H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dreams in the Witch House" On Stage

This Sunday (November 16th) will see the opening act of a new theatrical performance based on H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dreams in the Witch House" in Chicago. The production by Wildclaw Theatre--which did a very excellent stage production of Arthur Machen's "The Great God Pan" last year--will be performed at Chicago's historic Athenaeum Theatre. "Weird Tales" magazine, which will be on hand supporting and covering the event, reports they will send Lovecraft correspondent Kenneth Hite to record the madness.

This won't be the only time to see the new play. After Sunday Nov. 16th, the show will run Thurs-Sunday from November 16-December 21. See the play's webpage for more information on show times. Tickets are about $20.00. The Wildclaw theater group previously acquired rave reviews and notice in the community of weird literature for their Machen production, and all indications suggest they're out to build on their innovative reputation by putting on this Lovecraftian production. The presence of "Weird Tales" should boost their reputation and visibility even further. On the publication's end, this is another gesture that should be appreciated among readers of weird fiction. Unlike its historic predecessors, today's "Weird Tales" doesn't merely help shape writers, but takes an active role in promoting events that celebrate weird literature and art like Wildclaw's performance. Bravo, to both heavy hitting purveyors of the strange!

As an aside, I may get a chance to see this show later this month. I will likely be in Chicago around the Thanksgiving weekend, and I'll definitely try to take in Wildclaw's show if it continues to run throughout the holiday weekend. Chicago area admirers of the weird shouldn't hesitate to pick up a ticket (or maybe even a few) and watch Brown Jenkin and the mind blasting magical-mathematical terrors of this Lovecraft piece on stage. A major success here will have the bonus effect of bolstering Wildclaw's efforts at making quality weird theater a reality. Perhaps we'll even see the sanity shattering work of Robert W. Chambers "The King in Yellow" on stage one day!

-Grim Blogger