Feature: HALLOWEEN IN HTOWN at The Spooky Haunts Of Houston Theater

Halloween in HTown is usually a big deal, especially for actors. Now, most of them get engaged by our local haunted houses as scare actors, but some theaters have pretty spooky things for you to “enter if you dare” as well. I wanted to run down the shows that BROADWAY WORLD HOUSTON readers should consider as a trick and a treat! Just think of us as your roadmap on the “highway to hell” that “doesn’t fear the reaper” and “we’re going off the rails on a crazy train.” These shows rock, and they certainly are up for consideration during the spooky season.  

First up, the DRUNK SHAKESPEARE company has shirked off the Bard for Bram Stoker. They are injecting a little spooky into their improv, and they will be just as silly as ever. Expect transfusions of beer and a lot of jokes about org*sms. But be careful, because the man may just really be a damned vampire! The DRUNK SHAKESPEARE cast is putting on DRUNK DRACULA for your consideration. They are at 412 Travis Street downtown. Their site can be found at this bloody site right here , but be sure to click around for the Houston cast. We don’t want you to have to travel to DC for a fright or a shot of tequila. 

Second up, ART FACTORY Houston has decided to revive Richard O’Brien’s ROCKY HORROR SHOW at their abandoned warehouse just north of downtown. Colton Berry puts on some massive high platform heels and croons and coos as Frank N. Furter. Be warned, this production is more party than play. The night we went, the house opened at 8 pm, but the proper show did not start until 8:45 pm. Expect pre-show lewd games, shouting audiences, a bar that serves blinking light drinks, and a vibe more akin to a rowdy movie show screening rather than the musical on its own. But the Rocky faithful should love the company’s dedication to the film. They had us shivering with antica… Their website can be found at this TIMEWARP right here . The audience will be in costume as much as anybody onstage, and everyone is in fishnets whether they should or shouldn’t be. Hairy man's legs trapped in netting? Scary! 

If you want something visual that’s not too abysmal, and a little deeper than a drunk vampire or a crooning Frank N. Furter, try entering the world of OCTARINE ACCORD’s MIDNIGHT HIGH: A NIGHT AT THE OXHEAD. This one is immersive theater that conveys a story about the intersection of power and desire for belonging through a Western and science-fiction lens. It’s spooky, and it is great for groups. You'd better hit it soon, though, it rides off into the night on October 25th. Find a ticket at a pathway to the Oxhead Saloon right here . If you go, try to find bartender Leighza Walker and tell her the new blue hair is a treat! 

Finally, if you really want prestige and a period drama, try the rather gory idea of THE BODY SNATCHER at The Alley Theatre. You can find tickets here The Alley Theatre's spooky part of their site . The show is inspired by a classic tale from Robert Louis Stevenson, and the show asks, “How far will you go for love? Would you stack the bodies up for it?” Certainly a rather neat trick to see this one, and it has a killer cast and wonderful design.  

You really can’t go wrong with any of these haunting productions this Halloween. They last far longer than a haunted house, and they are just as traumatizing. You can hunt down the undead, dance with transexual transvestite illegal aliens, solve a mystery in the wild west, or watch corpses get stolen.  All without having to venture outside of the 610 loop. Happy Halloween from BROADWAY WORLD!