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If you're looking for some late night SPOOKY fun this Friday, DO NOT MISS local actor Loren Hoskin's terrific one-person show, E.R. Perkins' Séance Party playing at the Siren Theater. Billed as "an antiquated excursion into the bizarre world of séance history, haunted artifacts and dark comedy," Hoskins (as the modern day odd & twitchy tour guide Perkins) provides a very entertaining look at the spiritualism movement of the late 1800s to around 1920, with actual props and creepy practices from the era.

Hoskins is a dynamic performer (who also directs the current Siren production of Poltergeist Live [co-starring me, so come see that too!]), and he puts the audience at ease even as he asks them to take part in his ghostly experiments. And I say this as a person who hates audience participation—it's the only show I've ever attended where I thought it was both necessary and welcome. (I ended up participating, and it was super fun and interesting!) There were moments when I laughed my ass off, when I was mystified, and—most importantly—when I was creeped the fuck out. There are images stamped into my brain that I won't forget anytime soon.

While the thought of the spiritualism movement is considered hilariously naive now, Hoskins does a great job of showing how subtle manipulations of the mind and playing on our most ancient fears still holds sway for a modern audience. I won't spoil the fun with any more detail than that—all I'll say is SEE THIS SHOW if you're a person who wants to experience something deeper and more resonant than your typical Halloween jump scares.

E.R. Perkins’ Séance Party, Siren Theater, 315 NW Davis, closing night Friday Nov 3, 10:30 pm, $10,
tickets here