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Every Wed.–Sun., Sept. 30–Dec. 17. Rhiannon Ragland directs the world premiere of actor-playwright (and Purple Rose founder) Jeff Daniels’ comedy about America’s fastest growing sport. Four below-average players try to overcome their own limitations to achieve greatness in a game that has nothing to do with pickles. Daniels’ wife became addicted to the game, which Daniels described in a 2021 interview as “half-court basketball for elderly people.” Cast: Ryan Carlson, Kate Thomsen, Lynch Travis, Jonathan West, and Caitlin Cavannaugh. 3 p.m. (Wed., Thurs., & Sat.), 8 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.), & 2 p.m. (Sun.). Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $34–$52 in advance at PurpleRoseTheatre.org and by phone, and (if available) at the door. Discounts available for students, seniors, teachers, military personnel, and groups. 433–7673.

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Opens Oct. 28 (tentative): (Chinonye Chukwu, 2022). Biographical drama about Mamie Till-Mobley, who pursued justice after the 1955 lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, by racist thugs. Various times. State Theatre. Mask and proof of vaccination (or negative Covid test within 72 hours) required for all patrons over the age of 12. Tickets $10.50 unless otherwise noted (children under 12, students, seniors age 65 & older, & U.S. veterans, $8.50; MTF members, $8) in advance online (recommended) & at the door. For updated schedule, see MichTheater.org. 

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Every Sat., Mon., Wed., & Fri. All invited to play various forms of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Intro to Magic: The Gathering (Sat. noon–3 p.m.), free. Commander Pods, casual groups of 4 players (Sat. 6–10 p.m.), free. Just Another Modern Monday power cards (Mon. 6–9 p.m.), $10. Casual Commander, the most popular form of the game (Wed. 5–8 p.m.), free. Friday Night Magic rotating draft (Fri. 6–10 p.m.), cost varies. Prizes paid in store credit. Various times. Sylvan Factory, 2459 W. Stadium. info@sylvanfactory.com, 929–5877.

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Daily. Three different audiovisual planetarium shows suitable for all ages. Expedition Reef (11:30 a.m.) reveals the secrets of coral reefs, the “rainforests of the sea” that are the Earth’s most vibrant and endangered marine ecosystems. The Sky Tonight (12:30 & 2:30 p.m.) is an exploration of the current night sky, with tips on how to find the cardinal directions, constellations, and planets on your own. Tales of the Maya Skies (1:30 p.m.) immerses viewers in the wonders of Mayan science, examining how Mayan scholars developed a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, architecture, and mathematics that enabled them to predict solstices, solar eclipses, weather patterns, and planetary movements. Various times, MNH, 1105 North University. $8. Limited capacity. 764–0478.

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Oct. 28 (5–6 & 6–7 p.m.). Kids ages 1-12 invited to paint a pumpkin, learn about a fascinating night-flying guest from a Leslie Science & Nature Center naturalist, then take a short hike with a township naturalist through the Lillie Park trail loop to look for nocturnal animals. The evening ends with “trunk or treating” at decorated cars in the parking lot. Two sessions. Bring your own flashlight. Costumes encouraged. Lillie Park South Pavilion 3, 4365 Platt Rd. $15 per kid (Pittsfield resident kids, $10; adults free). Preregistration required at recreation.pittsfield-mi.gov or 822–2120. Space is limited.

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Oct. 27–30. Concordia students perform Ken Ludwig’s 2017 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 thriller about a murder that takes place on a train making its way across Europe, leaving the great detective Hercule Poirot to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again. The play somewhat streamlines the classic mystery while incorporating Ludwig’s penchant for farce. 7 p.m. (Thurs.-Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sun.), Concordia University Kreft Center Black Box Theater, 4090 Geddes. Tickets $15 (students & seniors, $10) in advance at cuaa.edu/kreftarts-tickets, by phone, & at the door. 995–7537.

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Oct. 27–30. Connor Thomas Rhoades directs young local actors and singers in Stephen Sondheim’s dark 1979 Tony Award–winning musical based on a Victorian “penny dreadful.” 7 p.m. (Thurs.-Sat.) & 1 p.m. (Sun.), Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Mask required. Tickets $16–$18 in advance at horizonperformingarts.org. horizonperformingarts.mi@gmail.com.

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This bestselling novelist and short fiction writer, heralded in Time magazine as “the best short-story writer in English,” joins U-M creative writing professor Julie Buntin to discuss his hotly anticipated new collection, Liberation Day. Known for his unsentimental, wickedly funny, and exquisitely tuned prose, Saunders frequently places ordinary, relatable protagonists into increasingly surreal circumstances to shine light on the darker aspects of our national character, with profound, and often unsettling, results. 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 120 S. State. Mask required. Tickets $30 (includes a signed copy of the book) in advance at literatibookstore.com. 585–5567.

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Oct. 28 & 29. Wry, caustic observations on middle-aged life by  this veteran Grand Rapids-based comedian and firefighter. 7:15 p.m. (Fri.–Sat.) & 9:45 p.m. (Sat.), 212 S. Fourth Ave. $16 reserved seating in advance at etix.com, $18 general admission at the door. 996–9080.

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October 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 28, & 29. Josie Eli Herman directs this popular local company in L.A.-based Michigan native Michael Alan Herman’s new play, adapted from Bram Stoker’s The Jewel of the Seven Stars, about 5 toney Victorians in an opulent hall who find themselves battling an ancient evil. Stars Allison Megroet, Julia Garlotte, Brittany Batell, Jeffrey Miller, Tim Pollack, and Matthew Cameron. Ages 15+. 8 p.m. Stone Chalet Inn, 1917 Washtenaw Ave. $15 (seniors 60+ $12). pennyseats.org, 926–5346.

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This dynamic quartet returns to town with a program highlighted by Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski’s Pige, a work it commissioned as part of its Doppelgänger project to commission new music  created in response to works by Franz Schubert. The program also includes  an original arrangement of Schubert’s song  “Death and the Maiden” and Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, an iconic pillar of the chamber music repertoire nicknamed  Death and the Maiden since the theme of its 2nd movement is taken from the song.  8 p.m. Rackham Auditorium. Tickets $24–$61 ($12–20 students) in advance at tickets.ums.org, at the Michigan League, and (if available) at the door. 764–2538.

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(John Carpenter, 1982). Classic sci fi horror film in which a research facility in Antarctica comes across an alien force that can become anything it touches. 9:30 p.m. State Theatre. Mask and proof of vaccination (or negative Covid test within 72 hours) required for all patrons over the age of 12. Tickets $10.50 unless otherwise noted (children under 12, students, seniors age 65 & older, & U.S. veterans, $8.50; MTF members, $8) in advance online (recommended) & at the door. For updated schedule, see MichTheater.org. 

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