'Annabelle Broom,' 'Salamander Solution,' more Halloween shows on Long Island

An isolated farmhouse on a moonlit night, a mysterious robot factory run by a reptile, even the deck of a cruise ship are some of the locations audiences will experience as local theaters take on the Halloween season.

"Audiences are hungry for sci-fi fantasy," said Anthony DiFranco, who describes his play, "The Salamander Solution," being presented at BACCA Arts Center in Lindenhurst, as a cross between two 1956 cult classics, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "Forbidden Planet." People like being scared, he said, "that’s why they go on roller coasters."

If being terrified isn’t your cup of tea, some of the family-focused shows feature kinder inhabitants — a witch who just wants to make friends and a friendly bat. But for many, it’s all about the terror. Michael Blangiforti, a managing director at Manes Studio Theatre in Lindenhurst, notes that "people especially love ghost stories." That’s part of the plot in "I’ll Be Back Before Midnight," which runs through Oct. 26. People might be skeptical, "but still there’s an innate curiosity about anything spiritual," he said. "Bottom line, it’s Halloween. They like to be frightened."

Here’s a look at some of the upcoming shows that will either trick you or treat you.

'Annabelle Broom: The Unhappy Witch'

You’ve heard of Casper, the Friendly Ghost? Meet Annabelle, a witch who doesn’t fit in either. She’d rather be nice to everyone — and wear pink, not that dreadful black, director Jason Funari said. "It’s a fun, interactive show," she added, with the actress playing Annabelle frequently speaking directly to the audience. It’s family theater (audiences are invited to come in costume) and not scary, Funari said, though there are certainly Halloween vibes. Encouraged by her colleagues to behave like a witch, Annabelle faces tough questions about what happens when you can’t listen to your conscience to do your job. "It’s really about being proud of who you are," Funari said, and "standing up for what you believe in."

• WHEN | WHERE 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 13, Oct. Through Nov. 1, CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Hwy., Oakdale
• MORE INFO $20; 631-218-2810, cmpac.com

'The Salamander Solution'

It’s a bit sci-fi, a bit satire and a bit rom com, said DiFranco, president of Debut Theater Company which is presenting his play. It's set in a modern industrial factory that manufactures cyborgs, including a new model intended to become a "companion robot, the perfect mate for a lonely guy," DiFranco said. Of course, the leading man has no idea the woman he’s falling in love with isn’t human. And the mastermind of all this, DiFranco said, is neither human nor machine. He’s a reptile (thus the title).

• WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, 17 and 18 and 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12 and 19, BACCA Arts Center, 149 N. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 and 1:30 p.m. Oct. 26, St. Paul’s Playhouse, 270 Main St., Northport
• MORE INFO $25, $20 seniors; 631-261-8739, debutco.booktix.com

'I’ll Be Back Before Midnight'

It’s a repeat performance for this dark mystery, a 1997 psychological thriller by Canadian playwright Peter Colley. Studio experimented last year, running the show late at night and attendance was limited. But the people who came loved it, Blangiforti said, so the theater decided to revive it as a main stage production. The show is set in an isolated farmhouse, where a man brings his wife to recover from a nervous breakdown. The many unexpected twists and scary moments that have audiences jumping out of their seats, Blangiforti said: "There are audible gasps after one OMG moment at the end of the first act."

• WHEN | WHERE 8 p.m. Oct. 10-11, 16-18 and 24-25 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 12, 19 and 26, Manes Studio Theatre, 141 S. Wellwood Ave. Lindenhurst
• MORE INFO $35, seniors $30, 631-226-8400, studiotheatrelongisland.com

'All Ghosts on Deck'

The East End Players, a group of differently abled actors with autism, Down syndrome, and other cognitive challenges, have been working on creating this spirited whodunit for two years, artistic director Jacqui Leader said. The original play is set on a cruise (some people find that scary enough), and includes predictable red herrings and other mystery tropes. "Doing a murder mystery was the hardest thing we’ve done," said Leader, but the cast really wanted to do a Halloween show. The performance will be followed by an auction to benefit the Players.

• WHEN | WHERE 4 p.m. Oct. 25, Bay Street Theater, 1 Long Wharf, Sag Harbor
• MORE INFO $30-$80; 631-725-9500, baystreet.org

'Uncle Vlad’s Pumpkin Patch'

"Think of it as a Halloween Muppet show," said Austin Costello, technical director of the theater at the Long Island Children’s Museum, about "Uncle Vlad's Pumpkin Patch." The staff works all year on coming up with the show, which has been done for four years, but always with a different story. "It’s like a different episode of a television series," Costello said.

In this year’s edition, Uncle Vlad (a giant bat puppet operated by Costello), finds his beloved pumpkin patch threatened by big business, as other characters come to the rescue. "There’s a spooky moment at the beginning," said Costello, but nothing truly frightening. "It’s a half hour of chaos."

• WHEN | WHERE 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Oct. 25-26, Long Island Children’s Museum, 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• MORE INFO $5-$10; 516-224-5800, licm.org 

'Haunted Encounters'

Magicians Mike Maione and Gary Brown say their Halloween evening show is "not for the faint of heart." Brown, who by day is a judge in the Eastern District of New York, and Maione, known as the Silly Magician, promise their show, intended for mature audiences, will be "wicked and mysterious" as they darken the theater and attempt to communicate with the spirit world.

• WHEN | WHERE 6:30 and 9 p.m. Oct. 31, Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson
• MORE INFO $40; 631-928-9100, theatrethree.com