Combine live music, the macabre and magic and you have quite an evening of theatre.

Tales of the Damned, presented by TheatreXtra, invades the David Spinks Theatre Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 with performances nightly at 8 p.m., as well as a 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 1. The haunting double feature showcases work by student playwrights Ben McFee and Corey Joyce.

A Beautiful Hell, by Ben McFee, is a remount of his first play, which was originally mounted at the 2003 SHED the Mask conference in the University Theatre.

"This play is incredibly difficult to perform because the actor must portray not only two different characters, but also have them cut each other off and attack each other physically. All the while the actor must remain convincing and in no way comical," says McFee.

The idea for the play started with Ben's father, a well-respected nuclear physicist, explaining to Ben in layman's terms the importance of the passage of time to people's lives.

"I thought it would be interesting to see if a no-time environment could be put on the live stage," he says.

In Comes the Doctor, by Corey Joyce, who won the inaugural U of L Play Right Prize last year, is the second play of the evening.

This creepy, atmospheric show should have audiences feeling uneasy from the opening scene. Audiences get a full helping of everything the Halloween season has to offer — mystery, wonder, and above all … magic.

Tickets for Tales of the Damned are $11 regular and $7 student/senior at the U of L Box Office, 403-329-2616.