Man of La Mancha, The Tequila and Taco Fest, Hannibal Buress, And More Options For Having The Best Month Ever
by Stranger Things To Do Staff
The beginning of October may mean it's time to start looking for a Halloween costume, but it also means plenty of fall art events, performances, and festivals. Many of these events will sell out, so you're strongly encouraged to buy tickets now for the events below, including the 9e2 festival, the 5th Avenue Theatre's season opener Man of La Mancha, the Tequila and Taco Fest, and a talk featuring the author of the funniest book ever written about Seattle, Maria Semple. If you want even more options this month, make sure to check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
THROUGH OCTOBER 8
Rhinoceros
You're probably going to spend a lot of time while watching Strawberry Theatre Workshop's production of Eugène Ionesco's classic absurdist play thinking, "Okay, but do the rhinoceroses stampeding all over this French town represent Trump supporters, or do they represent Bernie Bros, or do they represent Hillbots perfectly enacting the Democratic nominee's vagenda of manocide?" And then once you figure that out, you're going to be thinking, "All right, well, is this funny and pointed parable about the rise of the 20th century's worst -isms a critique of the idea of the state of political discourse, or a critique of incrementalism, or…?" By the end of the show, you'll think Rhinoceros is either EXACTLY the play we need to be seeing right now or EXACTLY the play we don't need to be seeing right now. RICH SMITH
THROUGH OCTOBER 9
Against the Grain/MEN IN DANCE 2016 Festival
This festival offers diverse dance styles including modern, contemporary, ballet, circus acts, and Early Renaissance sword dancing, with a different roster of performers highlighted over each of the two weekends.
The Royale
Marco Ramirez (Sons of Anarchy and Orange is the New Black) loosely bases this show on the life of Jack Johnson, the first black man to become the World Heavyweight champ in boxing. The play dives inside the mind of Jay Jackson, whose single-minded desire to win clashes with the Jim Crow era's attempt to control the bodies of black people in the south. If Jackson can beat a retired heavyweight champion, who's a white guy, then he'll become a symbol of black excellence. But he also risks inflaming racial violence. That tension drives the play, as does lyrical language and highly physical choreography. RICH SMITH
THROUGH OCTOBER 10
Revolt. She said. Revolt again.
This Washington Ensemble Theatre production will be the West Coast premiere of Revolt. She said. Revolt again., which is supposed to be a powerful, absurd-funny, polyvocal, multimedia, fiercely feminist call for revolt. Revolt draws its title from a Julia Kristeva book about "revolt" as a mode of being (hi, grad school) and also highlights the way language shapes our perceptions and expectations of women. RICH SMITH
THROUGH OCTOBER 23
Ghosts
Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts was considered scandalous when it was first performed in 1892, and still shocks some with themes including sexually transmitted disease, euthanasia, and incest. Follow the story of widow Helene Alving in this new adaptation by director Richard Eyre.
THROUGH OCTOBER 30
A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun is one of the earliest examples of black realism on the American stage. Housing discrimination, race, class, family, the complexities of right action in America, all of it wrapped up in one of the greatest plays ever written. RICH SMITH
THROUGH OCTOBER 31
Harvest
This adults-only, immersive Halloween theater experience requires that you sign a waiver before entering, so you know it's going to be freaky. Conceived and directed by Ali el-Gasseir and designed by Paul Thomas.
OCTOBER 3
Patti Smith
The punk-rock queen and author of Just Kids, for which she won the National Book Award in 2010, presents her 2015 book, M Train. The "M" seems to stand for Manhattan, mental, Michigan, more coffee, memento mori, melancholy, music, Murakami, memoir about living in New York and taking out a mortgage for a coffee shop, and making a living by making art. Throughout the book, Smith winds readers through the last few decades of her personal and professional life, noting inspirations and showing off photos of the journey along the way. Your ticket includes a copy of the book. RICH SMITH
Tracy Kidder
Bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder (Mountains Upon Mountains and The Soul of a New Machine) will read from his new book, A Truck Full of Money: One Man's Quest to Recover From Great Success. Your ticket includes a copy of the book. Presented by Elliott Bay Book Company.
OCTOBER 4
Feast at the Market
Treat your palate to cuisine from more than 20 restaurants in the Market. Some of the participating restaurants include Matt's in the Market, Cutter's Crabhouse, and Radiator Whiskey. Feast guests will be able to take the food tour at their leisure throughout the night with each restaurant seating and serving them with a specially curated Feast dish. The night will end with live music and dessert in the Pike Place Market Atrium.
OCTOBER 5
Ada Limón
Ada Limón, a poet whose most recent work, 2015's Bright Dead Things, was selected as one of the Top Ten Poetry Books of the Year by the New York Times, will speak as part of the 2016-17 Seattle Arts & Lectures Poetry Series.
Christopher Kimball Live!
Christopher Kimball (America’s Test Kitchen and Milk Street Kitchen) will lead this live food show, with audience taste-tests, blooper reels, and strange yet impressive food/science experiments.
Gary Younge: Another Day in the Death of America
Author and Guardian journalist Gary Younge (No Place Like Home: A Black Briton's Journey Through the American South) will speak about his new book, Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives, which deals with 10 young lives lost on November 23, 2013. That day wasn't historic—in fact, the day is random. Each day in the United States, seven young people will be shot dead. This book offers a glimpse into the lives of just a few of the numerous people struck down before their time.
OCTOBER 6-8
Mark Morris Dance Group with The Silk Road Ensemble
The Mark Morris Dance Group may have moved on to bigger stages than Seattle has to offer, but don't worry, they come back every so often. This performance is a rare chance to see the inventive and humorous choreography that made Morris famous. The company will perform original production Layla and Majnun (based on an ancient Persian tale) with music by composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, and featuring Azerbaijani singers Alim Qasimov and Fargana Qasimova with The Silk Road Ensemble.
OCTOBER 6-9
Alan Sutherland: Little Brown Mushrooms
This "hallucinatory dance/theater meditation" is an exploration of the magic mushroom (Psilocybe cyanescens) by Alan Sutherland.
OCTOBER 7
Christopher Titus: Born With a Defect
Comedian and actor Christopher Titus (from TV show Titus) will present his seventh comedy special, Born With a Defect, which deals with his relationships, dysfunctional family, and other intriguing details from his personal life.
Snap Judgment
This storytelling event—created by Glynn Washington and co-produced by WNYC—will combine elements of music, radio, stage, screen, and web, to give audiences "a glimpse into the lives of a stranger."
OCTOBER 7-8
Fresh Hops Festival
Try fresh hops brews from 25 different breweries (plus food and sliders from Hale's) at this two-day festival. There are three sessions to choose from—and if you just can't get enough hops, you can even buy a pass for nine hours of tasting.
OCTOBER 7-9
Cirque Goes to the Cinema
Cirque de la Symphonie bring the revelry of the circus to the genteel drama of the symphony, with a brand new program of physical feats by acrobats, jugglers, and aerial flyers paired with the music from major films, including Gone with the Wind, Chariots of Fire, The Magnificent Seven, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Gladiator.
Irish Reels Film Festival
American films dominate world cinema, with British TV sometimes grabbing its share of public attention, but how often do we get to sample Ireland's rich independent film culture? There's something here for every filmic interest: animated documentaries, imaginative shorts, and features with stars like Aiden Gillen.
Kinofest Seattle
Presented by The Portland German Film Festival in collaboration with Northwest Film Forum, this festival will highlight the latest and greatest in German-language cinema, with films including Margarethe von Trotta’s The Misplaced World, about an unnerving doppelganger, and Then Is It the End?, a “cinematic homage” to film critic Michael Althen.
Oktoberfest Northwest
Celebrate Oktoberfest with live music (including yodeling "Oktoberfest Swing Girl" Manuela Horn), a variety of food, several sporting competitions, kids' activities, shopping, and of course, traditional German beers and an outdoor Biergarten.
OCTOBER 7-30
Man of La Mancha
The 5th Avenue Theatre's fancy new state-of-the-art sound system will be ready and raring to push out lush tones for this season opener: Allison Narver's take on Dale Wasserman's Man of La Mancha. The show stars Tony-nominated actor Norm Lewis as the windmill-slaying Don Quixote, and I'm very much looking forward to his "Dulcinea," but I'm super-mega looking forward to any noise that Nova Payton makes during her portrayal of Aldonza. I heard/felt/was destroyed by Payton's voice during last year's production of Janis Joplin—her soprano is so clean the room sparkles every time she holds a note, and her control is insane—and I'm so glad she's back in town for this one. RICH SMITH
OCTOBER 7-NOVEMBER 11
Earshot Jazz Festival
This is the season of Seattle's premier jazz event, the Earshot Jazz Festival, which includes more than 50 distinct concerts and events in venues across town. One of the big names at this year's festival is veteran pianist Freddy Cole, who will present with his trio a performance tied to the legacy of his late brother, Nat King Cole. There will also be a tribute to Charlie Parker, helmed by the award-winning saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. Local ubiquitous talent D'Vonne Lewis will curate a series of concerts with his groups Limited Edition and Industrial Revelation, the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band, and special jazz festival collaborators, as this year's Resident Artist.
OCTOBER 8
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders
The release party for Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders promises music, drinks, and urban adventure on Seattle's historic underground tour.
Maria Semple
My esteemed colleague Christopher Frizzelle calls Maria Semple "the author of the funniest book ever written about Seattle." He's referring to her wildly successful, clue-filled novel, Where'd You Go, Bernadette? The new book, Today Will Be Different, contains a humor similar to the old book. The whole thing is basically the inner monologue of an upper middle class Seattleite who runs around town being delightfully indignant about her little dog, her precocious and possibly gay son, her do-no-wrong husband, and the larger world around her. But there's an added layer of gravity that complicates the glib in this book. RICH SMITH
OCTOBER 8-9
GeekGirlCon 2016
Calling all Geek Girls! GeekGirlCon is a two-day convention that was founded following a panel at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con called “Geek Girls Exist,” bringing attention to the underrepresentation of women in the tech and gaming world. The convention aims to provide a safe space for women to celebrate their self-proclaimed geek status and to facilitate an unapologetic pursuit of their various passions. Attendees are encouraged to geek out over organized activities ranging from panels and vendors to a DIY science zone and cosplay (and so much more).
OCTOBER 11
Mark Bittman: How to Bake Everything
Food writer and cookbook author Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything) "delivers strong views on a variety of topics including policy, agriculture, health, the environment and, of course, food." Tonight, he will share insights from his new baking-centric book, including recipes for desserts like baked Alaska, gingerbread whoopie pies, and Afghan snowshoe naan.
OCTOBER 13
An Evening with Rita Moreno
Watch legendary film and stage performer (and EGOT winner!) Rita Moreno sing, dance, and act in this special one-night-only production.
OCTOBER 13-14
reSET
Curated by Mark Haim, Babette Pendleton, Ali Mohamed el-Gasseir, and Alice Ghosti, reSET is a sort of arts-share dance series put on by the Washington Ensemble Theatre. Choreographers perform new pieces using the set for whatever play the company happens to be producing at that time—this time, Revolt. She said. Revolt again.. RICH SMITH
OCTOBER 13-23
TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival
The 21st year of the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival brings new films as well as a new, more inclusive name: Twist, the Seattle Queer Film Festival. There will be ten days of screenings at a variety of venues across Seattle, showcasing the diversity and impressive talent of queer filmmakers and queer films from around the world.
OCTOBER 14
Alexander McCall Smith
Hugely popular author Alexander McCall Smith (best known for penning the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books) will read from and speak about the latest installment in the series, Precious and Grace.
Hugo Literary Series: Téa Obreht, Eduardo C. Corral, and Quenton Baker
The Literary Series at Hugo House presents new work from established and emerging writers based around a theme. The theme for this event is "theft," literary or otherwise, and it's gonna be real interesting to see where these writers take it. Seattle poet and writer Quenton Baker was a Made at Hugo House Fellow, and his book This Glittering Republic is due from Willow Books in 2017. The poems I've read of his work to dismantle white supremacy using a variety of styles. Sometimes he'll use a musical three-beat line, sometimes he'll let the line run. And he's just as comfortable with narrative as he is with abstraction. Téa Obreht wrote The Tiger’s Wife, a novel about doctors and death in a fictional Balkan province that won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Poet Eduardo C. Corral has won a ton of prizes for his gorgeous lyrics about sex, immigration, and, of course, poetry. RICH SMITH
OCTOBER 15
The Green Show
Come to the Atlas Theatre in "high spirits" (no smoking or vaping allowed inside) to enjoy this 21+ improv comedy show by, about, and for people who are thoroughly stoned.
Hannibal Buress: The Hannibal Montanabal Experience
Super-popular stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress is hilarious as Lincoln on Broad City, but his solo act is arguably even stronger—if you haven't heard it already, definitely look up his bit on Bill Cosby.
OCTOBER 15-25
SSAFF: Seattle South Asian Film Festival
Celebrate South Asian cinema at the 11th annual Seattle South Asian Film Festival, with screenings of 23 feature films (and 22 shorts) at many locations across Seattle. This year, they'll highlight films from Bangladesh and celebrate the theme #LoveWins.
OCTOBER 15-30
Hansel & Gretel
You might consider parting with hard-earned cash on this one, and not just because Engelbert Humperdinck’s adaptation of the Grimm tale hasn’t been performed at Seattle Opera in 23 years and who knows when it will come again. No, it’s because of this particular production, reviewed tantalizingly (and glowingly) by The Guardian: “In Laurent Pelly's witty 2008 production for Glyndebourne… the tale becomes a gleefully ghoulish satire on consumerism, in which the forest is a maze of dead trees... Hänsel and Gretel's family are forced to live in a cardboard house following economic collapse; the Witch's gingerbread residence is a free-for-all supermarket; and the children who are freed at the end, after the Witch is thrown into her own ovens, are obese, having gorged themselves on the supermarket's high-sugar, high-fat goodies.” Plus! The Witch is played by a man, in Seattle Peter Marsh. At Glyndebourne it was Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, who “plays her as a murderous matriarch, sharpening her knife, stripping down to her underwear, revealing wisps of mouldy hair under her wig and a ladder of bodyhair rising up her abdomen.” I sincerely hope Seattle receives a ladder of bodyhair. JEN GRAVES
OCTOBER 16
An Incredible Feast
This evening of gourmet food has lofty goals: to benefit local farmers and increase low-income shopping access. They'll have a silent auction, games, Washington wines and brew, a special dinner, and more.
Bryan Cranston
Actor Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad and now, All the Way) will be joined in conversation with the wonderful Sherman Alexie to speak about Cranston's new book, A Life in Parts.
OCTOBER 17
Geraldine Brooks: The Secret Chord
Bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks is a master of building on and adapting existing stories to make new narratives...whether she's writing detailed, heavily researched historical fiction, exploring the lives of her childhood pen pals, or filling out the life of the absent father in Little Women. At this event, Brooks will read from and discuss her newest novel The Secret Chord, based on the life of The Bible's King David.
OCTOBER 18-19
Seattle Interactive 2016
Seattle Interactive Conference is the culmination of the best technology that online business professionals, developers, and entrepreneurs from around the world have to offer. SIC brings technology, creativity, and current trends to one place for tech lovers to explore and discover. Attendees will be able to network and mingle with individuals in the tech industry while enjoying disruptive technology, business models, social media apps, new games, advertising, and more hands-on entertainment.
OCTOBER 19
Cook’s Science: The Burger Tour
Learn about what makes burgers taste great—through "video, music, scent, storytelling, and live experiments"—at this event featuring Cook's Science Executive Editors Dan Souza and Molly Birnbaum.
Seattle PipeMasters Collab 2016
The third annual Seattle PipeMasters Collab will offer ten days of live glassblowing, exhibits, parties, and more at The Boro School, all celebrating "functional glass."
OCTOBER 20-23
Zoe | Juniper: Clear and Sweet
Y'all know what sacred harp singing is? Back-country hymns. The kind of congregational music an Alabama boy hears when he's walking toward the light. What you have is a big choir singing four part harmonies, and they're singing loud, simple music. Stranger Genius award winners zoe | juniper will use this music's democratic ethos and raw power as inspiration and atmosphere for this piece. Southern protestant surrealism mixed with visceral dance? Deal. RICH SMITH
OCTOBER 21
Ralph Nader: Breaking Through Power
Activist, author, attorney, and infamous Green Party candidate Ralph Nader will speak about his new book, Breaking Through Power: It's Easier Than We Think, about "David vs. Goliath battles against big corporations and the United States government."
Science of Spirits
Learn about the science behind distilling from locals including 3 Howls Distillery, Copperworks Distilling, and Bad Dog Distillery. Tickets to this 21+ event also include after-hours (and adults-only) admission to the new Pacific Science Center exhibit, The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes.
OCTOBER 21-23
Sherlock Seattle Convention
This year's Sherlock Seattle Convention is themed "Watson Washington," and will, as such, celebrate all iterations of the world's most famous doctor. Special guests Robert Ryan, author of the Dr. Watson at War novels, and Larry Albert, the voice of Imagination Theater's Dr. Watson, will headline the convention, which will also feature a cosplay contest, Sherlock Show and Tell, writing workshops, panels about topics including the many inconsistent forms of Watson, a Sherlock game room (think Kill Doctor Lucky and Sherlock Cluedo), and mocking of Sherlock Holmes movies in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 parody, Mystery Sherlock Theater 1895.
OCTOBER 21-29
9e2
This art, science, and technology festival will commemorate the 1966 exhibit 9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering, a symposium that featured performances, speakers, and exhibits by prominent artists including Yvonne Rainier, Rauschenberg, and John Cage. See the complete 9e2 schedule.
OCTOBER 21-31
This Is Halloween
Inspired by Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, this Halloween show promises live orchestral music, cabaret, burlesque, and video projected sets.
OCTOBER 22
Roger Corman Double Feature
Celebrate Roger Corman's 90th birthday with a double screening of his low-budget, crowd-pleasing films Monster from the Ocean Floor and Ski Troop Attack, with a special introduction by Professor Fred Hopkins, host of Movie Marvels on Seattle's Community College TV channel.
Tequila and Taco Fest
This celebration of tequila and tacos offerings two different tasting sessions—a premium one from 1-4 pm, which is more expensive and comes with a larger goody bag and more food and drink, and a general admission tasting from 6:30-9 pm that includes eight sips of tequila and eight food samples. There are also discounted passes available for "safe drivers" that include food tastings and non-alcoholic drink tickets.
OCTOBER 23
Mario Batali in Conversation with Tom Douglas
Super-famous chef and restauranteur Mario Batali, who grew up in Seattle but now owns restaurants in cities including New York and Hong Kong, will speak about his work (and his Big American Cookbook) with our hometown celebrity chef, Tom Douglas.
OCTOBER 23-25
National Geographic Live: A Photographer's Life of Love & War
Pulitzer Prize‐winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario (who has photographed conflict zones including Afghanistan, Darfur and Libya) will speak about her work and her memoir, It’s What I Do.
OCTOBER 24
Jess Walter, Tim Egan and Sherman Alexie: The Other NBA
Celebrate the eve of the season opener for the NBA (National Basketball Association), with "The Other NBA"—i.e., the National Book Award. Three winners of the NBA will speak about "life, longing, basketball and the Northwest."
OCTOBER 25
JournalismSoWhite
This panel of writers, editors, and media leaders will explore how the lack of minority journalists leads to less interesting, less nuanced coverage of ideas and events. Learn about the causes and consequences of a homogenous newsroom from Reagan Jackson, Tyrone Beason, Monica Guzman, Andrew Simon, Venice Buhain, and moderator Enrique Cerna.
OCTOBER 26
Timothy Egan
Timothy Egan will be reppin' the home team for the 2016-2017 Seattle Arts & Lectures Literary Arts season. He's a former Seattle Times correspondent, current lefty columnist for The New York Times, and winner of the 2006 National Book Award for The Worst Hard Time, which was about the horrors of the Dust Bowl. His current book is The Immortal Irishman. RICH SMITH
OCTOBER 26-27
John Cleese and Eric Idle
This evening of semi-improvised comedy and performance will feature hilarious duo John Cleese and Eric Idle. They promise "storytelling, musical numbers, exclusive footage and aquatic juggling," and that "no two shows will be quite the same."
OCTOBER 27
T.C. Boyle: The Harder They Come
Author T.C. Boyle—known for infusing his often silly and humorous stories with themes of activism and environmentalism—will read from his latest book, The Harder They Come, about "the intertwined lives of a Vietnam veteran, his mentally unstable son Adam, and Adam’s much older, anarchist lover."
Visual Culture of the African Diaspora
This four lecture series is presented by NAAM and the Frye Art Museum, and will explore the history, practice, and impact of African Diaspora artists. This time, Mark Auslander, Ph.D., will discuss African art of the early 20th century.
OCTOBER 27-28
Sweet Like Candy
Drag star Mama Tits (who David Schmader described as "a fun-loving party queen who's not afraid get substantial on your ass") will perform a jazz and blues tribute titled Sweet Like Candy.
OCTOBER 28
Campout Cinema: Carrie
Carrie is a Brian De Palma classic about telekinesis, religious extremism, and the horrors of being a high school student. Watch it under the LED stars at this special 21+ screening, which will have trivia, giveaways, drink specials, and other surprises.
The Sleeping Beauty
The touring Russian Grand Ballet will stop for one night only in Tacoma, and perform Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty in Renaissance-inspired costumes.
OCTOBER 28-30
Aki Con
Aki Con offers you Chinatown dance rock with The Slants, cool stuff to buy from vendors like Kinokuniya and Anime Haus, a cosplay hall, and more necessities for the anime lover.