John Nichols

As one of the lucky October-born people, the celebration of Halloween has always been a very important occasion for me as it is just a handful of days after my birthday. Growing up enjoying playing dress-up at this time of year always brought out my imagination into the realm of spirits, goblins, and how I just assumed they lived together with us in this world. So at this time of year, I have always wanted to attend the annual GHOSTWALK an in the streets production held in Santa Paula which brings to life encounters with local sprits who share the history of unique locations in the lovely quaint town. And now virtually I have - and so should you!

This year, instead of you coming to them, the Ghosts are coming to YOUR house! The Santa Paula Theater Center's beloved annual Halloween event GHOSTWALK 2020 will be presented as a virtual streaming a?oeGHOSTWATCHa?? on Oct 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25.   

Today, the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund announced that more than $3.3 million dollars has been awarded to 906 artists and 166 cultural organizations across the state, which is expected to reach recipients in the coming weeks.

Pride Films and Plays will produce the American premiere of FIVE ENCOUNTERS ON A SITE CALLED CRAIGSLIST, an Edinburgh Festival hit by the British playwright and actor Samuel Ward. Desperately hilarious and achingly bleak, this is an intricate and tender exploration of our attempts to encounter each other in a technologized world, performed by a single actor interacting extensively with the audience.

The Santa Paula Theater Center presents its annual 'theater in the streets' fall event, GHOSTWALK 2019: Muerte Brothers Circus a?" The Greatest Show Not On Earth! at the old Fumigation Building located at 822 E. Santa Barbara St for 3 weekends from Oct. 11-27. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 pm until 9 pm and Sunday evenings from 6 pm until 8 pm. Performances take the form of walking tours that are an hour long and begin every 30 minutes. This year's tours are not wheelchair accessible. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children 12 and under. Special discounted tickets are $10 for all on the first weekend only. Reservations may be made beginning Oct. 1 by calling (805) 525-3073 or visiting www.ghostwalk.com

The Santa Paula Theater Center will present THE FALL OF LADY M by noted local playwright and actor Michael Perlmutter on its Backstage@SPTC venue, 125 South 7th Street, Santa Paula,  with the playwright directing.  The production runs Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 18, 2019.  

The Santa Paula Theater Center presents Harvey Fierstein's touching comedy drama CASA VALENTINA from June 21 - July 28, 2019 on Friday and Saturday evening at 8 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm at the Santa Paula Theater Center, 125 South 7th Street in Santa Paula.

The Santa Paula Theater Center will present the warmly humorous and timely comedy/drama COMPLICATIONS FROM A FALL by Kate Hawley on its Main Stage, 125 South 7th Street in historic downtown Santa Paula. This production will run from April 12- May 19, 2019 with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm. Tickets and reservation can be purchased or made through the Santa Paula Theater Center Box Office at www.santapaulatheatercenter.org, santapaulatheatercenter@gmail.com, or (805) 525-4645. Ticket prices are Adults $24.00, Seniors and Students $22.00.

New American Folk Theatre is pleased to present the world premiere of SCRAPS, the story of the Patchwork Girl of Oz, many years after her celebrated adventures in L. Frank Baum's Oz book series. Written by Co-Artistic Director Anthony Whitaker* and directed by Co-Artistic Director Jamal Howard*, SCRAPS will play September 1 - 29, 2018 at The Den Theatre (2A), 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood.

The Music Institute of Chicago, one of the nation's oldest, largest, and most distinguished community music schools, welcomed 300 guests to its 2018 Anniversary Gala on Monday, May 21 at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago. The event raised more than $715,000 from a combination of table sponsorships, ticket sales, and outright contributions.

The Jeff-recommended World Premiere production of FLIES! THE MUSICAL has been extended for one additional weekend, due to popular demand. Originally scheduled to close on June 10, the new musical by bookwriter/lyricist Larry Todd Cousineau and composer Cindy O'Connor will play three additional performances - on Thursday June 14 and Friday, June 15 - and closing Saturday, June 16, all with curtain times of 7:30 pm. The Thursday, June 14 performance is pay-what-you-can for theatre industry members and returning audiences. The musical is performed in The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway.

In a twisted mash-up of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and GLEE, FLIES! THE MUSICAL! follows the drama kids from Lovely Valley Performing Arts Magnet High School. The students are left behind in an abandoned forest preserve during a "research" retreat for an unauthorized teacher-written musical production of LORD OF THE FLIES. Gradually, things turn savage in a couple of unsupervised hours as the plot points of the novel begin to come true one by one, in song, until eventually the kids are "rescued" by an astonished park ranger (who happens to love musicals) but it's much too late for them to go back to who they were before. FLIES! THE MUSICAL! will open on Today, May 11 at 7:30 pm in The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, following previews from May 3-6 and May 10.  

In a twisted mash-up of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and GLEE, FLIES! THE MUSICAL! follows the drama kids from Lovely Valley Performing Arts Magnet High School. The students are left behind in an abandoned forest preserve during a 'research' retreat for an unauthorized teacher-written musical production of LORD OF THE FLIES. Gradually, things turn savage in a couple of unsupervised hours as the plot points of the novel begin to come true one by one, in song, until eventually the kids are 'rescued' by an astonished park ranger (who happens to love musicals) but it's much too late for them to go back to who they were before.

In a twisted mash-up of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and GLEE, FLIES! THE MUSICAL! follows the drama kids from Lovely Valley Performing Arts Magnet High School. The students are left behind in an abandoned forest preserve during a "research" retreat for an unauthorized teacher-written musical production of LORD OF THE FLIES. Gradually, things turn savage in a couple of unsupervised hours as the plot points of the novel begin to come true one by one, in song, until eventually the kids are "rescued" by an astonished park ranger (who happens to love musicals) but it's much too late for them to go back to who they were before. FLIES! THE MUSICAL! will open on Friday, May 11 at 7:30 pm in The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, following previews from May 3-6 and May 10.  

Teatro Paraguas will host a book launch and poetry reading with Larry Goodell reading from his new book Nothing to Laugh About.

The Gift Theatre is pleased to launch its 17th season with the world premiere of Stacy Osei-Kuffour's haunting and often-humorous drama HANG MAN, directed by guest artist Jess McLeod, playing March 2 - April 29, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift's box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org. 

The Gift Theatre is pleased to launch its 17th season with the world premiere of Stacy Amma Osei-Kuffour's haunting and often-humorous drama HANG MAN, directed by Jess McLeod, playing March 2 - April 29, 2018 at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Single tickets and season subscriptions are currently available by calling the Gift's box office at 773-283-7071 or visiting thegifttheatre.org. The press opening is Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 pm.

The Hound of the Baskervilles, adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, based on the story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, runs now through November 19 at Orlando Shakespeare Theater. The production officially opens tonight, October 13, and BroadwayWorld has photos of the cast in action below!

The game is afoot this Halloween during Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF's (Orlando Shakes) production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, running from October 11 November 19, 2017 in the Goldman Theater. Set in the foothills of England's countryside, Steven Canny and John Nicholson's play puts a hilarious spin on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Tickets ($13 - $50) can be purchased by calling (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at www.orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E. Rollins St.).

The game is afoot this Halloween during Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF's (Orlando Shakes) production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, running from October 11 - November 19, 2017 in the Goldman Theater.