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If you are in the mood for some Halloween fun but your taste is not necessarily for gore and guts on display, Austin Shakespeare is performing scenes from some of Shakespeare’s more eerie plays.  Experience the great playwright’s imagination: eerie ghosts, monsters, and fairies abound in this Halloween weekend treat at Richard Garriott’s Curtain Theater, an outdoor replica of an Elizabethan theater on his vast estate.  

Now in its 25th season, Austin Shakespeare presents professional theater of the highest quality.  Scenes from the master storyteller’s scariest and most enchanting moments include the ghost of Hamlet’s father played brilliantly by Justin Scalise during the dress rehearsal on Wednesday night.  Other scenes include The Witches of Macbeth, Puck and Oberon from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Prospero and Ariel from The Tempest.
Music for Spooky Shakespeare is provided by Austin composer Graham Reynolds and the score lends another element and serves to tickle the senses.  Additional music from the production of Macbeth is provided by Michael Mckelvey.
The cast is made up of truly dedicated Shakespearean actors with some serious chops.  It is important to remember that in most cases, they are playing several characters from several different plays and have to quickly change personas to adapt to this multiple scene format.  Standouts from the dress rehearsal were Justin Scalise, as previously mentioned, in his dual role as Hamlet and the ghost of his father, Alejandro McDonald-Villareal as Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a hilarious portrayal of Falstaff by Casey Weed, although, much of the audience response it seems came from what appeared to be his family members.
Austin.com was lucky enough to be invited out to witness this presentation from Austin Shakespeare and we highly recommend attending this show or future shows.  The Curtain Theater is an absolutely wonderful venue to hold these performances and it is perched on the shores of Lake Austin so you can’t beat the scenery. 
Spooky Shakespeare is showing Thursday to Saturday October 29-31.  As a special bonus, prior to the Halloween show on October 31, Spooky Shakespeare invites audiences to participate in a costume contest at 7:45 p.m.  Costumed audience members will be asked to participate in a judging on stage where the winner will be announced and given a prize after the show.  Tickets for the remaining shows are $15 seated, and $10 groundling (standing) and are available at www.nowplayingaustin.com/event/detail/440122545 or by calling 512-474-8497.