Spoopy Halloween Improv Charms October Nightlife

Seattle’s premiere improv comedy theaters have creaked the mansion doors wide open this Halloween season with blood-curdling new (and returning) shows, combining horror and comedy!

"Up in the Woods" by Unexpected Productions can be viewed over at the Gumwall Theater in Post Alley. Horror movies: you like them, hate them, or REALLY really love them. Horror movie tropes, however, can lead to delicious inside jokes and unsurprising suspense. The hyper-talented cast of the UP ensemble pays homage to the corniest of jumpscares while also entertaining a fresh and funny narrative.

At the start of the show, an improviser enters the stage as your friendly neighborhood mad scientist; they begin the show with acquiring suggestions such as “types of monster” and “what’s something in my hands”. After that, it’s off to the scary races! The audience’s job is then to sit back, relax, and enjoy a brand new horror movie summoned from the darkest depths of their twisted imaginations. 

“Up in the Woods” banner / Unexpected Productions

Horror movies not quite your thing? Wishing for something a little more sci-fi-/sexy? “Rocky Horror Improv Show” is also running at UP! Here’s the show bio from Director Dan Posluns for more insight:

“Witness the electrifying fusion of Rocky Horror Picture Show’s irreverent energy with the exhilarating spontaneity of improv theater in this one-of-a-kind parody… Share your suggestions and be part of an unforgettable experience filled with lively humor, catchy musical numbers, brilliant improv, and playful references to the beloved classic.”

For fun on the North end, Jet City Improv’s "Emerald City Slasher" returns for their third season, introducing director Scott Flanary and an additional audience interactive twist. The quiet Emerald City has been struck yet again by the murderous Emerald City Slasher, who terrorizes the innocent civilians, until their identity is revealed to both the audience and the cast at the very end! WAIT A SECOND: You mean the actors don’t know who the murderer is until the VERY end?? Yup!! 

Here’s how it works: The cast is given stereotypical Seattle characters inspired by the audience’s suggestions. Suggestions could include neighborhood, job type, hobby, and an item the person might carry around. In past seasons, characters included Magnolia Dog Mom, Capitol Hill Tech Head, Bellevue Trust Fund Kid, and of course, Mr. Needle, owner of the Space Needle.

The actors introduce themselves to the audience as those characters, then the lights change—it’s time to pull from the dreaded “cup of fate”. This is a goblet containing slips of paper which the actors grab at random to determine their fate in the show. The slips will either read “Victim (1, 2, or 3),” “Survivor”, or our favorite, “Slasher”. The actors keep their slips to themselves, and the cast is shocked as the play reveals who lives and who falls prey to the Slasher. This show is incredibly fun and tends to sell out!

Over at the Atlas Theater, CSZ Seattle’s "Boo Show" brings a playful energy to the Halloween lineup with short-form improv. Now you might be asking yourself, “short-form improv? How’s that different from the other Halloween shows?” So glad you asked, this is (one of) my favorite things to explain! Long-form improv (aka Narrative) is an improv show centered around one storyline, whereas short-form includes shorter, sometimes non-related scenes and improv games similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

“Boo Show” is a fun, fast-paced, highly interactive improv show featuring CSZ ensemble players dressed in Halloween costumes. The audience will be prompted to suggest frightful scenarios, such as “Murder by Post-It Note!” or “Vampires in Couples Counseling!” The more whimsical format ensures a campy, light-hearted Halloween improv experience.

Whether you enjoy the classic horror tropes of "Up in the Woods", the goofy-glitter parody of “Rocky Horror Improv Show”, the interactive thrills of "Emerald City Slasher", or the lighthearted antics of "Boo Show," there’s something for everyone this Halloween. Enjoy!