
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.
Mia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can, which premiered with Page 73 in New York in 2018, arrives at Steppenwolf Theatre…
Nate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes tour made its stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with the steady, understated presence…
BrightSide Theatre’s The Producers storms into Meiley Swallow Hall with the kind of swagger only Mel Brooks can inspire: brash,…
Those familiar with the Factory Theater space might feel themselves do a double take upon entering the theater for Two…
Elmhurst Art Museum’s two new exhibitions feature a pair of artists with Midwestern roots whose outlooks and perceptions of the…
For the first time in company history, Oak Park Festival Theatre presents two productions in repertory: William Shakespeare's HAMLET and Oscar Wilde's THE…
Immerse yourself in the enchanting wonder, vibrant magic and joyous celebration that is Mexican folkloric dance when Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl…
When Terry Guest left Atlanta and arrived in Chicago ten years or so ago, a bracing reality check caused the…
When Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001, it flipped the traditional rom-com…
Some stories refuse to fade with time, and Brokeback Mountain is one of them. What began as a modest short…
There’s something magical about stories. Stories have the power to transcend time, reaching across the centuries to share their thoughts,…
Produced in partnership with JunkHeart, The Metal Shop Performance Lab is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Anatomy of a Suicide, August…
Black Ensemble Theater Founder and Executive Director Jackie Taylor proudly announces Black Ensemble's Juneteenth Prelude: Celebrating Freedom and Black Expression, as part of…
Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, this month’s…
Award-winning Redtwist Theatre presents Deserted, playing June 14 through August 2, a world premiere by Melanie Coffey and directed by Laura Sturm*, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn…
Black Ensemble Theater continues its 50th Anniversary Season with the return of the celebrated musical revue Men of Soul, written and directed by Artistic…
Now fully activated, Collaboraction Theatre Company’s new House of Belonging in the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave in…
Definition Theatre's Amplify New Play Program exists to elevate emerging voices, and Netta Walker's keerah certainly arrives with ambition. Loosely…
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce the cast…
No Dogs in the Kitchen Theatre is thrilled to continue its third season with The Importance of Being Earnest, written by…
Following is critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, Kokandy Productions once again celebrates the great Stephen…
Some theatrical experiences ask you to sit back and watch. "The Last Word" invites you to pull up a chair,…
Paramount Theatre’s smash hit, immersive musical Million Dollar Quartet wrapped its spring run at downtown Aurora’s Stolp Island Theatre this…
Paramount Theatre is proud to host the world’s most influential name in comedy, The Second City, back for for a…
Studebaker Theater (Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey), P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin) and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista…
About Face Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop and the Midwest Premiere of i…
Broadway In Chicago will bring its free annual SUMMER CONCERT to Millennium Park on Monday, August 10, 2026. Sponsored by…
The South Florida based YI Love Jewish and Chicago-based Arts Judaica proudly join forces to present a limited engagement of the Chicago…
JK Entertainment is proud to announce the final production of their inaugural season: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the cult-classic created…
Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre announces today that the recent stars of Porchlight in Concert’s production of Follies, Tony Award-nominee Felicia P. Fields and Broadway’s…
Where Identity Slides: Steppenwolf’s Mesmerizing Catch as Catch Can
Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes Tour Lands in Rosemont With Subtle Force
BrightSide’s intimate staging of The Producers shines with Broadway-sized power
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.