As fall arrives, Fullerton theater impresario Brian Newell inevitably finds himself musing about zombies.

Other things have held his attention for this year’s six-show season at his cozy, two-stage Maverick Theater, including Shakespeare, singing hobbits, King Kong and space alien grave robbers. Thoughts of Santa Claus and Martians shall emerge come Christmas.

The theater, which opened its permanent space in a side-street Fullerton warehouse in 2005, has carved out a successful niche on Southern California’s theater scene by hewing to a simple — if seemingly radical — philosophy: “The Maverick strives to attract non-theater audiences,” its website proclaims, “by producing shows based on screeplays, pop culture and history.”

The current season, which runs February through December, kicke

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