This comedian has scored some timeless low-culture film moments. Who could forget the urine-drinking cop in "Dumb & Dumber," the horse-killing stoner in "Half Baked" or the hitchhiking serial killer in "There's Something About Mary"? Spacey and demented, the Canadian-born stand-up has honed a fine stage act over 15-plus years. Williams is something of a renaissance goofball: He authors/illustrates children's books and fronts a band with his cousin, Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn. Since 2009 he has also issued the popular, tri-weekly "Harland Highway" podcast. --Jay Boller

There's just something inherently creepy about oversized, papier-mâché puppets on stilts -- especially in a secluded park at dusk, lit only by flaming torches. Put on by the grass-roots BareBones Productions, the Halloween Outdoor Puppet Extravaganza has become a cult favorite and local tradition over its 18 years. That DIY spirit lives on in a pageant that celebrates the seasonal arc of death through puppetry, aerialism, drama, stilt-walking, dance, fire, music and song by a cast and crew of 100 and a 40-piece live orchestra. This year's production, "A Fistful of Dirt: How the Death Was Won," is inspired by spaghetti western films, Japanese tengu spirits and the so-called "seven stages of grief." Nightly post-show receptions include free food and drink by Sisters' Camelot and live music until 10 p.m. with Sorry OK this weekend and Brass Messengers the next. --Jahna Peloquin

Zombies are not just pub-crawling this month, they're also dancing in a new Halloween-inspired work from James Sewell Ballet. These aren't your typical flesh-eaters (although Sewell says they do gnaw their fingers a bit). Instead, they have an insatiable urge to boogie. The program also includes the repertory classic "Mendelssohn Trio," featuring live music, plus a section of "Social Movements" that makes a statement about marriage equality. An especially screwball "Black Swan" pas de deux tops it all off. --Caroline Palmer

Steve Hendrickson lets his hair down as one of literature's best-known bad guys, Fagin, in Park Square's new production. Noah Coon portrays the young orphan who escapes the workhouse only to stumble into a band of pickpockets led by Fagin. Joel Sass directs, using a recent adaptation by British playwright Neil Bartlett. Sass has a talent for sharpening material that benefits from a dark edge, while Bartlett's version of Charles Dickens' novel has been credited for its frank reflection of a society that ensnared waifs with brutal poverty and callous disregard. --Graydon Royce