It's Spooky Season at the Theater

I'm not someone who likes being scared. Horror movies? No way. Haunted houses? Not a chance. But I was pulled into a new grouping of spooky shows on Boston area stages this month by storylines that promised just a little bit more. A blues musician? I can sign up for that. And I'm so glad I did.

Covenant, on stage now at Boston Center for the Arts, is a wild ride that yes, is (more than) a little scary, but balances that with soulful storytelling and an artistic sensibility that plays in the darkness.

When you see this show, watch the shadows, which are more than a footnote to what's happening center stage. I was drawn to the shadow play in a scene with a basin, the cleansing of hands and arms projected into gnarled features on the set. But Covenant Director Dawn M. Simmons had another favorite moment, which she describes this way in our latest episode:

Mama is telling her story, and her physicality—if you look on the floor, you will—this is at least what I see—I see angel wings. And then as she moves, it turns into a demon... All of that is feeding that, like, there’s something else here...There’s something else going on. There’s somebody in here with us.

That artistry is what kept this reluctant horror fan leaning in: the sense that another story was unfolding in the shadows, just beyond the one I thought I was watching.

Covenant is on stage through October 17.

In this episode we also talked with Jeremy Johnson, making his second appearance on Scene in Boston, to talk about directing Bat Boy:The Musical at the Umbrella Center for the Arts through November 8.

Like Covenant, Bat Boy asks what happens when a community decides who belongs—and who should be feared. Beneath the camp and comedy, Jeremy sees “a very sincere and serious story about scapegoating and othering people”—and a community blaming an outsider rather than facing its own responsibilities. Both shows leave us wondering whether the real danger is the person everyone fears, or the stories people tell to justify that fear.

Spooky season has plenty more in store on local stages. Find more chills and thrills (and even laughs) at Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors from Actors’ Shakespeare Project, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from Americana Theatre Company, Carver, and the world premiere of Black Hollow from Greater Boston Stage Company, Stoneham.

Listen to the episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode was produced by students at Boston Arts Academy in the MEP program. A special shoutout to Sebastian and Michael who did an incredible job mixing the audio this week.

Want more insider guides to Boston theater? Our season guide is available! Find a preview of it and information about how to get your digital or print copy here.