Your 2023 Las Vegas fall arts & entertainment guide

Date:

Concerts

By Spencer Patterson, Gabriela Rodriguez & Amber Sampson

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<p class=U2 Anton Corbijin / Courtesy

U2 (September 29-30, Sphere) Opening weekend of U2’s first-ever Vegas residency, focused on revered 1991 album Achtung Baby (even sans drummer Larry Mullen Jr.), would be big on its own; launching the Strip’s futuristic Sphere has it on a hype trajectory few shows in this town’s storied history can match. –SP

Drake (September 1-2, T-Mobile Arena) With more No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other rapper ever, Drake’s impact has been seismic, from the dancehall craze of “One Dance” to the ultra-viral “Hotline Bling.” 21 Savage joins in for a hype-worthy weekend of fun. –AS

Black Country New Road (September 5, the Portal at Area15) These artsy English rockers made huge waves in hip circles with their first two LPs in 2021 and ’22, and despite the departure of vocalist Isaac Wood, they remain an act indie-leaning listeners should make a point of catching, even on a Tuesday night. –SP

Mareux (September 11, Backstage Bar & Billiards) Aryan Ashtiani’s decade-old darkwave project finally has a debut album, and its notoriety is creeping up the gothic electro totem pole. Expect the tour’s Vegas stop to draw up a dreamscape-like ambiance. –GR

Victoria Monét (September 28, 24 Oxford) On top of penning pop songs for Blackpink and Ariana Grande (you can thank her for “Thank U, Next”), Monét has stepped into the limelight on our own, finding a following with slow jams that demand the intimacy of 24 Oxford. –AS

Night Beats (September 28, Vegas Stand Up & Rock) The Seattle band’s latest LP, “Rajan,” blends hypnotic psychedelia, disorderly funk and throwback blues, wrapped around the band’s most evolved songs. –GR

Yves Tumor (October 10, the Portal at Area15) The type of tour stop Vegas often misses, featuring a chameleonic experimenter whose blend of glam/psych/dance/pop/etc. should appeal to anyone sick of the same old thing. –SP

Acid Mothers Temple (October 13, Artifice) Makoto Kawabata’s psychedelic space troupe has touched down twice in Vegas—playing a coffee shop in 2002 and a house show in ’06—which begs the question: What will “Pink Lady Lemonade” sound like when we’re standing up? –SP

Nickel Creek (October 15, Brooklyn Bowl) Having gone close to a decade between albums, the veteran SoCal progressive bluegrass trio added to its consistently excellent catalog with March’s Celebrants—and should be something to behold live at the Bowl. –SP

Wu-Tang Clan & Nas (October 21, MGM Grand Garden Arena) The tour’s called N.Y. State of Mind, and it brings together not just the two headlining heavyweights behind Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Illmatic but also the surviving members of De La Soul, whose classic music finally made it to streaming platforms this year. –GR

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<p class=SZA Jacob Webster / Courtesy

SZA (October 28, T-Mobile Arena) SZA dazzled us with an intimate 2017 Vinyl performance in her Ctrl prime, and reports have the R&B icon dropping magical arena sets filled with surprise guests on her current SOS tour. –AS

Men I Trust (November 3, Theater at Virgin) If “soft girl” aesthetic was a band, it might be Men I Trust, a Canadian three-piece that audibly hugs listeners like a warm blanket and carries them to bed. –GR

Kylie Minogue (November 3-4, 10-11, Voltaire) The red carpet has been rolled out for the Australian pop star’s first Strip residency, which will fill a new 1,000-seat Venetian venue with the timeless “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and cuts from her forthcoming album, Tension. –AS

MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND!

Carin León (September 14, T-Mobile Arena); RBD (September 14, MGM Grand Garden Arena); Banda MS (September 15, Michelob Ultra Arena); Marco Antonio Solís (September 15, T-Mobile Arena); Gloria Trevi (September 15, Bakkt Theater); Emmanuel (September 15-16, Venetian Theatre); Alejandro Fernández (September 15-16, MGM Grand Garden Arena); Caifanes (September 16, Pearl Concert Theater); Los Ángeles Azules (September 16, Bakkt Theater); Luis Miguel (September 16-17, Dolby Live); Maná (September 17, T-Mobile Arena)

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Melt Banana (September 8, Backstage Bar & Billiards); Ignite (September 8, Sand Dollar Downtown); Frankie & The Witch Fingers (September 9, the Usual Place); Ed Sheeran (September 9, Allegiant Stadium); Head Automatica (September 14, House of Blues); Neon Trees (September 16, Fremont Street Experience); Devon Allman & Donavan Frankenreiter (September 20, Brooklyn Bowl); Danzig (September 22, Theater at Virgin); Dashboard Confessional (September 23, Fremont Street Experience); YG, Tyga, Saweetie & more (September 23, Thomas & Mack Center); The Pharcyde (September 27, Brooklyn Bowl); The Used (September 28, House of Blues); Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo (September 29, Pearl Concert Theater); Corey Taylor (September 29, Brooklyn Bowl); Uada (September 29, the Usual Place); Kali Uchis (September 29, MGM Grand Garden Arena); Goose (October 1, Brooklyn Bowl); Shakey Graves (October 1, Theater at Virgin); Boys Like Girls (October 2, House of Blues); The Postal Service & Death Cab for Cutie (October 4, Theater at Virgin); The Gaslight Anthem (October 5, Brooklyn Bowl); The Church (October 6, Brooklyn Bowl); Anita Baker (October 6-7, Dolby Live); Jackson Browne (October 6-7, Venetian Theatre); The Hold Steady with Built to Spill (October 7, Brooklyn Bowl); Pink (October 7, Allegiant Stadium); M83 (October 12, Theater at Virgin); The Psychedelic Furs with Squeeze (October 14, Pearl Concert Theater); Porno for Pyros (October 15, House of Blues); Max & Igor Cavalera (October 17, House of Blues); Richard Lloyd Group (October 20, Sand Dollar Downtown); Something Corporate (October 20, House of Blues); Lil Yachty (October 26, Brooklyn Bowl); Primitive Man with Midwife (October 26, the Usual Place); Exciter (October 27, Count’s Vamp’d); Jake Owen (October 27, Sandbar at Red Rock); Doja Cat (November 3, T-Mobile Arena); Hozier (November 3, the Chelsea); Liz Phair (November 4, Theater at Virgin); Tony! Toni! Toné!(November 10, Pearl Concert Theater); Lindsey Stirling (November 24, Reynolds Hall); Corey Feldman (November 25, Sand Dollar Downtown); TV Girl (November 26, Brooklyn Bowl).

MUSIC FESTIVALS

By Amber Sampson

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<p class=Fans at When We Were Young 2022 (Gina Joy / Courtesy)

Life Is Beautiful (September 22-24, Downtown Las Vegas) The Downtown bash returns for its 10th edition with a culinary lineup of more than 50 chefs, a trinity of legacy acts— Kendrick Lamar, The Killers and Odesza—at the top of its poster and an impressive undercard featuring Flume, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Omar Apollo, The 1975, Kim Petras and many others.

When We Were Young (October 21-22, Las Vegas Festival Grounds) Pop-punk isn’t dead, and neither is this two-day festival, which keeps the hype train rolling in its second year with sets from Blink-182, Green Day, Something Corporate, 30 Seconds to Mars, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Sum 41, Plain White T’s and too many more to count.

Arkadia (November 2-5, Area15) Somehow, Arkadia quietly emerged with one of the grooviest electronic dance music bills we’ve seen all year—Chromeo, Elderbrook, Dr. Fresch, Jai Wolf, The Glitch Mob, Troyboi, Evan Giia and more, plus inspiring presentations from thought leaders and more.

SEMA Fest (November 3-4, Las Vegas Festival Grounds) A cool car is nothing without its music, so SEMA Fest will debut with an all-star lineup featuring Imagine Dragons, Incubus, Ludacris and Wiz Khalifa, plus enough motorsports competitions and sleek rides to keep auto enthusiasts enamored for days.

MORE!

Big Blues Bender (September 7-10, Westgate); Rumbazo (September 15-16, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center); Galactic Zoo (September 16, Area15); iHeartRadio Music Festival (September 22-23, T-Mobile Arena); Reggae Rise Up (October 6-8, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center).

COMEDY

By Brock Radke

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<p class=Poehler (left) and Fey (AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

Matt Rife (September 8-9, the Chelsea) Even if you saw his appearances on MTV’s Wild ’n Out, this 27-year-old comedian’s meteoric rise likely caught you by surprise—and when you did see him, you assumed he was just some chiseled TikTok model. But he’s actually one of the hottest stand-ups in the game right now, selling out venues left and right on his ProbleMATTic tour.

Taylor Tomlinson (September 14-15, Encore Theater) Earlier this year, Tomlinson inked a deal for two more Netflix specials, and it only takes a few minutes of her stage work to see why. There’s an instant familiarity, like you’ve known her personally for years, and the everyday life and relationship material she mines is just as relatable.

Theo Von (October 27-28, Resorts World Theatre) The sizzling-hot Von might have raised his profile more than any other comedian during the pandemic, thanks to seemingly infinite viral YouTube clips from his This Past Weekend podcast. Though he’s always courting controversy, he’s also always proving there’s more to the man than the mullet.

Tina Fey & Amy Poehler (November 10-11, Resorts World Theatre) They first met on the Chicago improv scene some 30 years ago, and their comedy collaboration has since given the world some of the all-time greatest stuff on Saturday Night Live. The first-ever joint tour from Poehler and Fey sounds like a dream come true, and the fact that they’re playing the Strip’s newest residency room is almost too awesome to believe.

MORE!

Jeff Dunham (September 3, October 22, November 12, Bakkt Theater); Bobby Bones (September 9, Theater at Virgin); Ralph Barbosa (September 15, Summit Showroom); Bill Maher (September 15-16, November 3-4, David Copperfield Theater); Lil Rel Howery (September 15-16, Wiseguys Town Square); Gabriel Iglesias (September 15-17, the Chelsea); Steve Martin & Martin Short (September 22-23, Encore Theater); Marc Maron (September 22-23, Wiseguys Arts District); Pete Davidson (September 23, the Chelsea); DL Hughley (September 23, Mirage Theatre); Ali Wong (September 29-30, Encore Theater); David Spade & Nikki Glaser (September 29-30, November 16-17, Venetian Theatre); Kathy Griffin (October 6, Mirage Theatre); Sebastian Maniscalco (October 6-7, Encore Theater); Kevin James (October 19-21, Mirage Theatre); Iliza Shlesinger (October 27-28, Encore Theater); Daniel Tosh (September 8-9, October 27-28, November 10-11, Mirage Theatre); Tracy Morgan (November 9, Pearl Concert Theater); Colin Quinn (November 10, Treasure Island Theatre); Nate Bargatze (November 10-11, Encore Theater); Jay Leno (November 12, Encore Theater); Bill Burr (November 17, Dolby Live).

Food & Drink

By Brock Radke

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<p class=Local chefs at Vegas Unstripped 2021 (Angie Ortaliza / Courtesy)

Las Vegas Greek Fest (September 15-17, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church) This true community event is celebrating its 50th anniversary, a testament to the tireless organizers and supporters who keep it rolling each year with live music, kids’ activities, tours of the hosting church and much more. But it’s the food that keeps us coming back, from flaming saganaki to delicate, sweet pastries. Lasvegasgreekfest.com

Vegas Unstripped (October 14, 18b Arts District) Get ready for another feast of one-night-only dishes from the city’s culinary kings and queens complemented by cocktails, music and more, with proceeds going to local charities that battle hunger. Saipin Chutima, Brian Howard, James Trees and Johnny Church are among the confirmed chef participants, and $150 all-inclusive tickets are on sale now.Vegasunstripped.com

One Night for One Drop (November 15, Marquee Nightclub) It’s wrong to call One Night for One Drop a food festival, even though the landmark philanthropic event will offer an array of expertly curated wine, spirits and cuisine. This year’s immersive party is themed after Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté’s infamous bashes, taking over Marquee at the Cosmopolitan. Onedrop.org.

MORE!

San Gennaro Feast (September 20-24, M Resort); Great American Foodie Fest (September 29-October 1, Orleans); Downtown Brew Festival (October 7, Clark County Amphitheater); Las Vegas Asian Night Market (October 14, location TBA); Aki Matsuri Japanese Festival (October 21, Water Street Plaza); Cigar Aficionado Big Smoke (November 3-4, Resorts World); Las Vegas Pizza Festival (November 4, Industrial Event Space).

Visual Art

By Geoff Carter

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<p class=Still from “I Am Great” by Quindo Miller from The Emotional Show (Quindo Miller / Courtesy)

The Emotional Show (Thru March 16, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art) This Barrick show contemplates nothing short of the role that human emotion plays in art, a “demanding and amorphous territory” that more than 40 artists will navigate, each in their own idiom. For example, Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader do so through performance video; Miguel Rodriguez offers figurative ceramics; Tamar Ettun provides an “inflatable environment.” Other artists feeling their feelings include Ali Fathollahi, Dan45 Hernandez, Q’shaundra James, Martin Kreloff, Wendy Kveck, Jason Lazarus, Sara Jean Odam, Heidi Rider, Lance Smith, Jen Urso, Mikayla Whitmore, the Smile Face Museum and many more.

The Emotional Show. That’s because we know that two more solid exhibitions—Jeannie Hua’s Tailings and Lined and Torn: Paper Works from the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art Collection—are showing at the same time, in adjacent galleries. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., free, unlv.edu/barrickmuseum.Speaking from our own hearts, we feel good about

Sidne Teske: Heart/Land (Thru September 27, Nevada Humanities) Teske’s pastel paintings capture the softly radiant landscape of the northern Nevada town of Tuscarora, subtly hinting at the ways in which mining has transformed the land since the 1860s. They hang alongside figural works that ponder the “inner landscape.” Reception September 25.

Blanca Roa: Dia de Muertos, A Living Tradition (Thru October 31, West Las Vegas Library) An artist and dollmaker hailing from northern Mexico, Roa guides viewers through some 35 years of her life and career at West Las Vegas Library, expressed through darkly vibrant paintings … and some custom dolls, too. Reception September 17.

Showgirl Legacy Foundation: Showgirls! The Legacy of Glitz and Glam (September 6-December 10, Sahara West Library) Created from entries into Las Vegas Academy of the Arts’ 16th Annual Showgirl Art Competition, Showgirls! both draws on Vegas’ glittering production show legacy and casually reimagines it. Also at Sahara West: Nevada Watercolor Society’s fall show and Stephanie Amon’s Faces of Hip Hop.

Hija/e/o/x(s) de Su (September 8-December 7, Nuwu Art) This group show, curated by Geovany Uranda and Cesar Piedra, aims to “unite the Latina/e/o/x communities” of Northern and Southern Nevada. It features work from Adriana Chavez, Emmanuel Muñoz, Daisy Sanchez, Häsler Gómez, Ricardo Rubalcaba-Parades and more.

Cute & Creepy: Creature Collage Workshop (September 11 & 28; October 9 & 26, Slonina Artspace) You might learn a few things at this recently opened Fremont Street artist collective. For example: You could be instructed in the finer points of surreal collage by renowned artist JK Russ, for just $25 per lesson.

Ronaldo Dizon: Thoughts on the River Nile (September 26-December 17, East Las Vegas Library) True to the exhibition’s name, Dizon’s photography captures the stunning sights of Egypt—the pyramids at Giza, the great Sphinx, Abu Simbel, the Temple of Horus, Karnak—in dreamlike, glowing color, alongside scenes of folk going about their lives.

Nancy Good: Meaning: The Search For (October 13-December 1, Core Contemporary) The owner of Core Contemporary gallery hasn’t shown her own work since 2021, but that drought ends with this show of Good’s interactive mural-sized paintings and video art from her “A2D” (analog to digital) series.

MORE!

Joseph Watson: Sights and Situations (Thru September 30, Priscilla Fowler Fine Art); Alina Lindquist: Musings of the Mojave (Thru October 1, West Charleston Library); Nevada Camera Club: Annual Electronic Competition (September 14, Whitney Library);Art in the Park (October 7-8, Boulder City’s Bicentennial, Escalante & Wilbur Parks); Dan Swenson: Landscapes and Spaces of the West (November 16, Centennial Hills Library).

STAGE

By Shannon Miller & Amber Sampson

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<p class=Scream’d (Noah Rivera / Courtesy)

Scream’d (September 1-November 4, Majestic Repertory Theatre) The runaway success of 2022’s The Craft: An Unauthorized Musical Parody shouldn’t surprise anyone. Majestic Repertory Theatre artistic director Troy Heard was destined to make that production as iconic as the film itself.

“When I did The Craft, it was a labor of love,” he says. “Since then, it’s played in Kansas City, it’s lined up for another production on the West Coast, and people just go for it. They loved how it was a parody, but it wasn’t a stupid parody. It was more like nostalgia, an homage.”

Now, Majestic Repertory Theater is tapping into the ’90s horror zeitgeist again with Scream’d, a musical parody following the first film of the series, as high schoolers are picked off by the murderous Ghostface. Audience members are also encouraged to dress up as characters. That’s part of the whodunit fun. “What makes Scream so different is, it’s more like an Agatha Christie murder mystery than a slasher film, because the killer changes,” Heard says.

Familiar faces from the The Craft musical parody will return, including Katie Marie Jones, who plays the Drew Barrymore and Rose McGowan roles, and Ray Winters, who’ll play Skeet Ulrich’s character, Billy. Brandon Scott Grayson, who directed music for The Craft, will also up the tempo on Scream’d’s live band arrangements. “Where The Craft was grunge and darker, this one is more pop,” Heard says. “You’ve got boy bands, you’ve got Britney and you’ve got some rock.” –AS

Sin City Burlesque Festival (September 8-9, multiple venues) Perhaps the sexiest event this fall will feature tantalizing showcases including Babes and Blues, produced by local performer Issabelle Marie with music by Kitty Chow and the Sin City Sensations; a variety showcase hosted by Angie Z; a competition for the Sin City Queen of Burlesque crown; and an afterparty show with Coco Lamarr at Cheapshot. –SM

Opera Las Vegas: Behold the Man (September 30 & October 1, CSN’s Nicholas J. Horn Theater) Opera Las Vegas kicks off its 25th season with the world premier of a comic opera based on the true story of Cecilia Giménez, an art restorer whose botched job in 2012 went viral on the internet, and had transformational consequences for her small Spanish town. –SM

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (October 10-15, Reynolds Hall) Written by Dominique Morisseau and directed by Jersey Boys’ Des McAnuff, this Tony Award-winning musical takes viewers through The Temptations’ journey to become one of the top hitmaking acts of the Motown era. –SM

A Public Fit: Indecent (October 27-November 20, Super Summer Theater Studio Theater) The first mainstage production of A Public Fit’s 10th season hinges on the controversy surrounding Sholem Asch’s 1923 play God of Vengeance, regarded as a significant and controversial Jewish works of the 20th century. –SM

Nevada Ballet Theater: Carmina Burana (November 3-5, Reynolds Hall) Many should recognize the blasting opening lines of “O Fortuna,” the first movement in this work by 20th century German composer Carl Orff. The epic cantata grows to even greater proportions when performed as a ballet. –SM

Nevada Conservatory Theatre: Cinderella Under the Mistletoe (November 24-December 10, Judy Bayley Theatre) Set in mythological Vegas, the world premier of this slapstick comedy fairytale is guaranteed fun for the whole family. “I don’t know if you’ve seen a British panto[mime], but they’re hilarious and delightful, and very much about social commentary,” teases NCT executive director Kirsten Brandt. –SM

MORE!

Nevada Conservatory Theatre with Vegas Theatre Company: Happy Days (September 8-17, UNLV Black Box Theatre); The Miracle Worker (September 8-24, Las Vegas Little Theatre); Les Miserables (September 12-17, Reynolds Hall); Rainbow Company Youth Theatre: Lord of the Flies (September 22-24, 29-30, October 1, Charleston Heights Arts Center); A Public Fit: The Lifespan of a Fact (September 29-30, Clark County Library); Vegas Theatre Company: Abandon (October 5-31, VTC Theatre); Nevada Conservatory Theatre: American La Ronde (October 6-22, UNLV Black Box Theatre); Conrad Tao & Caleb Teicher: Counterpoint (October 6, Artemus W. Ham Hall); Vegas City Opera: Kings & Queens (October 13-14); Las Vegas Philharmonic: Symphonic Spectacular (October 21, Reynolds Hall); Las Vegas Philharmonic: The Music of Queen (November 11, Reynolds Hall).

FILM

By Geoff Carter

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<p class=Lakota Nation vs. United States (IFC Films / Courtesy)

Four Marx Brothers Movies (September 1-4, the Beverly Theater) “Do you suppose I could buy back my introduction to you?” “Go, and never darken my towels again!” There’s nothing that sticks in the head like a good Marx Brothers movie, and the Beverly is offering four of them—Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers and Duck Soup—over as many nights.

Stop Making Sense: The IMAX Live Experience (September 11, AMC Town Square) Why reissue 1984’s Stop Making Sense? Why is Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme’sTalking Heads concert film, which captures that band at its peak, widely considered to be one of the best-made concert films ever? Why did A24, the new distributor of Stop Making Sense, spring for a 4K restoration? Why screen it in IMAX? Why are the members of Talking Heads reuniting for livestreamed Q&A session that immediately follows this screening? Why a big suit? The answers to most of these questions will become evident one minute into “Psycho Killer,” and the rest will hit you midway through the funky delirium of “Girlfriend Is Better.” Stop Making Sense is rock history, and IMAX is the big suit it deserves.

Lakota Nation vs. United States (September 28, the Beverly Theater) The Black Mountain Institute and Nuwu Art present Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli’s 2022 documentary of the Lakota Indians’ fight to reclaim South Dakota’s Black Hills, a site that is sacred to them. Oglala Lakota poet and activist Layli Long Soldier, the film’s writer and narrator, will introduce the film and perform a reading.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (September 29, the Beverly Theater) Begin the spooky season right with a screening of this innovative and influential silent film from 1920—acknowledged by many to be the first proper horror film. Robert Wiene’s tale of a hypnotist and his homicidal somnambulist has been remastered in 4K, and will be accompanied by a live score.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival (October 7, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park) A fundraising event for Friends of Nevada Wilderness, this one-night film festival is both an opportunity to enjoy films about nature in the shadows of Red Rock Canyon, and for you to get to know your local conservationist organizations, who will also be in attendance. Nevadawilderness.org/wsff2023

MORE!

Scrapper (September 14-19, the Beverly Theater); Have You Got It Yet? (September 14-17, the Beverly Theater); Chungking Express (September 26, the Beverly Theater); 2023 Sundance Shorts Tour (September 30, the Beverly Theater).

MEET NEW NEVADA CONSERVATORY THEATRE HEAD KIRSTEN BRANDT

Kirsten Brandt <em>(David Lee Cuthbert / Courtesy)</em>“/>  </div>
<p class=Kirsten Brandt (David Lee Cuthbert / Courtesy)

The Nevada Conservatory Theatre has a fearless new leader. After running various theaters and teaching in companies and schools across the West Coast, new executive director Kirsten Brandt hopes to bring elements of engagement, experimentation and accessibility to UNLV’s professional theater training program, and to the 2023-24 season.

“Theater is a way of engaging with the community to start conversation,” she tells the Weekly. “I’m interested in ethical engagement with the audience, which means it’s not just me telling them, ‘You need to think this way.’ It’s having an actual dialogue about things.”

Brandt says she’s aware that the meaning of theater sometimes gets lost upon audiences who are used to streaming services and more passive spectatorship. But the theater’s upcoming season—starting with Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days, Steven Dietz’s American La Ronde and Laura James’ Cinderella Under the Mistletoe—is one they won’t want to miss, she says.

“I’m really excited about the possibilities of that experimentation. … The word experimental turns people off a lot of times, and I want people to know that experimentation means adventure and innovation and accessibility.” –SM

Literature

By Gabriela Rodriguez

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<p class=(Shutterstock / Photo Illustration

Las Vegas Book Festival (October 21, Historic Fifth Street School) Founded more than two decades ago, the City of Las Vegas’ annual book fest brings together acclaimed authors, up-and-coming writers and avid readers for a daylong celebration of words. This year’s lineup will feature author readings, discussion panels, poetry, writing workshops and more (though specific names were unavailable at press time). Activities are available for all ages to participate in and attend, and Clark County students will be spotlighted during a Spark! Youth Poetry Competition. At its core, the festival’s mission is to spread knowledge and appreciation for literary composition, and it’s tough to argue with that. Lasvegasbookfestival.com

MORE!

Reading: Jarret Keene (September 12, Writer’s Block); Reading: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (September 14, UNLV’s Judy Bayley Theater); Reading: Myriam Gurba (September 19, Writer’s Block); Reading: Edgar Gomez (September 20, UNLV’s Beverly Rogers Building); Reading: Morgan Jerkins with Claytee White (September 29, Writer’s Block); Reading: Morgan Thomas (October 4, UNLV’s Beverly Rogers Building); Reading/signing: The Gospel of The Hold Steady authors (October 8, Writer’s Block); Reading: Melissa Broder (October 13, Writer’s Block); Reading: Ahmed Naji (October 17, Writer’s Block); BMI Breakout Writers Series: Tyriek White (October 19, UNLV’s Barrick Auditorium); Reading: Daniel Gumbiner (October 26, Writer’s Block); Reading/signing: David Sedaris (November 21, Reynolds Hall).

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