For theatergoers looking for something more unsettling than the usual Halloween haunted house, a Concord-area theater company is bringing a century-old tradition of theatrical terror to the local stage.
Post Mortem Players will present La Maison des Horreurs: An Evening at the Grand Guignol, a collection of six classic horror plays exploring obsession, madness and gruesome revenge, from Oct. 22 through Nov. 1 at Old Courthouse Theatre in downtown Concord.
The production draws inspiration from the legendary Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in Paris, which became famous for shocking audiences with graphic violence, psychological suspense and elaborate theatrical effects long before horror movies became a staple of popular entertainment.
Now, more than a century after the theater’s heyday, Post Mortem Players hopes to introduce local audiences to the unsettling stories that helped shape the modern horror genre.
“The Grand Guignol embodies our mission of exploring fear as a universal human experience,” said Chris Stonnell, artistic director of Post Mortem Players. “It frightened audiences by holding a mirror up to French society, exploring the very real horrors people inflict on one another.”
“By bringing these visceral plays to local audiences, we’re demonstrating how horror theatre can be both thought-provoking and deeply unsettling,” he added.
A century-old tradition of terror
Founded in Paris in 1897, the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol developed a reputation for staging short, intensely disturbing plays that explored the darker side of human nature.
Its productions frequently featured murder, insanity, revenge and other disturbing subjects, often accompanied by startling special effects designed to make audiences recoil in horror.
The theater became particularly famous during the early 20th century, attracting audiences eager to experience fear in an intimate setting where the violence and suspense unfolded just feet away.
Although the theater closed in 1962, its influence can still be seen in modern horror films, psychological thrillers and theatrical productions.
For La Maison des Horreurs, the six plays have been newly adapted from their original French texts, with an emphasis on preserving their unsettling themes while making them accessible to contemporary audiences.
One of those adaptations, “At the Telephone,” explores the terror of experiencing a horrific event from a distance, unable to intervene.
Nicole Panteleakos, who adapted the play, said the challenge was translating the fears of an earlier generation into something modern audiences could understand.
“The telephone was new technology at the time, and it was a little scary because it was not understood; a modern audience cannot relate to that,” Panteleakos said. “But they can relate to the horror of hearing a horrific crime committed over the phone, the helplessness, the desperation, the disbelief.”
Bringing horror to the local stage
Founded in 2022, Post Mortem Players specializes in productions that embrace the darker side of theater, including horror, psychological thrillers, cult classics and horror musicals.
The Concord-area company aims to create theatrical experiences that challenge audiences while exploring the fears and anxieties that have fascinated storytellers for generations.
Directed by local horror expert Jackie Obando Carter, the production features a 15-member ensemble bringing the Grand Guignol's dark and disturbing theatrical tradition to life.
The production will be staged in the Wilson Family Black Box Theatre at Old Courthouse Theatre.
With performances scheduled over two consecutive weekends, including Halloween night, the production offers audiences an opportunity to experience a different kind of seasonal fright.
Performance schedule and tickets
La Maison des Horreurs: An Evening at the Grand Guignol will be presented at Old Courthouse Theatre, 47 Spring St. NW, in downtown Concord.
Performances are scheduled for:
Thursday, Oct. 22: 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 23: 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24: 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25: 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29: 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30: 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1: 2:30 p.m.
Tickets range from $20 to $28 and can be purchased at https://our.show/guignol.
The production is recommended for mature audiences because of its disturbing subject matter.
Accessibility note: The Wilson Family Black Box Theatre is accessible only by stairs.
For more information about Post Mortem Players, visit www.postmortemplayers.com.