
Just in time for Halloween comes Hell in a Handbag’s The Golden Girls: Bea Afraid! The play’s name itself probably tips most off that audiences will be in for one helluva ride. Handbag found much success in the past couple of years creating their own hysterical episodes of The Golden Girls, Vol 1 was extended twice and moved to a larger theater while Vol 2 also made waves. So, a Halloween special featuring our four favorite seniors – why not?
Artistic Director David Cerda and company are working double time right now performing in Artificial Jungle at 7:30 p.m. (through October 28th) followed by Bea Afraid! at 10:30 p.m. To say this theatre company works hard is an understatement. And one thing is for sure – there’s a whole lot of funny in each production.
Bea Afraid! gives us two Halloweeny episodes, the first a clever whodunit that gets sillier by the second (that’s a good thing) followed by a demon possession that you will never forget. As laughter-filled as the second episode was, my friend walked away saying, “That actually kind of scared me.” So, laughs and scares – the best of both worlds – the treat followed by the trick. Between scenes Golden Girls trivia is held and tongue-and-cheek prizes are handed over to the lucky winners, such as the lady who sat in front of me that was handed a tube of anti-itch crème. How well do you know the gals?
Cerda returns as Dorothy displaying the same dominance over the role that helped make Vol 1 such a smash hit while Ed Jones reprises his role as Rose and commands a laugh just about every time a line is delivered. Adrian Hadlock also rejoins the cast and again nails the role of Dorothy’s razor-sharp witted mother, Sophia. Grant Drager is ever so saucy as our beloved, loose-legged, Blanche, a role that AJ Wright played so well in the first of the hilarious franchise. The cast is rounded out by such brilliantly humorous talents as Chazie Bly, Michael S. Miller, Michael Rashad, Duane W. Taylor, Robert Williams and Maureen SanDiego, who stars as the evening’s hostess.
Created by David Cerda and directed by Becca Holloway, this is a Halloween show not to be missed. Handbag gets another feather in their cap for yet another hysterical production, leaving us to eagerly await the next Golden Girls adventures - please say there will be more!
The Golden Girls: Bea Afraid! Is being performed at Stage 773 through November 2nd. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.handbagproductions.org.
With Halloween creeping closer, there’s something fitting about revisiting one of opera’s earliest flirtations with macabre horror - especially in…
Avalanche Theatre announces the world premiere production of They Broke Up by Chicago playwright Skyler Tarnas, November 6–22, 2026. Opening…
Grab your party hats — Broadway In Chicago ’s Cadillac Palace and James M. Nederlander Theatres are turning 100! The…
Oil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its next production and the final production…
Christmas Day is in our grasp. Why the vodka? Glad you asked! Who's Holiday! brings R-rated Cindy-Lou Who back to…
The Sarah Siddons Society is pleased to present its 2026 Award to actress and director Victoria Clark, who recently starred…
At fifteen, the world can feel like a television show you haven't quite figured out how to turn off. For…
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to launch its 51st Season with the world premiere of…
Hell in a Handbag Productions is thrilled to announce its 25th Anniversary Season, featuring three "camptacular" shows guaranteed to delight lovers of…
Chicago’s Theater Wit is now offering new, state-of-the-art closed captioning service, marking a dramatic improvement in making live theater more…
“God bless us, everyone,” because there’s a fresh, new, reimagined version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol debuting…
Following last year's critically acclaimed, sell-out engagement, Steppenwolf Theatre Company is pleased to announce the return of John C. Reilly…
The Saint Sebastian Players open their 45th season of travels to different places with A Murder is Announced, a classic Miss Marple mystery…
Today, Goodman Theatre raises the curtain on its future as leadership and artists share a vision for its next century…
Two Edge Theater, a reincarnation of the Edge Theater Company that enjoyed eight successful seasons in the Denver, Colorado area,…
Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater are thrilled to announce their Halloween co-production of Manual Cinema's acclaimed Frankenstein…
Jonathan James Productions presents the world premiere of The Years Between Us, a new play by Liana Sonenclar, directed by…
Oil Lamp Theater, currently presenting the highly recommended Dial M for Murder, through November 1, is proud to announce its…
As a lifelong Hitchcock fan, Dial M for Murder has always been one of my comfort film thrillers - the…
Artemisia Theatre is proud to announce the return of the WeWomen Play Festival, its annual celebration of new feminist work.…
In the 2019 film Yesterday, a struggling musician wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed. A similar…
Red Bike is an intimate, movement‑driven play that follows a young person navigating a town transforming faster than they can…
Red Theater is thrilled to announce the cast and production team of the world premiere of Church Hurt by Brynne…
The Auditorium (Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) continues its 2026-27 Dance Season titled North American…
A Red Orchid Theatre is pleased open its 34th Season, exploring the theme of "world on fire," with the Chicago…
Lookingglass Theatre Company today announced a new leadership structure that brings together four longtime members of its acclaimed ensemble and…
Susan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, the Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, is the kind of play that changes depending on when—and how many times—you…
Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce two fan-favorite shows are returning to our stages this year: MAMMA MIA! and…
Mud Life, a world premiere drama by Chicago writing duo G. Riley Mills and Willie Round, drawn from Round’s life…
Here’s a play that should be really good, based on its reputation alone. Written by Chicago comedy writer Samantha Hurley,…
Avalanche Theatre stages the world premiere of They Broke Up by Skyler Tarnas November 6–22, 2026
Celebrate 100 Years of the Cadillac Palace and James M. Nederlander Theatres
Oil Lamp Theater Announces the cast and creative team for the return of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY, Nov. 20 - Dec. 27
Adults-only holiday fun: Who's Holiday! brings R-rated Cindy-Lou Who back to Theater Wit for her sixth year, Nov. 27-Dec. 27
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.