Halloween

Finally it’s October, which means two things: cooler weather and Halloween (although the stores would like you to believe it’s Christmas already). Richardson Theatre Centre has tried to get into the Halloween spirit by mounting The Haunting of Hill House, an adaptation of the 1959 Shirley Jackson novel that most regard as the finest example of a haunted house story ever written. Sadly, when transferred to the stage, Jackson’s eerie, suspenseful tale falls flat on its face, and this production’s muddled direction, tedious pacing, and often-laughable acting don’t particularly help.