*Events running for several dates throughout the month

Wednesday, October 7

*THEATER: Though pointedly not dinner theater, “Table 17” is a play set around two exes’ reunion in a restaurant. The audience’s seats not only give a choice view of the show, but also potentially the chance to be part of the background action (nobody ordered your unscripted theater debut, however, so plan ahead). Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott St., 503-488-5822, portlandplayhouse.org. Oct. 7–Nov. 1. Call box office for Arts for All availability.

*THEATER: Kate Hamill’s acclaimed adaptation of “Pride & Prejudice” might upset some Austen purists, but should be a delight for anyone else who loves class-based romcoms that joyfully break social rules. Portland Center Stage at The Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., 503-445-3700, profiletheatre.org. Oct. 7–25. Call box office for Arts for All availability.

MUSIC: Composer, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist Sid Samberg, whose compositions are inspired by humanity’s connection to nature, pops by The Old Church’s free Lunchtime Concert Series. The Old Church Concert Hall, 1422 SW 11th Ave., 503-222-2031, tocportland.org. Noon on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Free.

Thursday, October 8

FILM: Ninety years of the Rose City’s cinematic history screens for In “Search of Portland: Short Films From the 1930s–Present: Spotlighting the Central City.” Brian Libby, who will present from his history book “In Search of Portland: Exploring a Transforming City,” shows a short film of the same name along with short movies from the 1970s to 2010s, and home movies from the 1930s and 1940s. Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., 503-221-1156, tomorrowtheater.org, Arts for All available as walk-up only, recommended arrival at least 30 minutes before showtime. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8.

*THEATER The classic comedic family drama “You Can’t Take It With You” includes themes of mistaken identity, acceptance, embarrassment and tax evasion. Lakewood Theater Company’s production joins a tradition now 90 years in the making. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State St., Lake Oswego, lakewood-center.org, call 503-635-3901 to verify Arts for All showtime availability. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, 9, and 15–17.; 2 p.m. Oct. 10, 11, and 18.

Friday, October 9

FILM: Joel Schumacher’s second superhero take, “Batman & Robin” (1997), is by far his most infamous. Though its status as a camp classic feels more certain now, this was for years the definitive worst superhero adaptation of all time—likely why drag bingo hostess Violet Hex chose it for the Tomorrow Theater’s movie bingo series. It’s got it all: California’s once and future governor spouting snow puns, Uma Thurman in drag, and latex nipples aplenty. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9.

Saturday, October 10

*DANCE: Oregon Ballet Theatre gracefully opens its season with a return to “Swan Lake” and the tragic love story of Princess Odette and her transformation into a big honkin’ swan. Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 503-248-4335, obt.org. Call 503-222-5538 for Arts for All Availability. Oct. 10–17.

*THEATER: Matthew LaBanca lost his job as a Catholic teacher after the Church discovered he married a man. LaBanca lost not only his financial stability, but it deeply shook his faith and alienated him from a community he thought he knew his entire life. “Communion,” LaBanca’s one-man show, uses music and storytelling to examine faith and what happens when the faithful’s religion clashes with their heart. Portland Center Stage at the Armory. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

FILM: “The Shining” (1980) harkens back to those halcyon days where a writer could score a residency at a spirited winter resort, and Timberline Lodge was worried less about global warming and more about how to fix its elevator’s blood plumbing. The Whitsell at Portland Art Museum. 1219 SW Park Ave., 503-226-2811, portlandartmuseum.org/whitsell, Arts for All available as walk-up only, recommended arrival at least 30 minutes before showtime. 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.
FILM: The now-classic adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The Witches” (1990) sees Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch who hates children enough to try and turn them all into mice. It’s a tale Dahl wrote to warn children about people who hate them for their naivety, but it can also read as a warning to kids of all ages about people who claim to speak and act for The Youth without their best interests in mind. Tomorrow Theater. 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. 

Sunday, October 11

FILM: Before Jenna Ortega brought Lisa Loring’s creepy Wednesday Addams to life for a new generation, there was Christina Ricci in “The Addams Family” (1991), known for the superior demonically horny coupling of Angelica Huston and Raul Julia as Ricci’s parents, Morticia and Gomez Addams. The Whitsell.
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.
FILM: Patrick Bateman, not unlike Tyler Durden, gets idolized by men who completely missed the point: their beloved douchebag is actually, really and truly a bad guy. “American Psycho” (2000) shows Christian Bale get a little too comfortable portraying an unnerving corporate shark. Stick around after the movie to discuss it and/or Bret Easton Ellis’ source material with author and Movie Book Club host Margaret Malone. Tomorrow Theater. 3 p.m. Sunday,
Oct. 11. 

FILM: “Practical Magic” (1998) explores the magic of sisterhood, love, margaritas, midnight gardening, Nicole Kidman’s wig budgets, and being who you really are. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

Wednesday, October 14

*THEATER: Told in the traditional carpa style, “Marigolds y Memorias” is a play blending music, storytelling, theater and more as the next generation needs to learn about the traditions most closely connected to Día de los Muertos. Juliana Morales Carreño returns to direct this year’s production. Milagro Theatre. 525 SE Stark St., 503-236-7253, milagro.org. Oct. 14–Nov. 8.

MUSIC: Jazz vocalist Shelly Rudolph refuses to be held by any one genre, and stops by TOC’s Free Lunchtime Concerts to prove it. The Old Church Concert Hall. Noon Wednesday, Oct. 14. Free. 

FILM: Melvin “Vin” Shambry (Karter Halliday) struggles in the ‘90s Oregon educational system with a turbulent home life, until he attends the titular “Outdoor School” of Portland director Ime Etuk’s 2025 feature film, showing how one boy became a man with structured learning in nature. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. 

DANCE: White Bird brings the Australian dance company Circa to Portland for their acclaimed production “The Wolf,” which blends circus elements with athletic dance (e.g. cheerleading) and acrobatics for a charged, unbroken and nearly feral show. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 503-248-4335, whitebird.org. Call 503-245-1600 for Arts for All availability. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. 

Thursday, October 15

FILM: “Deep Listening: The Story of Poline Oliveros” (2022) examines the life, career and legacy of Poline Oliveros, one of the world’s first female electronic musicians. A post-war composer and master accordion player, Oliveros helped develop cutting-edge technology that allows for everything from musicians playing together live in other countries to making music production accessible for people with disabilities. Synth Library Portland will have a modular synthesizer handy to show people how drone and field recordings are processed, while the local experimental band !mindparade will perform a pre-movie concert. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15

Saturday, October 17

FILM:  If you weren’t there to watch it happen live, then it might be hard to believe “Hocus Pocus” (1993) was a flop on its first release. But the Sanderson Sisters cast a spell over audiences, and now they’re part of not just the Disney canon, but Halloween as well. Tomorrow Theater. 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. 

FILM: “Blue Velvet” (1986) shocked audiences 40 years ago with its extremes of human depravity, like the cruelty of Frank (Dennis Hopper). But the narcotic dreaminess of tortured heroine Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) is an endearing beauty that nearly makes the violence worth it (for the viewer, that is). The Whitsell. 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. 

FILM: Celebrate “The Witches of Eastwick” (1987) ahead of its 40th anniversary by remembering that the magic of a man in one’s life is no match for the magic of friendship and sisterhood. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.

Sunday, October 18

FILM: Lynch’s noir thriller “Lost Highway” (1997) covers all the major food groups: suspense, murder, mistaken identity and mysterious, all-consuming light. The Whitsell. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. 

FILM: The saxophones are getting louder, as the kids say these days, but it’s always a good sign when they sound as epic as they do in “The Lost Boys” (1987), the definitive 1980s vampire tale.  Tomorrow Theater. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. 

FILM: PAM CUT calls in the corners for the 30th anniversary of “The Craft” (1996), one of the most iconic teen witch movies of them all. “We are the weirdos, mister.” Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18.

Wednesday, October 21

MUSIC: Just like Vitamin C at every graduation, Flogging Molly on every St. Patrick’s Day, and Green Day on every Oct. 1, some musicians own certain dates and seasons. Many musicians lay claim to Halloween, but no one does spooky season quite like organists. Michael Barnes — who plays for the Pacific Youth Choir, Westminster Presbyterian Church and Temple Beth Israel — knows we want to hear Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” even if the average listener mostly knows the first minute. He’ll play it in its full nearly-10-minutes of glory, along with a program including Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette” (which later became the theme for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”). The Old Church. Noon Wednesday, Oct. 21. Free.

Thursday, October 22

FILM: Robert Eggers’ directorial debut “The Witch” (2015) introduced viewers to his penchant for realizing the horrors of the pre-electric world where everyone spoke Early Modern English and had to perpetuate the species despite how musty everything must have smelled back then (no disrespect to Charlie, the G.O.A.T. goat actor who played the devilish Black Philip). Wouldst thou really live deliciously without revisiting the New England woods with Anya Taylor-Joy? Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. 

Friday, October 23

FILM: Ko Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) helps a small town investigate what appears to be an alien invasion in the South Korean sci-fi epic “Hope” (2026). Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. 

Saturday, October 24

THEATER: The musical “70, Girls, 70” follows a group of elderly women who have taken up robbery in the golden years in order to afford living above poverty. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S State St., Lake Oswego, lakewood-center.org, call 503-635-3901 to verify Arts for All showtime availability. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. 

FILM: It’s hard to imagine, but Mia Farrow’s pixie cut in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) was so revolutionary that it made other characters in the movie think she’d lost her grip on reality, which is ultimately what they wanted her to believe anyway. See where jealousy of a good haircut gets you? The Whitsell.
2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

FILM: “Zëiram” (1991) follows electric company employees Kamiya and Teppei (Yukijiro Hotaru, Kunihiro Ida) into The Zone, a simulated alternate reality where an intergalactic bounty hunter (Yūko Moriyama) stalks her prey. Tomorrow Theater. 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

Sunday, October 25

FILM: “Eyes Without a Face” (1960) is a classic French horror where Dr. Génessier (Pierre Brasseur) kills and maims women in an effort to help his daughter, Christiane, (Édith Scob) who survived a horrible accident but is apparently too ugly to live among polite society. The Whitsell. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25.