Five actors will play more than 40 characters when Olympia Little Theatre opens "Baskerville" on Friday, Oct. 23. That same night, Theater Artists Olympia premieres a Gothic ghost story at its new venue.

And at Harlequin Productions, a Pulitzer Prize winner's immigration drama closes Sunday, Oct. 25.

It adds up to a packed stretch for Olympia theatergoers, with three venues running five productions between them, according to Oly Arts columnist Molly Gilmore.

Holmes, Watson and 40-plus characters

Playwright Ken Ludwig's "Baskerville" is a comic take on Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles." Kelli Midgley plays Holmes. Tom Sanders plays Watson. Three other actors fill the remaining 40-plus roles with rapid costume changes and silly accents.

Performances are at 7:25 p.m. Oct. 23, 24, 30 and 31 and Nov. 5-7, with matinees at 1:55 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 and 8 at 1925 Miller Ave. NE. Tickets are $12-$18. The Nov. 1 matinee is already sold out.

Ghosts, seances and a pay-what-you-choose opener

Theater Artists Olympia's "A Spirited Manor," written by Seattle's Kate Danley, is set in the Victorian era and styled after a penny dreadful. The story follows recently widowed Clara O'Hare, played by Lesley Gordon, through haunted houses, seances and supernatural encounters.

Pug Bujeaud, TAO's artistic director, directs a cast that includes Drew Doyle, Xander Layden, Hillary Lucero, Gabriel McClelland, Jenifer Rifenbery and John Serembe. The production is among the first full shows at the 75-seat Oly Theater at 412 Jefferson St. SE, where TAO moved in April after going without a permanent home since August 2024. An Inspire Olympia grant helped make the move possible. "It's a godsend," Bujeaud said in a September Oly Arts article about the grant program.

Opening night on Friday, Oct. 23, is pay-what-you-choose, with all proceeds going to the actors. Regular tickets are $15-$20 through the Oly Theater website. Evening performances run at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23, 24 and 30 and Nov. 2, 6 and 7, with matinees at 2 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 and 8. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the show starts at 9 p.m., preceded by a costume contest at 8 p.m.

Last chance for "Sanctuary City"

At Harlequin Productions' State Theater, 202 4th Ave. E, Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok's "Sanctuary City" closes Sunday, Oct. 25. Written in 2020, the play follows an immigrant trapped by circumstances, waiting for life to begin. Remaining performances are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22-24 and 2 p.m. Oct. 25. The Oct. 23 performance is pay-what-you-choose.

Harlequin's production of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" continues on the same stage through Nov. 1, with Teri Lee Thomas in the role of Stage Manager. Remaining performances are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30 and 2 p.m. Oct. 24, 28 and Nov. 1.

Tickets for either show are $35-$49, with rush tickets available for $5-$24.50 two hours before curtain. The Oct. 24 and 29 performances of "Our Town" are also pay-what-you-choose.