Step away from the Netflix marathon and find your way into one of these local theaters for a belly laugh this week. Your guide to Chicago’s affordable and under-the-radar comedy scene awaits.
FRIDAY, OCT. 21
Pay 2 Slay
3914 N. Clark St. 773-230-4770
The sketches in this twice-weekly ensemble show sneak into spooky territory this month, covering everything from trick-or-treating to horror movie icons to alien autopsies. Can’t make it this week? The production runs every Friday and Saturday through October. 10 p.m. $10. Tickets: thepubtheatre.com
Are You Still Afraid of the Dark?
956 W. Newport Ave. 773-270-3440
Improvisers stand in for the Midnight Society and submit for your approval a creepy campfire story made up on the spot in the tradition of the SNICK classic. Whether or not what they create can hold a flickering candle to nightmare-inducing Zeebo the clown or the terrifying ghost trapped in a mirror remains to be seen, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. 9 p.m. $12. Tickets: underthegun.theater
The Comedy Dance Collective: Ha-Ha-Halloween Edition
1501 N. Kingsbury St. 312-929-2401
We may have Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to thank for first combining slick dance moves with ghoulish storytelling, but this seasonal twist on The Comedy Dance Collective’s regular performances is bringing the tradition back from the dead. 10:30 p.m. $14. Tickets: ioimprov.com
Bernie Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street …’s Brother
1225 W. Belmont Ave. 773-327-5252
Some people really ruin it for everyone else. That’s certainly the case for Bernie Todd, brother of the crazed, throat-slitting, human-pie-making barber of Sondheim musical fame. This parody follows Bernie and his partner Karl Frankenstein as they try to shed their families’ unfortunate reputations. 10:30 p.m. $8-$10. Tickets: stage773.com
Saturday, October 22
Ghost Stories
956 W. Newport Ave. 773-270-3440
Every week a new guest storyteller offers a spooky story alongside Halloween-themed cocktails. Then ensemble performers take the tale and fly with it, creating an improvised piece. 9 p.m. $12. Tickets: underthegun.theater
Lobotomy Myself and I
Donny’s Skybox Theatre at Second City
230 W. North Ave. 312-337-3992
Written and directed by an all-female team, this spooky comedy helps boys and ghouls face their fears through satire, political humor and more. 8:30 p.m. $13. Tickets: secondcity.com
Tuesday, October 25
Spooky Dookie: Razzle Dazzle
851 W. Belmont Ave. 773-697-9693
Writers and performers Maureen Monahan and Claire McFadden used showbiz as their inspiration in this spine-tingling sketch show directed by Andel Sudik. 8 p.m. $8. Tickets: theannoyance.com
Want to see your show in Set the Scene? Us too! Send details to Morgan Olsen at mcolsen@redeyechicago.com for consideration.
