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Gretchen Roose scared herself silly researching her latest role.

“I joined Netflix so that I could watch all those old horror movies,” she said of her preparation to be Baroness von Frankenstein in the Drama Workshops upcoming production of “The House of Frankenstein.”

“They really are quite scary,” she said. “Bela Lugosi is really, really good.”

A 1981 graduate of Lakota High School, Roose is a veteran of many local theater groups, including Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre (“Scrooge”) and the group formerly known as the Rotary Revels (“Cinderella” as one of the stepsisters), as well as regional community theater organizations such as Stagecrafters, Ovation Theatre and the Drama Workshop, where she currently serves as president of the board.

But don’t expect “House of Frankenstein” to be as blood-chilling as Roose’s research.

“This is definitely a comedy,” she said. “It’s a send-up of all those old Universal horror movies.

In this one, Baron Victor von Frankenstein tries, against all odds to create life, Roose said. Unfortunately his only success, if you can call it that, is a mute monster whose only real use is doubling as a lamp, so spends much of the play with a lampshade on his head.

There’s also an inept assistant named Ygor, a German maid with blood all over her apron and a parade of famous monsters (including the Wolfman, played by Mason-area resident Michael Ireland) who come to Frankenstein’s castle to remove their various curses.

“My character is bored out of her mind,” Roose said. “She can’t stand the gloom and doom of the castle.”

For each Saturday night performance of the run, patrons are encouraged to dress in up in Halloween costumes to receive $2 off the price of their admission, and will be entered into our costume contest that will happen during the show intermission.

• WHAT: “The House of Frankenstein!” by Martin Downing
• WHERE: Westwood Town Hall,  3017 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati
• WHEN: Through Oct. 20
• COST: $12-$14
• MORE INFO: (513) 598-8303; www.thedramaworkshop.org