The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Richard O’Brien’s tribute to B-movies of the horror genre is not exactly as scary as its title suggests. But its cult status is testament enough for theater geeks to re-watch this iconic musical. What happens when a newly engaged couple finds shelter from a thunderstorm at a transvestite scientist’s haunted mansion by accident? Well, not exactly what you would expect.

Carrie

Stephen King’s terrifying tale of revenge centers on its eponymous high school student with telekinetic powers. While its stage adaptation offers the same storytelling, various revivals have staged alternate endings. A haunting and tragic tale the offers social commentary on school bullying, religious fanaticism, and obsessive parenting, it is a definite must-watch for those looking to be spooked this season.

Macbeth

First performed in 1606, Macbeth is a Shakespearean classic that has birthed one of the most quoted lines in theater history. “Double Double Toil and Trouble…” Uttered by a trio of witches who foretold Macbeth’s eventual rise to King of Scotland. Consumed by his extreme ambition, a murderous ploy ends with psychological consequences. A play deemed cursed by its performers, no one dares mention its title aloud, referring to it only as “The Scottish Play.”

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sondheim’s modern American opera of a blue-collar serial killer is a Tony- and Olivier-winning musical that sparked many revivals and even a film adaptation. In this revenge-motivated tale that speaks of Victorian London’s social inequality, the titular character is a tortured man who exacts his revenge on his tormenters in the most brutal and horrifying ways possible. Clue: You’ll never look at meat pies the same way again.

Giselle

Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, Giselle is a romantic story of two acts that premiered in 1841 and staged in various parts of the world since its debut. Ethereal specters tell the tale of the beautiful Giselle, who dies of heartbreak caused by a deceitful lover. When the ghosts of former victims unite to avenge her, Giselle finds closure in an emotional performance that drives the perfect ending for her tragic experience.

Dracula

True love never dies, literally, in this ballet that employs sensuous dance and gripping theater. Transylvania is brought to life through gothic sets and costumes. And Dracula’s lethal attraction on an newly-engaged Mina Harker leaves a series of bloodthirsty events in its wake of destruction. This horrifying romance humanizes its supernatural lead, focusing on his ardent desires, albeit the terrors of his being.

Frankenstein

A ballet that promises a dark spectacle in three acts and seven deaths, Frankenstein has been adapted to a critically-acclaimed ballet. Mary Shelley’s literary masterpiece poses a question of who is the true monster: the paradoxically innocent murderer or its ambitious maker? Grimly atmospheric, this optically-beauteous stage performance is a modern masterpiece, employing stage and lighting techniques that enhance the experience.

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The joys of a terrifying story not only lie in the exhilarating feeling of the actual experience. It is often most felt by the thought-provoking horrors that linger, even after viewing. Such is the power of theater in eliciting a variety of emotions, fear and horror included. So prepare your Halloween candy, ready a blanket for hiding, and watch safely at home with friends, family, or perhaps, some otherworldly beings. May your Halloween celebrations be filled with screams and thrills from the Samsung Performing Arts Theater!

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