Turkey Day Drama, a Red Hot Patriot, and Scares for the Season in Our Recommended Events: I scream, you scream, we all scream for the weekend! – Arts

Glass Half Full Theatre presents Yamel Cucuy

Through October 19, Ground Floor Theatre

Two years ago, some lucky theatregoers witnessed Yamel’s story, full of theatrical puppetry and performances that rocked the B. Iden Payne awards. Now it’s back: the perfect time to get acquainted with this magical performance. The play follows Yamel, a 13-year-old undocumented immigrant hunted by federal agents. While hiding, she’s haunted by her heritage and folklore, blurring the lines between a mystical spirit world and her current landscape of fear and uncertainty. Check it out one more time before it moves to Los Angeles to present at Latino Theater Co.’s Encuentro festival.   – Cat McCarrey

Courtesy of UT Theatre and Dance

A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes

Through October 20, Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

First produced in NYC and now hitting the Austin scene, Kate Benson’s stageplay salute to Thanksgiving traditions concerns one specific family, the Wemblys. Filtered through a sportscast sieve, every excited action by the forced-together fam gets commented on by the Announcers – a Greek chorus in bright colors with even more colorful commentary. With local director Caley Chase at the helm, this tale of holiday hijinks will get you all warmed up for the actual big game on November 28.   – James Scott

Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins

THrough October 20, Austin Playhouse

Firebrand journalist and author Molly Ivins died in 2007, but her legacy lives on through the play Red Hot Patriot, written by twin sisters Allison Engel and Margaret Engel and first performed in 2010 with Kathleen Turner starring as Ivins. Texans of all ages ought to be familiar with Ivins, as her sought-after talent took her all over the U.S. but was most often centered here. (She’s also credited with former President George W. Bush’s nicknames Dubya and Shrub.) Lara Toner Haddock directs Cyndi Williams as Ivins, and there’ll be a special Founder’s Bash on Oct. 18 to celebrate 25 years of Austin Playhouse and founder Don Toner’s birthday.   – Kat McNevins

Fall Native Plant Sale

Through October 27, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

It doesn’t quite feel like fall, but as horticulturist Karen Beaty helpfully explains in a video about the Wildflower Center’s fall plant sale, now is a great time to get plants in the ground. They’ve got a wide variety of Texas natives that will conserve water, offer habitat to butterflies and birds, and provide other benefits in addition to beautifying your space. And if you want to see bluebonnets in the spring, better start now! Swing by to pick up plants and check out everything else the center has to offer, Fridays-Sundays from 9am to 1pm (last admission is 12:30pm).   – Kat McNevins

Jersey Shore Costume Dance Party

Thursday 10, Swan Dive

Big Detergent must’ve been thrilled to hear of the routine embraced by the housemates of Jersey Shore: GTL, or Gym, Tan, Laundry. Snooki, Jwoww, the Situation, Pauly D, and pals became a pop culture phenomenon in 2009 with their serious-about-fun lifestyles captured on camera for MTV, on a show that spanned six seasons and spawned spin-offs and adaptations around the globe. So get ripped, get tanned, and run that spin cycle to prepare for a celebration of the Shore with music from DragonnQueen, a curated drink menu, and a dance party with costumes HIGHLY encouraged.   – Kat McNevins

The Infection of Secrets

Friday 11, KMFA 89.5

It’s always timely to address trauma. The Infection of Secrets, a multimedia one-woman show being presented at KMFA’s awesome new studio, certainly does that and it considers related notions such as triumph over adversity and women’s empowerment. Do you prefer your exploration of trauma woven through with original prose and poetry? No problem – that’s included. You want collage, video, drawing, and photography? Sure, that’s there. Your journey, metaphorical in nature, will, in all probability, be transformational.   – Brant Bingamon

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 50th Anniversary

Friday 11, AFS Cinema, We Luv Video, Blue Starlite

Halloween isn’t the only spooky holiday coming up – this year, October 11 will be known as Texas Chain Saw Massacre Day, after Mayor Kirk Watson signs a proclamation at City Hall on Friday honoring the 50th anniversary of the film’s premiere. The blueprint for countless slasher films, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was filmed in and around Austin on a teensy budget, inspiring generations of DIY filmmakers to get it done scrappily. As AFS puts it, “this film changed the entire trajectory of horror cinema forever.” Act quickly if you want a ticket – We Luv Video’s barbecue-catered affair has already sold out.   – Lina Fisher

Queen of the Damned Blood Rave

Friday 11, Swan Dive

This one’s for all the folks out there who saw the vampire rave in Blade and were like “God, I wish that were me.” (It’s me. I’m all the folks.) Drenched in sanguinary fun, this TX Emo Club production will feature soundtrack staples from Aughts goth classics – deep cuts and “Dragula” alike – as well as nu-metal, club classics, and so on. Your vinyl vamps for the evening are DJs metalasfuck and Justine. Pro tip: Swan Dive’s featured drinks always please, but remember that the backyard’s connected to Barbarella, where there’s rarely a line for water. Stay safe and hydrated, my little fangsters.   – James Scott

To the Front Film Series

Friday 11, Saturday 12, and Sunday 13, AFS Cinema

I love da moviesh, but let’s be real: Variety in the director’s chair has been an uphill battle, especially for women. Weird, to be honest, when one reflects on how badass a filmography women behind the camera have created even just in the 1990s. That particular era gets its flowers this month from Austin Film Society, which features three features whose place in independent filmmaking remains as red-hot as the day they premiered. Directors Annette Haywood-Carter, Leslie Harris, and Susan Skoog will each be in attendance at their films’ screenings – Foxfire, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T., and Whatever, respectively.   – James Scott

Courtesy of Art From the Streets

Art From the Streets Annual Show & Sale

Saturday 12, Blue Genie Art Bazaar

Art From the Streets is a free, open studio that uses the power of art to help people find dignity and self actualization. Support local unhoused artists by attending the annual show and sale and get some new eye candy for your walls or shelves. Explore thousands of pieces from artists with diverse creative and cultural backgrounds, with works ranging from paintings and prints to puzzles, blankets, and T-shirts.   – Eden Shamy

Pirate Night

Saturday 12, Tiny Minotaur

The kids gotta dress as hobbits these days and that includes the long, pointy, polyethylene ears that jut realistically from aside their wigs. It also includes the eyeliner, white pancake makeup, and rouge. [Editor’s note: Clowns, Brant. You’re thinking of clowns, not hobbits.] On this night, celebrating the rapine of the godless picaroons of old, they will no doubt add the eyepatch, black leggings, and perhaps an animatronic parrot screeching a scatalogical warning.   – Brant Bingamon

Courtesy of LCRA Parks

LCRA Parks’ Tricks, Treats, and Trails

Saturday 12, McKinney Roughs Nature Park

There’s just too much fun Halloween stuff to do in one day or even weekend, so LCRA Parks is throwing their fall bash early! Get decked out in your costume and get out in nature for a family-friendly fun time this weekend. Kids will enjoy face painting, caricatures, an inflatable corn maze, petting zoo, rock climbing, a bounce house, zipline, and of course, trick-or-treating along the trail. Dripping Springs’ Pig Pen BBQ brings its best smoked meats and Dolce Bacio Gelato offers handcrafted dairy- and plant-based treats.   – Kat McNevins

The Curse of Frankenstein

Saturday 12 – Tuesday 15, Alamo South Lamar, Slaughter Lane, Lakeline, Mueller

Before stepping into their roles as sexy Van Helsing and sexy Dracula in The Horror of Dracula, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee launched Hammer Horror as sexy Dr. Frankenstein and the, well, not-so-sexy-but-definitely-magnetic Creature in The Curse of Frankenstein. But who knows – maybe gangrenous gray rotting skin underneath a proto-Beatles fright wig really works for some people. {Editor’s note: I can think of several.] Watch for the lurid atmosphere; stay for the soap opera intrigue. At the very least, this is an absolute must-see for anyone wanting to truly appreciate the referential humor in Young Frankenstein.   – Cat McCarrey

Courtesy of Elisabet Ney Museum

Community & Art Bash

Saturday 12, Elisabet Ney Museum

Without question, the Elisabet Ney is one of Austin’s most magical spots. The former sculpture studio of its namesake, on pretty much any day you can walk in and see beautiful works-in-progress as well as finished pieces by the long-gone artist. But on special days – such as, IDK, this Saturday – the museum grounds turn into a place of wider artistic celebration. This year’s bash draws parallels to Ney and contemporary artists Beili Liu, Virginia L. Montgomery, and Tammie Rubin, whose work features in new exhibition “Breaking the Mold.” Also featured will be a one-night performance from workout warrier Erica Nix, music by Lou Priest – aka Kate Priestley’s new solo project – and guided tours.   – James Scott

Courtesy of UT Athletics

Red River Rivalry Watch Party

Saturday 12, Meanwhile Brewing

This must be the first October in years that a sense of unshakeable dread isn’t hanging over every UT fan. We’ve beat Colorado State, Michigan, UTSA, ULM, and Mississippi State – yes, we’re 5-0 – and until recently, we were rated No. 1 in our freshly joined Southeastern Conference. Could the Texas Longhorns actually beat the OU Sooners? For those unwilling to travel to Dallas to find out, head to Meanwhile Brewing to watch this year’s Red River Rivalry game. The South Austin beer garden’s got a big screen, ample seating, and, of course, lots of drinks, plus bites from on-site food trucks Side Eye Pie, Songbird, Pueblo Viejo, and Distant Relatives. Texas, fight!   – Carys Anderson

Courtesy of AFS Cinema

SCALA!!!

Saturday 12, AFS Cinema

An Eighties London film scene housed at a King’s Cross theatre that drew the likes of Boy George and Christopher Nolan to the arcane (Herzog) and the profane (Waters), Scala Cinema gets an eternal tribute in a new documentary. Fifty fans and former patrons, including John Waters himself, extol the Scala Cinema’s community-building influence over a soundtrack by Barry Adamson, formerly of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. A true arthouse cinema, housing art ranging from sexploitation to martial arts, “the legendary Scala Cinema pushed the boundaries of film programming … SCALA!!! is the ticket to film-geek heaven,” writes AFS.   – Lina Fisher

The Austin Séance

Saturday 12, Vespertine

Summon the Halloween spirit into your life by convening with Jake Cordero and A. Lucio, who will employ their vast knowledge of voodoo, psychic arts, and the occult to put on a two-hour, Victorian-era séance. Expect an immersive exploration of American spiritualism and dress up in your best old-timey outfit while sipping on complimentary cocktails to prepare you for mysterious rituals and contact with the beyond.   – Eden Shamy

Nothing Over $25 Market

Sunday 13, The Little Gay Shop

Cheap and gay is our brand. We are an alt-weekly after all. So, this gathering of queer, independent vendors is bound to have something for that special someone (including yourself) even if you’ve been keeping a close eye on that bank account balance. The Little Gay Shop will get a bit bigger with this outdoor market filled with vintage wares, jewelry, art, and more. And let’s face it, temperatures in the 90s has to be considered “good shopping weather” around these parts.   – James Renovitch

Home Coming: A Trans & Intersex Gallery Show

Sunday 13, the Museum of Human Achievement

Throughout 2020, local queer creative org Gender Unbound commissioned trans and intersex artists to create art inspired by “home.” These pieces got a virtual opening back in September of that year, but now they’ll be freed into the meatspace via the Museum of Human Achievement. MoHA’s also become the “home” of Gender Unbound’s nonprofit operations: Unbound Communities, a combination of GU and ReSpec, an org formed around developing accountability. Celebrate this milestone achievement, as well as trans and intersex art, at this gallery opening featuring drinks, food, dancing, and raffle prizes.   – James Scott

Lupin the 3rd: the Castle of Cagliostro

Sunday 13 – Wednesday 16, Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane, Lakeline, Mueller

One might not think the antics of one pervert thief, his two right-hands of a swordsman and smoking gun, and a femme fatale would blend with what Western audiences understand of animator Hayao Miyazaki’s sensibilities. Wrong! This is the guy whose self-insert character was a pig who flew a WWII plane! Drawing from his time on Lupin’s television series, Miyazaki brings a softer side out to the turquoise-suited criminal – more damsel saver than boob-groper – while still keeping the mile-a-minute goofs so everyone’s happy. Oh, and don’t worry: Lupin and lawman Inspector Zenigata still have that “one-night-together-we-never-talk-about” vibe.   – James Scott

Art in ATX Halloween Market

Sunday 13, Batch

What’s the scariest type of art? A skullpture! But don’t let that scare you from attending this Art in ATX market that aims to “manifest cooler weather and good tidings from the spirit world.” Get in the spirit with live music from noon to 4pm from DJ Ladybug, Cyclical Melancholy, Damascan Daydreams, and Wild Heaven, who’ll certainly set the festively eerie mood for the market featuring dozens of local artists and small businesses as well as the optional (ticketed) pumpkin painting and Mod Podge workshop. Costumes are encouraged!   – Kat McNevins

Photo by Jana Birchum

Quesoff

Sunday 13, Mohawk

If you like tasting local melts while supporting hunger relief, you gouda make a brie-line for the annual queso battle at Mohawk. Benefiting the Central Texas Food Bank, Quesoff invites foodies of all backgrounds to sample some of the finest gooey coagulations from Austin’s cheesiest sauciers as they vie for victory in the categories of Meaty, Spicy, Veggie, Wild Card, and Best of Show. Winners will be … cheesin’. Advance tickets are sold out, but real cheese-heads will get in line for a possible walk-up ticket.   – Amber Williams

Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what’s happening now or in the coming week.