2015 Unbound Productions’ The Ebony Frame (Jon Thvedt)
For nearly a decade, Wicked Lit was the can’t miss Halloween event of Southern California. Over 30,000 patrons ventured to the historic sites where Unbound Productions produced incredible immersive shows, and every audience left more amazed than the last. Now, Wicked Lit is back with an all-new look for 2026 at Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA from October 29 to November 2, 2026.
Nineteen Wicked Lit plays are available for worldwide licensing from Concord Theatricals! Below, explore the collection of 19 Wicked Lit plays adapted from short horror literature currently available for licensing from Concord Theatricals for your school, theatre or site-specific venue, as described by co-founder of Unbound Productions and playwright, Jonathan Josephson.
About Wicked Lit
Born out of classic horror literature, spooky folktales and timeless tales of terror, the plays that make up the Wicked Lit Collection (US) balance the drama of great live theatre with the fun, fright and creativity of genre fiction. These stories transport audiences to faraway realms where anything can happen – and where murder is always on the table – as well as to spooky locations where unlikely alliances result in unforgettable adventures. These plays are perfect for schools and production companies who want to offer meaty roles – and plenty of them – for their actors as well as engaging, fun (and often funny!) stories for audiences to relish and ultimately beg more.
How to License and Produce Your Own Wicked Lit Production
Wicked Lit plays can be produced in a number of different ways. Because each script runs between 20 and 40 minutes and can feature between three and eight roles (and some with possible ensemble parts that can expand a cast up to 20 or more), Wicked Lit plays are often produced in pairs or trios, though they can also be produced as individual one-acts. Below, I’ve outlined some suggested combinations of plays that would fall under a common theme, though all of the plays in the collection can be produced in any combination and any order!
In addition, all Wicked Lit plays are ripe for productions either within a traditional theatre or in site-specific/immersive venues. Over the years, Wicked Lit playwrights have contributed some insight as to how best to capture the essence of their adaptation on stage. Detailed essays about each play are available in the published Wicked Lit collections (US).
Below, explore some highlights along with a few suggested lineups for your own Wicked Lit event:
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
This trio of Wicked Lit plays (A Ghost Story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Ebony Frame) offers an evening of eerie environments that toy with the horror involved in the lack of light.
“The thing I love most about The Ebony Frame, as Edith Nesbit wrote it, is the way good and bad are flipped on their heads. What seems to the world like a happy ending for the main character is actually a tragedy.” – playwright Susannah Myrvold
A Ghost Story by Jonathan Josephson, based on the short story of the same name by Mark Twain (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 1m, 2 any gender)
Originally performed on-site at an old hotel, this adaptation of Mark Twain’s four-page story about the Cardiff Giant Hoax brings this venerable giant – and the evolution of comedic thriller writing – to the stage with a reliable sidekick. It’s pouring and Vincent, a student, happens upon an abandoned hotel with two flat tires and nowhere else to go. There, he encounters a Ghost with an identity crisis and a bulldog of a Shadow who is determined to banish his soul to hell. Hilarity ensues.
The Ebony Frame by Susannah Myrvold, adapted from the story by Edith Nesbit (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 3w, 2m)
Darkly ironic and with room for stage magic, this adaptation of Edith Nesbit’s Gothic short story centers on a man given the chance to trade his soul for a life with his true love and a haunted portrait – with a few changes to heighten the drama and the comedy!
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Jonathan Josephson, adapted from the short story of the same name by Washington Irving (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 1w, 3m, 1 any gender)
Washington Irving’s iconic tale of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow comes to life in this lyrical and literary reimaging of the classic story! Follow the affable schoolteacher Ichabod Crane as he endeavors to conquer his own fears and self-doubt in order to win the heart of the coquettish Katrina Van Tassel. Along the way, he’ll battle snot-nosed schoolboys, Brom Bones – the self-absorbed, self-proclaimed hero of the realm – and of course, the dominant specter of the land: the Headless Horseman. This lyrical reimagining of the beloved tale is the first act of the 60-minute Legend(s) of Sleepy Hollow (US), also available for licensing.
2016 Unbound Productions’ Anansi and the Demons (Daniel Kitayama)
Epic Adventures
This trio of Wicked Lit plays (Anansi and the Demons, The Chimes: A Goblin Story, The New Catacomb) utilizes imaginative horror for the stage to bring a sense of demonic fun.
“The more I researched [West African folktales and Ashanti proverbs], and the more I learned about the deep intelligence and subversive nature of both, the more I desired to bring the lively world of Anansi to Wicked Lit.” – playwright Jonathan Josephson
Anansi and the Demons by Jonathan Josephson, freely adapted from the canon of Anansi Stories and Ashanti Proverbs (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 1w, 3m, 3 any gender)
Originally performed in an immersive setting, this creative fusion of the Anansi Stories and Ashanti Proverbs of the spider Anansi and the soul-sucker Asasabonsam (or Sasasabosam) brings the lively world of West African folklore to the stage or any site-specific venue. In the story, a British colonial ambassador tries to rid the African village in his charge of a purported demon, but Anansi the trickster and her friends have other ideas.
The Chimes: A Goblin Story by Jonathan Josephson, based on the short story of the same name by Charles Dickens (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 1w, 2m, 2 any gender + ensemble)
Originally performed on-site at the chapel of a mausoleum and cemetery, this adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella brings the story of a conflicted father and the goblins that bring him to the brink of death and back again to the stage – or any site-specific venue. This version streamlines the core story of the novella in order to create a dramatic and theatrically-paced experience by engage with the mind of our protagonist Toby Veck – the angry, poor, middle-aged man facing the optimism of his daughter and ultimately finding himself on the wrong side of history – as well as augmenting the role of the goblins for a few actors or an entire ensemble to embody.
The New Catacomb by Jonathan Josephson, adapted from the short story of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 1w, 2m)
Originally performed immersively, this adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story about two men who journey deep into a catacomb brings a modern, direct tale of “no one provokes me with impunity” to theatrical life – and may well be one of the only stage adaptations of this work. Berger – the American – and Kennedy – the Brit – are great friends and have been since their days at university. But when Berger makes a life-altering discovery in the depths of a long-forgotten Roman crypt, their friendship may be put to the ultimate test.
2011 Unbound Productions’ The Body Snatcher (Daniel Kitayama)
Dangerous Women
This trio of Wicked Lit plays (Las Lloronas, The Grove of Rashomon, The Shadowy Third) allows for its women to be unsettling, unnerving and even wicked.
“I was most struck by the lengths someone would go to in order to get what they want, but also to try and help a loved one in crisis – even from beyond the grave.” – playwright Paul Millet
Las Lloronas by Jonathan Josephson, freely adapted from the “La Llorona” myth and historical events (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 5w, 3m)
Told through storytelling, dance and music, this adaptation of the famous Mexican folk legend captures the story of a desperate mother who murders her children by drowning them in a river. This theatrical adaptation examines this myth as it has evolved through the ages, from the days of La Malinche and the conquest of Mexico through present day events. El Diablo guides us through five unique stories – some literal, some theatrical, some abstract – that reflect the horror and regret embodied by this timeless tale. This play is ambitious for schools. Some material may be objectionable, and some students (and parents) may be sensitive to central themes and elements within.
The Grove of Rashomon by Jonathan Josephson, adapted from “In A Grove” by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa as translated by Takashi Kojima (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 3w, 4m)
Originally performed outdoors, this adaptation of a Japanese short story about the violent death of a young samurai brings its drama of truths with fresh perspective to the stage – or any site-specific venue. Masago, a maiden, is missing and her samurai, Takehiko, is dead. As her mother investigates the brutal crime, she encounters numerous versions of what happened on that fateful night in a haunting cedar grove. Set in 12th-century Japan and written as a highly theatrical piece with mask work, dance and Noh-inspired movement, this reimagining of the iconic short story that inspired the Akira Kurosawa film Rashomon shifts the point of view of the story from the unseen police commissioner in the original story to be the perspective of the mother of the survivors of the attack, thus giving the maiden and samurai greater agency to speak their truth about the horrific event and allows audiences to see the 12th century story penned in the 1920s through new eyes.
The Shadowy Third by Paul Millet, based on the short story of the same name by Ellen Glasgow (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 3w, 1m)
Originally performed immersively at a mausoleum, this adaptation of Ellen Glasgow’s Gothic tale features strong women in horror and an opportunity for creatives to express the psychological condition of the Maradick home through design or performance, whether onstage or on-site.
2014 Unbound Productions’ The Doll (Jon Thvedt)
Ladies Take The Lead
This trio of Wicked Lit plays (The Body Snatcher, The Doll, The Yellow Wallpaper) augments the representation in the horror genre by refocusing its stories on their ladies.
“‘Who doesn’t love a creepy doll story?’ My wife, perhaps… When confronted with an unimaginable evil, these two women join forces to protect the one thing they have in common – the love of a little girl.” – playwright Jeff G. Rack
The Body Snatcher by Paul Millet, based on the short story of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 2w, 3m)
Originally performed outdoors at a cemetery, this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story about a young medical student who discovers the cadavers used by the school are sourced by questionable methods brings the horror of the body to the stage – or any site-specific venue. With two strong roles for leading women (including Mary Fettes, late 20s, an ambitious if slightly naive Scottish woman and Jane Galbraith, late 20s or 30s, Scottish, a brazen and calculating woman, ahead of her time), this play offers a chance for its ladies to share in the scare.
The Doll by Jeff G. Rack, based on the novelette of the same name by Algernon Blackwood (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 4w, 1m)
Originally performed in an immersive setting, this adaptation of Algernon Blackwood’s novelette about the mysterious events that occur after a family receives a strange doll makes for a haunting stage or site-specific performance. After all, who doesn’t love a creepy doll story? Besides a peculiar doll and an incredible opportunity for design to be used as an impactful, and frightening, storytelling tool, the show features two strong roles for a leading woman as two women join forces to protect the one thing they have in common: the love of a little girl. At its core, this is a psychological thriller that delves into how people react under stressful circumstances. Originally written to be staged inside a real mansion with the audience in the middle of the action, it can be effectively presented on a conventional stage with some clever stagecraft.
The Yellow Wallpaper by Jeff G. Rack, based on the short story of the same name by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 2w, 1m)
Originally performed on-site at a mansion, this adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s foundational feminist short story about the attitude toward the mental and physical health of women in the 19th century brings out its horror elements in an adaptation suited for stages or site-specific theatre. This piece’s example of “ladies taking the lead” has dual meaning – its uplifts a story written by a woman author and focuses on a central leading woman: A new mother struggling with the constriction social norms at the time.
2016 Unbound Productions’ From Beyond (Jon Thvedt)
Relationships Gone Awry
This trio of Wicked Lit plays (From Beyond, The Monkey’s Paw, The Unnamable) narrows in on the treachery that occurs when relationships tip toward disaster.
“What pulled me in when I first read this story was the emotional depth of the troubled friendship between the unnamed protagonist and his volatile former classmate – both scientists who have taken very different paths in life. It is their rivalrous, entangled hearts that pump life into the story’s other essential organs.” – playwright Trey Nichols
From Beyond by Trey Nichols, based on the short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 2m, 2 any gender + ensemble)
Originally performed in an immersive setting, this adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story about a narrator’s experiences with a scientist named Crawford Tillinghast makes for a thrilling stage or site-specific performance. The journey of the play – whether done site-specific or in a more traditional theatrical setting – brings the audience from light to darkness, from sanity to madness, from the known to the unknown, from here to beyond with many exciting, terrifying possibilities for sound and spectacle that will haunt audiences long after the curtain call.
The Monkey’s Paw by Jeff G. Rack, based on the short story of the same name by W. W. Jacobs (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 1w, 4m)
This adaptation of the W. W. Jacobs short horror story about an enchanted monkey’s paw that grants its owner three wishes at a price brings the weight of decisions to the stage with a special focus on the story’s mother-son relationship. They are Alice White, a wife and mother fed up with being poor and her husband’s inability to provide, and her son Stanley, a loyal son and the breadwinner of the family. The horror unfolds when the presence of the cursed object leads those connected to it – and their relationships – awry.
The Unnamable by Jeff G. Rack, based on the short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 1w, 2m)
Originally performed on-site at a mausoleum and cemetery, this adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story about two friends who meet in a cemetery discussing an unnamable presence haunting the area brings this suspenseful story to the stage – or any site-specific venue! The friends? Howard Smith, an eccentric, older archeologist with a caustic attitude, singular mission, and many secrets, and Joel Phillips, a skeptical, younger dealer in artifacts, looking for a big payday, who get interrupted by a creepy, cursed spirit of a woman with hidden motives.
2010 Unbound Productions’ The Cask of Amontillado (Daniel Kitayama)
All Poe All the Time
This trio of Wicked Lit plays (The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart) each bring the poems and stories of one of the most famous writers of mystery and the macabre to the stage, the Raven himself: Edgar Allan Poe.
“I was first drawn to this story because I wanted to know why – why does this horrible thing happen? Why murder?” – playwright Paul Millet
The Cask of Amontillado by Paul Millet, based on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 1w, 2m)
Originally performed outdoors, this adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story about a murder in the catacombs brings his signature horror to the stage or any site-specific venue – this time, with an expanded part for “The Lady Fortunato” in the role of Sylvia.
The Fall of the House of Usher by Paul Millet, based on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe (US)
( Short Play, Comedy / 1w, 2m)
Originally performed immersively at a mansion and then at a mausoleum, this adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story about a visit to the decaying mansion of Roderick Usher, who suffers from a mysterious illness and a family curse brings Poe’s classic tale to life for a haunting stage or site-specific performance.
The Tell-Tale Heart by Paul Millet, based on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe (US)
(Short Play, Drama / 2w, 5m)
Originally performed immersively in a series of gallery spaces but now available for theatrical performance, this adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story about an unreliable narrator who describes a murder brings Poe’s classic tale to life with an especially dreary, morose and macabre effect.
To read more about these horror plays for the stage, purchase the Wicked Lit collections in the US.
To license the plays and put on your own evening of horror, visit Concord Theatricals in the US.
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