Spookies, World Premieres, and Much More for October Theater

Cast of Escaped Alone at As If Theatre (photo by Christine Mitchell)

Fall Theater is proving to be eclectic and electric. There’s so much wonderful stuff to schedule. Get out yer calendars!
 
References To Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot
10/1-17/26 (at Center Theatre)
Sound Theatre Company, www.soundtheatrecompany.org
Set in the desert of Barstow, California, Gabriela, the wife of a career soldier, escapes into a dreamlike fantasy world during her husband’s prolonged absences. Under a glowing moon, reality gives way to a surreal world where a Coyote and a Cat mirror the passions and questions in Gabriela’s own marriage.
 
Escaped Alone
10/1-18/26
As If Theatre, www.asiftheatre.com
In a quiet suburban garden, three old friends and a visiting neighbor share tea and small stories. But how long can they skim the surface when beyond the fence the world is on fire? This Caryl Churchill play weaves together the rich histories of four women staring down a catastrophic future.
 
Don’t Call It A Journey
Through 12/5/26 (at University Heights)
ese Teatro, https://eseteatro.ludus.com/index.php
Written and co-created by Julieta Vitullo and performed and co-created by Iveliz Martel, Don’t Call It a Journey is a one-woman show based on the playwright's experience with love and loss. Told through tape recorders, overhead projectors, a walking stick, and a house full of tchotchkes, this solo performance moves between a Seattle kitchen, a hospital room, and a dreamscape where crabs, hydras, and robins carry what words can't.
 
Leonardo! A wonderful show about a terrible monster
10/2/2026-11/1/26
Seattle Children’s Theatre, www.sct.org
Leonardo is a terrible monster. He tries so hard to be scary, but he just...isn’t. But then he hatches a plan to find the most scaredy-cat kid in the world. Will Leonardo finally get to scare someone? Or will it be the start of an unlikely friendship? This Halloween season, join Seattle Children’s Theatre for a not-very-spine-chilling, not-parti-cularly-hair-raising, not-very-frightening-at-all-really romp with a monster. Based on the book by beloved author Mo Willems, this production uses hundreds of puppets and props to bring the book to life. Discover why making friends doesn’t have to be scary. (Ages 3+)
 
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
10/2-25/26
The Phoenix Theatre, www.tptedmonds.org
A group of theater people gathers at an elegant mansion during a December 1940 blizzard for what they believe is a secret audition for a brand-new musical. There's just one tiny problem. The last time this creative team worked together, their Broadway show was a spectacular flop — and three chorus girls were murdered by the infamous “Stage Door Slasher.” Now they're snowed in together. The power is failing. The mansion is full of secret passageways. And people are starting to die.
 
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
10/2-25/26
Centerstage Theatre, www.centerstagetheatre.com
Step into the eerie woods of Sleepy Hollow, where laughter will give way to gasps of fright in this exciting adaptation of the most enduring Halloween tale in Northeast American literature. Newcomer and schoolteacher Ichabod Crane initially scoffs at the superstitions of the locals…until things start happening which he cannot explain. Could the stories about the vengeful Headless Horseman be real? Get swept up in the secrets and suspense of Washington Irving’s incredible story and see for yourself…if you dare.
 
Our Town
10/2/26-11/1/26
Harlequin Productions, www.harlequinproductions.org
Performed in Repertory with Sanctuary City
Through the simple rhythms of daily routine - from dawn’s first light to the hush of twilight - the ordinary town of Grover’s Corners reveals a world both intimate and boundless. Our Town reminds us to notice life as we’re living it - because someday, even the ordinary will feel miraculous. Even in the smallest moments, we can find the greatest truths.
 
Smoke on the Mountain
10/7-24/26
Taproot Theatre, www.taproottheatre.org
It’s the summer of 1938 in Appalachia, and the Sanders Family Singers have come to a Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, complete with banjos, mandolins, accordions, and all. After five years away from the gospel circuit, they’re back—and each member has a story to tell. This long-awaited toe-tappin' and hand clappin’ production returns to Taproot for its 50th Anniversary with beloved artists and unforgettable comedy.
 
Rat Cage (world premiere)
10/8-24/26
Annex Theatre, www.annextheatre.org
Burlesque artist Vendetta Payne deals with the everyday pressures from her job, her family, the news, and her new boyfriend. Suddenly, she gets thrown into a world of selling and marketing her trauma for “the Rats.” You know – like the business moguls on that TV show, “Rat Cage?” Yeah, that one.
 
Leni’s Last Lament
10/9-18/26 (at Erickson Theatre)
Intiman Theatre, www.intiman.org
Starring Jodie Markell, this darkly comic cabaret-style play imagines disgraced Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl attempting to rewrite her legacy from beyond the grave.
 
Sanctuary City
10/9-25/26
Harlequin Productions, www.harlequinproductions.org
Performed in Repertory with Our Town
Unfolding beneath the glow of porch lights and the promise of close‑knit streets, two teenagers cling to each other for safety, for love, for hope. Childhood friends B and G — undocumented and unseen — watch that promise fray when one earns a path to citizenship and the other is left untethered and exposed. What begins as a pact of loyalty slowly fractures under the weight of adult consequences.
 
The Dumb Waiter
10/15-24/26 (at Trinity Parish Hall, 609 8^th Ave. Seattle)
Sneaky Cat Acting Academy, www.sneakycat.org
Two hitman and a dumb waiter stake out in a basement. It starts with Ben, the more experienced partner, and Gus, waiting for their new order - their next target.  As they try to figure out who it is, the dumb waiter supplies them with orders, just not what they were expecting… Despite their diabolical tactics and their clashing imaginations, the real test is not of character but of class.
 
Neha and Neel
10/16/26-11/8/26
Seattle Public Theater and Pratidhwani, www.seattlepublictheater.org
Neha (नेहा) fears she has failed to pass her language and culture down to her seventeen-year-old son, Neel (नील). A summer trip to visit colleges could be Neha’s last chance, if only she can get Neel to visit the historic Hope Diamond and witness a piece of Indian history for himself. नेहा & Neel (Neha and Neel | नेहा और नील) asks what we lose with every generation in America, and if it’s ever too late to connect with your roots
 
I’ll Be Your Superhero (world premiere)
10/16/26-11/1/26
Seattle Children’s Theatre, www.sct.org
When a 10-year-old boy named Xavier has to go live with his uncle, it isn’t easy. His uncle John John has just left the Marines, and both must navigate family issues and strong emotions—both within themselves and with each other. But something happens when they hear about the most famous Comic Con in the world. Xavier and John John discover a mutual love of superheroes and decide to take the trip, donning their own costumes. Can a superhero outfit help them find their own superpowers? Can they learn to trust one another and triumph over a world of obstacles and uncertainty? Can cosplay help them find their real selves? (Ages 8+)
 
The Bootlegger’s Ball
10/16-31/26 (at Grand Ballroom – used to be Century Ballroom, Oddfellows)
Marxiano and The Habit Productions, https://www.opalpeachey.com/bootleggers-ball
The aerial point has officially been installed in Reverie's Grand Ballroom, the actors are practicing their screams and postmodern tunes, and we're hoping you'll say yes to a dance—and a chance to explore the reasons why this beautiful ballroom and our beloved city have such a fraught history. Inspired by Seattle Prohibition by Bradley Holden, in a new piece from The Habit Productions.
 
Rocky Horror Picture Show
10/16-31/26
Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts, https://redcurtainfoundation.org
On the night of Brad and Janet's engagement, a storm strands them on the front steps of an eerie castle where they meet Dr. Frank N. Furter, his colleagues, Riff Raff and Magenta, his Creature, Rocky, and a slew of strange party guests.

A Picasso

10/16-25/26

Theatre33, https://www.theatre33.org 

Set in Nazi-occupied Paris, the play imagines an encounter between Pablo Picasso and a German cultural attaché after Picasso is summoned to authenticate three paintings attributed to him. The encounter develops into an intimate battle of wit and will over art, power, authenticity and survival.

5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
10/22/26-11/14/26 (at 12^th Avenue Arts)
Pony World Theatre, www.ponyworld.org
It’s 1956 and the widows of The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein invite you to their annual Quiche Breakfast! It is the social season's most anticipated celebration! If it’s your first time, relax and put yourself in the very capable hands of your fellow ladies as they announce this year's winner of the coveted award for Best Quiche. Who will take home the top prize? And rest assured, the newly renovated Community Center has a top-of-the-line security system and serves as an Atomic Bomb shelter…just in case. Remember, a woman is never as safe as when she is with another woman.
 
KAIDAN: Japanese Ghost Stories
10/22-30/26 (SOAP and Hugo House)
Za Trans-Pacific Productions, www.ztpproductions.com
KAIDAN (怪談) are traditional Japanese stories of ghosts (yūrei) and supernatural beings (yokai). These spooky tales are shared in the hottest months of the summer, during the Obon season, when spirits of the dead return to visit the living. Kaidan are believed to help people cool off by sending a shiver down their spine. Join us for these frightening yet melancholy stories of the unseen world that reflect the culture and history of Japan.
 
Starstuff – A Festival of Solo Artists
10/23-25/26 (at Kerry Hall)
Astro Lab Productions, www.astrolab.productions/starstuff/
A three-day celebration of fearless storytelling, original music, creative exploration, and the extraordinary power of sharing space with artists and audiences. Throughout the weekend, you’ll have the opportunity to experience 18 unique artists presenting bold solo multidisciplinary performances, and original songs. Also, join Teaching Artists for five creative Workshops exploring acting, storytelling, character, astrology, and the stories within you.
 
Table 17
10/24/26-11/15/26
Union Arts Center, www.unionartscenter.org
If your ex called, would you answer? Jada and Dallas were once engaged. Now, two years after their breakup, they’re sitting across from each other at their favorite restaurant, trying to keep it casual. Good luck with that. Between a waiter with no boundaries, wounds that never quite healed, and a spark that neither one of them can ignore, this “simple dinner” is about to go off script. 
 
Nanay (world premiere)
10/30/26-11/14/26 (at Theatre Off Jackson)
Pork Filled Productions, www.porkfilled.com
Angela arrives to congratulate her twin sister on her new baby, but instead finds Eve “cohabitating” with a Filipino demon infamous for their hunger of all things fetus. Does Angela believe Eve’s claims that all is well with her new relationship? Nanay, a new play by Molly Olis Krost, incorporates Filipino mythology and tradition to explore our pre-colonial relationship with sister-hood, loss, and mothering.
 
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