a more refined and spectacularly spectral event, The Rep is offering its first ever Ghostly Gala 2012. A night of hands-on ghost hunting with Steve Clark and the paranormal investigators of S.T.U.R.S., Spirit Divination lessons with Roxie Zwicker of New England Curiosities, small group backstage tours, and an exclusive look at the footage and findings from past investigations of The Rep. A specter lecture and Q&A will round out the night. Music, food and, of course, Spirits will be served with grim pleasure. Ghostly Gala 2012 will be held Tuesday Oct. 30 at 8pm. Tickets are $40 per person.

The Halloween Season will culminate in a Rock The Rep Halloween Night concert dance party with the Disco-Funk-Soul-Rock experience that is Bling Cherry. The evening is a benefit partnership with The Portsmouth Halloween Parade. The concert will begin immediately following the parade's end. This show is guaranteed to sell out! Get your tickets early! Rock The Rep with Bling Cherry on October 31, after Halloween Parade. Tickets are $10 per person.

The Halloween Spirit is alive and well in Portsmouth and The Rep is the pulsing vein, ready to be bitten!

Tickets to all events may be purchased in person at The Rep's Box Office at 125 Bow Street Portsmouth, NH 03801, Wednesday-Sunday 1-6pm or by calling the Box Office at 603-433-4472 during regular Box Office hours. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.seacoastrep.org.

SEACOAST REPERTORY THEATRE is a not-for-profit arts and educational organization, which has been entertaining, enlightening and engaging audiences as New Hampshire's largest year-round professional theatre since 1987. Winner of countless regional and local awards, The Rep offers a complete schedule of musicals, plays, youth productions, music, and alternative programming, as well as, educational opportunities for all ages with its youth workshops, classes, camps and Senior Moments program. The Rep's 2012 Season is sponsored by: Ale House Inn; Catch Fire Creative; Cumulus Media; Great North Property Management; Next Era Energy; NHPTV; RAM Printing; Swedepole Investments, LLC; and The Kitchen.