Theater: “Grey House” starring Laurie Metcalf

On the surface, horror doesn’t seem to be a natural fit for Broadway. You’re really not there to marvel at the choreography. And chances are, there won’t be a leading lady belting out Stephen Sondheim numbers.

No, what makes a horror show succeed on stage is its ability to scare the bejeezus out of you. Plus, the writing and direction have to be so good that you’re willing to suspend belief and just go along for the ride.

I’m happy to report that if you’re looking for an alternative to singing and dancing, Levi Holloway’s “Grey House” more than adequately delivers the goods, with the help of the sensational Laurie Metcalf and director-of-all-trades Joe Mantello.

The setup is vintage horror-show. Henry (Paul Sparks from “Boardwalk Empire”) and Max (Claire Karpen) are heading upstate when they’re caught in a blizzard and their car hits a tree. Henry breaks his leg and the couple stumbles upon an isolated cabin in the woods. Once they enter, five women who seem right out of a Stephen King novel await them.

The oldest woman, Raleigh (played by Metcalf) offers the couple shelter from the storm but it soon becomes clear from her gruffness that she is anything but your kindly Airbnb host. The other four young women are dressed in gowns that seem straight out of the 19th century. They begin peppering the couple with personal questions and engage them in a game called “Show and Hell.” At one point, Henry is offered refreshment from the refrigerator, which appears to be stocked with jars of moonshine liquor.

What follows is a plot that weaves in ghosts, incantations, sex, and reincarnation. Fortunately, this is leavened by lots of dark humor, delivered mostly by Metcalf and by Sophia Anne Caruso who plays her sarcastic daughter (and who is a ringer for Wednesday from “The Addams Family.”)

In a recent interview with the NYT, the playwright reported that he had been fascinated by horror stories since the age of 5, a fascination which was reinforced when his father gave him the collected works of Stephen King soon after. Mantello says he was attracted to the project partly because of the general uncertainty in the modern world (although the play is set in 1977).

Meanwhile, you’ll get a kick out of a few other things in “Grey House”: the gorgeous set by Scott Pask; and the sound design by Tom Gibbons which adds eerie music and spooky sound effects to the play. Everything works together frightfully well. And considering the subject matter, that’s a good thing.

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