Undead

Ventana Ballet brings Undead back to East Side Performing Arts this October, an immersive, adults-only Halloween show that runs from October 22 through 31. It's a professional production from an Austin-based company that specializes in contemporary ballet, and Undead is their annual Halloween tradition, which they return to every year with new surprises. The show blends classic Halloween creatures, suspense, and comedy, and it's rated R, recommended for ages 16 and up.

AJ Garcia-Rameau is behind nearly every part of it—direction, production, choreography, lighting, audio design, and the libretto—working with Rachel Meador, Colleen DeForrest, Taylor Woolums, and Navaji David Nava. Dwayne Cook Jr. takes the role of Dracula, and he's joined by an ensemble of zombies, bats, a Huntress, a Witch, a Werewolf, and a spider. The show runs about an hour with no intermission, and the pre-show haunts start as soon as the doors open, so it's worth arriving early to get the full experience.

Ventana Ballet is an Austin company, and its name—ventana is Spanish for window—reflects its mission. They're focused on creating fair-pay opportunities for performing artists and keeping ticket prices as low as possible, with all merchandise proceeds going toward artist payment and future immersive productions. Sarah Somerville of Nerd News Social described the show as "an evening of unearthly elegance where mischief unhinges the mortal realm."

There are eight shows in total: Thursday and Friday, Oct 22 and 23, and Oct 29 and 30, all at 7:30 PM with doors at 6:45 PM; Saturday, Oct 24, with a 6:00 PM show (doors 5:15 PM) and an 8:30 PM show (doors 7:45 PM); and Wednesday, Oct 28, and Saturday, Oct 31, both at 7:30 PM with doors at 6:45 PM. Tickets are $55 for VIP Front Row, $45 for VIP Bar-Height Stools, and $35 for Spooky Pit Seats, plus tax and ticketing fees. The venue is East Side Performing Arts, 979 Springdale Rd, Austin, TX 78702.