Here are some of the shows you can catch in our local theatres this month:

“Villainy, or H.H. Holmes’ Own Story” is the incredible true story of H.H. Holmes (1861-1896), America’s first serial killer. A master seducer of women, Holmes was ultimately married to three women simultaneously. He confessed to 27 murders in a memoir, written in a response to a lucrative offer from newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. In the most brazen portion of his career, Holmes had a “murder castle” with a pharmacy, a torture chamber and apartments for young women who disappeared mysteriously.

Written by John Strysik and directed by Jeff G. Rack, it runs Oct. 3 through Nov. 7 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets, call (800) 838-3006 or visit www.villainy.brownpapertickets,.com.

“The Tempest” Free, but reservations are required. This great romantic comedy has it all: danger, intrigue, politics, revenge, a mighty sorcerer, her beautiful daughter falling deeply in love at first sight, for the very first time, with the handsome prince who is so conveniently shipwrecked near her beach home.

Written by William Shakespeare and directed by Rebecca Lynne, it runs Oct. 4 through Oct. 20 at the Brand Park in Glendale. For tickets, visit www.deanproductionstheatre.com.

“The Madwoman of Chaillot” With love and magic at a sidewalk café, artists, ragmen and madwomen become aware of a diabolical plan to drill for oil in the middle of Paris. The madwoman develops a scheme with her eccentric circle of friends to stop the men and their insatiable lust for oil.

Written by Jean Giraudoux, adapted by Maurice Valency, and directed by Tim Robbins, it runs Oct. 6 through Nov. 10 at the Actors’ Gang Theatre in Culver City. For tickets, call (310) 838-4264 or visit www.TheActorsGang.com.

“Silence! The Musical” follows rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling as she matches wits with the brilliant but insane cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, in order to catch the serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. This laugh-out-loud naughty satire features a singing and dancing chorus of lambs narrating the action as Buffalo Bill gleefully dances a hoedown while kidnapping hapless Catherine Martin. Even Dr. Lecter, scary as ever, sings about the life he’d like to lead someday outside the prison walls!

Written by Hunter Bell, with music by Jon Kaplan & Al Kaplan, and directed by Amanda Conlon, it runs Oct. 11 through Nov. 3 at the Let Live Theatre at The Actors Company in Hollywood. For tickets, visit www.bucketlisttheatre.com/tickets,.

“To Dad with Love: A Tribute to Buddy Ebsen” represents the culmination of Kiki Ebsen’s vision of a full-scale entertainment tribute to the life and career of her father, Buddy Ebsen. Early in her career, Kiki established herself as a dynamic singer/songwriter, musician and artist whose vast musical range combines elements of jazz, pop, classical and rock.

Written by Kiki Ebsen and directed by Steve E. Feinberg, it runs Oct. 12 through Oct. 14 at the Theatre West in Studio City. For tickets, call (323) 851-7977 or visit www.theatrewest.org.

“Cal in Camo” Do wounds from the past irrevocably impact our capacity to connect? Heartfelt and mysterious, this play probes the nature of bonding in family relationships and beyond. With an unexpected sense of humor towards humanity, it mines those sometimes excruciating revelations that are necessary before healing can begin.

Written by William Francis Hoffman and directed by Amy K. Harmon, it runs Oct. 13 through Nov. 9 at the VS Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (323) 739-4411 or visit www.reddogsquadron.com.

“Sell/Buy/Date” is an exuberant show inspired by the real-life experiences of people affected by the sex industry. Brimming with Jones’ dazzling medley of masterful, multicultural characterizations, the play presents an honest, moving and even humorous look at a complex and fascinating subject, all while preserving the full humanity of voices seldom heard in the theatre.

Written by Sarah Jones and directed by Carolyn Cantor, it runs Oct. 14 through Nov. 18 at the Renberg Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (323) 860-7300 or visit www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre.

“The Woman Who Went to Space as a Man” Part fact, part fever dream, and part musical, this captivating new work opens with Alice B. Sheldon – better known to sci-fi aficionados as author James Tiptree Jr. – contemplating suicide. Sheldon was most notable for breaking down the barriers between writing perceived as inherently “male” or “female” and it was not publicly known until 1977 that Tiptree was, in fact, a woman.

Written and directed by Maureen Huskey, with music by Yuval Ron, it runs Oct. 27 through Nov. 18 at the Son of Semele Theater in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (818) 841-5422 or visit www.sonofsemele.org.

“Dangerous Obsession” Sally Driscoll is watering her plants in the conservatory of her luxurious home. Suddenly, John Barrett appears at the door. Sally does not recognize John, but it seems that the Driscolls and the Barretts have met before. After Sally’s husband Mark arrives it becomes apparent that someone has a very dangerous obsession.
Written by N.J. Crisp and directed by Kathy Dershimer, it runs through Oct. 13 at the Westchester Playhouse in Westchester. For tickets, call (310) 645-5156 or visit www.kentwoodplayers.org.

“What Happened When” On a snowy night in a rural farmhouse, three huddle together in the dark with a flashlight while the audience (unseen by them) gathers closely around.
Written by Daniel Talbott and directed by Chris Fields, it runs through Oct. 18 at the Echo Theater Company Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater. For tickets, call (310) 307-3753 or visit www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.

“A Flock of Macaws” A young woman, abandoned at birth, finds the woman she believes to be her birth mother. What should be a reunion/reconciliation of sorts turns into a combination of mutual interrogation, the absurdity of potential paternal candidates, with back stories straight out of an urban modern day, “Alice in Wonderland.”
Written by Sam Henry Kass and directed by Ronnie Marmo, it runs through Oct. 20 at the Theatre 68 in North Hollywood. For tickets, visit www.Theatre68.com.

“American Hero” A trio of disparate and desperate “sandwich artists” at the local mall are forced into an unlikely alliance in order to keep the store, and themselves, afloat.
Written by Bess Wohl and directed by James Eckhouse, it runs through Oct. 21 at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre of the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets, call (323) 380-8843 or visit www.iamatheatre.com.

“The Mousetrap” A group of strangers is stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, one of whom is a murderer. Suspects include the newly married couple who run the house, a spinster with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone.
Written by Agatha Christie and directed by Sonny Lira, it runs through Oct. 21 at the Crown City Theatre Company in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 605-5685 or visit www.crowncitytheatre.com.

“UK Underdog” A refreshing and highly theatrical solo show, based on true events, where a young Jewish boy in London transforms himself, through sheer force of will, from bullied underdog to martial artist, boxer, community leader and animal rights activist.
Written by Steve Spiro and directed by Ann Bronston, it runs through Oct. 28 at the Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (323) 960-7788 or visit www.plays411.com/ukunderdog.

“Everything That Never Happened” uses “The Merchant of Venice” as a jumping off point, exposing the realities of Jewish history and drawing three-dimensional characters from the stereotypes depicted in the original Shakespeare. Mantell’s fresh and time-bending story is rich with humor and heartbreak while bridging the 16th century with today and beyond.
Written by Sarah B. Mantell and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, it runs through Nov. 4 at the Boston Court in Pasadena. For tickets, call (626) 683-6801 or visit www.BostonCourtPasadena.org.

“Old Clown Wanted” Three aging clowns compete for a job in an absurdly comic look at man’s fear of uselessness in society. Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, theater and circus arts are intertwined in this tender, funny, cynical play.
Written by Matei Visniec, translated by Jeremy Lawrence, and directed by Florinel Fatulescu, it runs through Nov. 4 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (310) 477-2055 Ext. 2 or visit www.OdysseyTheatre.com.

“A Picture of Dorian Gray” Entranced by the beauty of his own portrait, Dorian Gray sells his soul to preserve his youth and pays a price. This haunting and seductive adaptation lets Wilde’s language and wit sparkle, but strips bare the themes of hedonism and the insatiable pursuit of pleasure.
Written by Oscar Wilde, adapted by Michael Michetti, and directed by Michael Michetti, it runs through Nov. 16 at the A Noise Within in Pasadena. For tickets, call (626) 356-3121 or visit www.anoisewithin.org.

“The Marriage Zone” Cal and Beth are selling their home. They’re visited by Skip and Ellie, an engaged couple, very much in love who are eager to buy their first home. They’re joined by Mike and Liz, apparently a couple of lookie-loos who decided to drop by and take a peek at the house for sale. The three couples get to chatting and begin to marvel at just how much they have in common.
Written and directed by Jeff Gould, it runs through Nov. 17 at the Santa Monica Playhouse in Santa Monica. For tickets, call (800) 838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets,.com/event/3591184.

Enjoy life more – see a show tonight!

Steve Zall and Sid Fish of Scene in L.A. know a lot about L.A. theatre and are ready to share with CV Weekly readers. You can read more at CVWeekly.com/LEISURE.

  Sid FISH, Steve ZALL