George F. Walker’s swashbuckling 1977 parody of 19th-century romanticism is wrapped in a florid tale of murder, revenge, and virtue imperiled. Among the generic dramatis personae are a Byronic antihero (so sensitive he has nightmares when he’s awake), an effete aesthete with a messianic mania, a slinky seductress, an intractable virgin, a ruthless henchman, and a loyal servant who recognizes his “betters” as the psychopaths they are but cannot escape the madness and violence of his society. Directed by Sabrina Lloyd and played with straight-faced aplomb–for laughs–by the GroundUp Theatre, this production features swordplay (restricted by the cramped quarters), a maiden ravished by words (the ultimate platonic sex), and a hilariously hyperbolic performance by Joseph Patrick Bogs as the steely-eyed criminal mastermind Zastrozzi. Through 11/20: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 4 PM. Chicago Actors Studio, 1567 N. Milwaukee, 773-218-3226. $15.