WICKED LIT REIMAGINED
Wicked Lit 2026: La Llorona and The Headless Horseman
Adapted by Jonathan Josephson, Directed by Katie Chidester
Chance Theater: Ten Performances Only
October 29-November 2, 2026
* Tickets Go On Sale To The General Public On August 1 *
Jonathan Josephson, Artistic Director of Unbound Productions, has announced the details for Wicked Lit 2026: La Llorona and The Headless Horseman. The Halloween Theater Festival will take place at Chance Theater (5522 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807) from Thursday, October 29 to Monday, November 2, 2026, two performances nightly at 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The event will feature two fully produced one-act plays: Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Las Lloronas, an original play that draws from the world of La Llorona myths, folktales, and historical events (both plays adapted by Josephson). The event will also feature a Halloween artisan faire, a Wicked Lit museum and photo experience, signature cocktails at a full-service bar, and more to be announced! Details at wicked-lit.org
Said Josephson, “We can’t even explain how excited we are for this production at Chance, and for the opportunity to bring Wicked Lit back to our loyal fans as well as new audiences! This year’s production is going to be a different kind of show, a different kind of immersive, and it’s going to be spectacular fun.”
Unbound hasn’t produced anything since 2019’s Wicked Lit x8 (a living highlight reel of past productions) at Mountain View Mausoleum. “The COVID-19 pandemic and other issues all contributed to this pause in production,” said Josephson. “As of this year, Unbound is back with new ideas, fresh takes on classic stories, and lots of surprises in store!”
Previous productions of Wicked Lit had been staged at Greystone Mansion (2009), The Millenium-Biltmore Hotel (2011), ScareLA at the LA Mart (2013), Strub Mansion at Mayfield Senior School (2014), and Mountain View Mausoleum and Cemetery (2010-2019). These productions, as well as a semi-annual reading series and productions of History Lit and Mystery Lit drew over 30,000 patrons to non-traditional theatre venues across Southern California. Unbound artists won numerous Ovation Awards for Wicked Lit 2014 and Wicked Lit 2015 and over the years, Wicked Lit was consistently included in lists of “The Best Things to do for Halloween” by publications such as LAist, LA Magazine, Hollywood Gothique, and many others. Eighteen plays that had their world premiere with Unbound are now published and licensed worldwide by Concord Theatricals in two nine-play editions (Wicked Lit: Volume I and Wicked Lit: Volume II).
THE PLAYS
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Adapted from the short story by Washington Irving, by Jonathan Josephson
The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow has been the scourge of campfires and story circles since the end of the Revolutionary War. Is anyone brave enough, or foolish enough, to cross paths with the goblin rider? Experience the adventure of congenial school teacher Ichabod Crane, and see for yourself!
Las Lloronas
Adapted from “La Llorona” myths and historical events, by Jonathan Josephson
Told through storytelling, music, and dance, this centuries-spanning adaptation of the famous Mexican folk legend tells the tales of desperate mothers who kill their children by drowning them in a river. This play presents five stories of La Llorona in our world and worlds beyond — from the huge and fantastical to the intimate and harrowing.
Be advised: Las Lloronas is rooted in gothic horror and is intended for mature audiences only. The play contains descriptions and depictions of violence in multiple forms which is represented theatrically on stage.
TICKETS: wicked-lit.org
Tickets are $45-70, prices vary depending on the date and time of the performance.
Thursday, October 29 – Monday, November 2
7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m nightly. Doors open at 7:00
Ample free parking available on site
THE TEAM
Katie Chidester (Director) is a Southern California-based director and theater artist. She is Co-Founding Artistic Director of intersectional performance + art collective Project La Femme, a group that investigates and promotes community dialog revolving around the female-identifying voice, as well as a local playwriting festival of new works in 2019. Katie spent 12 years as an executive member of The Hunger Artist Theatre Co. as an actor, producer and director. She collaborated to direct/devise with experimental playwriting collective, Fell Swoop Playwrights for the Hollywood Fringe Festival for two world premiere productions. Director’ credits include: Beautiful Star: An Appalachian Nativity in North Carolina at Triad Stage, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (UNCG), Machinal (Long Beach Playhouse), Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief (The Hunger Artists), Sans Merci (The Garage), The Miss Julie Dream Project (Son of Semele) Cloud 9 and Trifles (Triad UpStage). Assistant Directed for Casey Stangl at South Coast Repertory and most recently she revised a Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) script with an all-woman cast to include the chaos of COVID19 in 2022 at the Costa Mesa Playhouse. Interned at Yale School of Drama, Summer Cabaret, alumni of Directors Lab West and SDC Observership. Currently, she is a Board Member of OC Theatre Guild and Program Coordinator for the OCTG Awards. Katie holds a BA degree from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Directing from The University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
Gabrieal Griego (Co-Producer) is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in directing, writing, producing, projection design, and puppetry. Gabrieal’s work spans stage, screen, and immersive experiences on both the east and west coasts. Select producing credits include TH IR DS at The Zepher Theatre, Coney Island Land at Theatre 68 – Emerson, & The Girl Who Made the Milky Way at The Colony Theatre. Big thanks and gratitude to JJ for including me and spearheading this super cool project! And many thanks to Susy and the wonderful people at Chance Theatre for their wonderful energy and support. And to her twin flame, Joseph ‘Sloe’ Slawinski, all the love for all the things.
Susy Vera (Co-Producer) as a graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television she has always been drawn to stories that blur the lines between imagination and reality. Since joining Wicked Lit in 2013 during the second production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at Mountain View Mausoleum & Cemetery, this company has held a special place in her heart. She has also worked on other productions with Force of Nature Productions, Theater by the Blind, and Imagination Workshop. She’s thrilled to join this new production at Chance Theater and can’t wait to invite audiences to step back into the story.
Jonathan Josephson (Playwright/Producer) along with Paul Millet and Jeff G. Rack, Jonathan is a co-founder and original producer of Unbound Producers and a co-creator of Wicked Lit, Mystery Lit, and History Lit. As a playwright Jonathan, has adapted numerous plays and frames for Unbound including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Chimes: A Goblin Story, A Ghost Story, Count Magnus, The Lurking Fear (with Jeff G. Rack), Camp Mountain View, The Grove of Rashomon, Anansi and the Demons for Wicked Lit; The Garden Party and The Girl Who Owned a Bear for History Lit; and Holmes, Sherlock, and The Consulting Detective for Mystery Lit. Outside of Unbound, 55 of Jonathan’s plays have been produced around the world. He is also a published fiction author. More at jonathanjosephson.com