THEATER: Katharsis Theater Company has been developing The Polish Play for the past two years; it’s a fusion of Macbeth and Ubu Roi, the play by Alfred Jarry that was partially inspired by Macbeth. This work of Grand Guignol fusion, which mixes puppetry with live acting, swerves between broad satire, tragedy and plenty of ultra-violence. (Although puppets are decapitated and disemboweled on-stage, rest assured that no puppets are permanently harmed for this production.) Jordan Gelber, who some may recall from Avenue Q, plays Pere Ubu. Read about the rehearsal process on the company’s weblog to learn more about director Henry Wishcamper's search for shit squibs. - John Del Signore more ›

THEATER: Get ghastly tonight with The Final Kiss & The Kiss of Blood, an evening of vintage Grand Guignol horror. The aptly named Blood Brothers are shepherding this journey “into a style of theatre that proliferated in the early 1900s and was eventually assimilated into the 'splatter' genre of horror films. Blending suspense, stage magic, eroticism, and farce, Grand Guignol was a powerful theatrical entertainment drawing an audience from every echelon of Parisian society — anyone in search of a sexy, scary thrill." But will 21st century New Yorkers go for it? (Adults only: the producers boast that this production features graphic violence and strong sexual situations.) - John Del Signore more ›

This year more than any we remember from recent past, theater companies are gearing up to bring you Halloween-related shows. It’s appropriate, when you think about it – actors are all about dressing up as people/things other than themselves, so they should lead the way when the rest of the world decides to masquerade. In any case, options abound citywide. Psycho Clan, for instance, has an interactive haunted house program called Nightmare going, which looks pretty freaky just from the website. The 13 rooms are supposed to be “more David Lynch than John Carpenter” and it’s already selling out. more ›