Pioneer Theatre Co.: The Rocky Horror Show Concert Version
Continuing a tradition launched last year, Pioneer Theatre Co. helps us get into the true Halloween spirit with its production of The Rocky Horror Show, Richard O'Brien's classic slice of campy theatrical delirium. This year, PTC is bringing the concert version of this late-night double feature to Salt Lake City for a limited run—just enough time to break out those fishnets and corsets that have been cluttering up your closet for the last year. The concert version is a script-in-hand performance. Audience participation is strongly encouraged. Audience members are free to attend in costume, and prop kits will be available for purchase in the lobby so that you can offer a "toast" or keep yourself dry in a rainstorm with a newspaper. For the uninitiated, The Rocky Horror Show tells the demented tale of Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, two newlyweds whose automotive problems lead them to an evening of sweet transvestites, fringe science and B-movie aesthetics. PTC's rendition will feature Broadway favorite Will Swenson as Dr. Frank N. Furter, and Utah's own Sen. Jim Dabakis reprising his role as The Narrator. It's one of the most raucous nights of PTC's season, so it's a good idea to get tickets early—especially considering the huge expected turnout of glittery fans eager to pay tribute on this, the 40th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (Alex Springer) Pioneer Theatre Co.: The Rocky Horror Show Concert Version @ Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East, Oct. 22-23, 8 p.m., Oct. 24, 5 p.m. & 10 p.m., $25-$40 ($5 more at the door). PioneerTheatre.org

Silver Summit Theatre: Buried Child
It takes a deft touch to mount a production that is simultaneously a dysfunctional-family drama and an absurdist comedy. Yet, it's exactly that funky recipe that makes Silver Summit Theatre's production of Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child so intriguing. Set in a rural Illinois farmhouse, it opens with almost stereotypical bickering conversation between long-married Dodge (Andrew Maizner, pictured) and Halie (Barb Gandy). Their two sons are still around—haunted, childlike Tilden (Justin Bruse), who has recently moved back from New Mexico, and Bradley (Stein Erickson)—but between the offstage yelling and Dodge's fear that Bradley will do something to him in his sleep, it's clear that there's not a lot of affection between these people. But the truly surreal encounters begin with the arrival of Tilden's son, Vince (Aaron Kramer) and his girlfriend, Shelly (Natalie Keezer). Neither his grandfather, Dodge, nor his own father seems to recognize Vince, and as the family's history is gradually exposed, Buried Child becomes a tale of how family members can become lost to one another over time, separated forever by wounds that may be impossible to heal. Director Lane Richins leads a solid cast that finds enough bitter comedy in Shepard's script to keep the show from becoming a slog through archetypal tragedy. And when Keezer's Shelly winds up brandishing a prosthetic leg at the creepy members of Vince's family, it's clear that Buried Child has shown us an unhappy clan the likes of which you're unlikely to find anywhere else. (Scott Renshaw) Silver Summit Theatre: Buried Child @ Sugar Space Arts Warehouse, 132 S. 800 West, Oct. 9-25, Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m., $18. SilverSummitTheatre.org

Art Meets Fashion: Anamorphic: Distortions of Humanity
Art Meets Fashion has been exploring the intersection of the two (sometimes strange) bedfellows for a number of years now. They continue to push the envelope of expectations, focusing on art that defies traditional ideas about fashion, and what kind of art meshes well with couture. This season's AMF event is perhaps the most surprising yet, examining the ways humanity is reshaped and transformed by fashion and other arts. Interactive art exhibitions are on display from a host of local artists, including Shelly Huynh, Veronica Lynn Harper, Manicproject Photography, the Salt Lake Community College Fashion Institute and others. A focal point of the event will be the opening of AMF featured artist Mark Seely's exhibition, Vivisection (untitled mixed media on aluminum detail pictured). Seely's mixed-media works are some of the most visceral abstract art being produced by anyone in town, and yet they find themselves used as decorative elements in some fashionable homes around the valley. AMF events have helped identify a path forward for both art and fashion: as a way art can engage with people in different arenas other than the rarified air of the gallery, and how fashion can continue to develop as an art form in its own right, not always tied to commerce. Together, they can serve as instruments to reveal something about our humanity. (Brian Staker) Art Meets Fashion: Anamorphic: Distortions of Humanity @ The Fallout, 625 S. 600 West, Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., industry $25; regular admission $45. ArtMeetsFashion.net

Brian Selznick: The Marvels
Author Brian Selznick has carved out a unique niche for himself in literature for young readers. In illustrated novels like The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, he has combined his prose with his own pencil drawings to craft stories that are often complex, with narratives that jump across time and take their time revealing the connections between characters. Selznick's latest work, The Marvels, spans centuries in telling the story of two boys left alone in the world. In pictures, he follows shipwrecked Billy Marvel in 1700s London as he is taken in by a Shakespearean theater company; in words, he tells of runaway Joseph in 1990 London, who seeks the eccentric uncle he has never met. Selznick rewards viewers with close attention to all facets of his stories, and offers a story that—like much of the author's work—is about the power of storytelling itself. Pre-order the book for a personalized autograph. (Scott Renshaw) Brian Selznick: The Marvels @ Salt Lake City Main Library auditorium, 210 E. 400 South, 801-524-8200, Oct. 23, 7 p.m., free. KingsEnglish.com

SALT Contemporary Dance: Surge II
SALT Contemporary Dance's artistic director, Michelle Henriksen Nielsen, says she isn't sure the word "contemporary" completely explains the vision of this three-year-old professional company. Once a word that denoted choreography not beholden to the traditions of either classical or modern dance, "contemporary" now itself comes with a certain set of expectations. That just doesn't sit right with a company like SALT, which is forging a new kind of company that performs in a style Nielsen calls "emergent," and SALT's sold-out performances prove that the troupe's instincts are impeccable. This weekend, SALT Contemporary Dance performs Surge II in Park City. Surge I, performed in May in Salt Lake City, played to a packed house every night, so the company decided to give the evening another run with a few new works. The 90-minute show (SALT purposefully avoids producing overlong concerts) is composed of six pieces. Four of the works are from Surge's May performance, including These 10,000 Hours, co-choreographed by SALT company members Joni Tuttle McDonald and Garrett Smith; and Flock, by Los Angeles-based choreographer Will Johnston. SALT's junior company, SALT II, performs one of the program's two new numbers, and the second new work comes from guest choreographer Gabrielle Lamb. Lamb is one of the nation's most in-demand choreographers, working with big-name companies around the nation, including Ballet Austin and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Earning the chance to work with a choreographer of this caliber shows once again that SALT Contemporary Dance is on track to be one of Utah's best creative performing groups. (Katherine Pioli) SALT Contemporary Dance: Surge II @ Prospector Square Conference Center, 2200 Sidewinder Drive, Park City, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m., $20-$35. SaltDance.com