What to do in Madison this weekend: Boograss Ball, The Moth Madison GrandSLAM and more Isthmus Picks

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Homes for Families Breakfast, Thursday, Oct. 24, Sheraton Madison, 8 a.m.: The Road Home Dane County does important work getting families into stable housing situations. And as the housing supply is increasingly pressed, this is even more crucial. This is their 20th annual fundraising breakfast; doors open at 7:30 a.m. and organizers recommend that guests arrive no later than 7:45 a.m. Find more info and livestream links at trhome.org/breakfast.

The Magical Forest, through Oct. 27, Madison Youth Arts: A mouse party in the forest for young theatergoers ages 2-5 features Mutzie the Mouse and friend Grumpy the Troll. In The Magical Forest, expect fun, play, and audience participation. This Children’s Theater of Madison production shows at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 10:30 a.m. Oct. 24-25. Tickets at overture.org.

Kim Suhr + Heidi Bell, Thursday, Oct. 24, Lake City Books, 6 p.m.: Kim Suhr and Heidi Bell, two authors with Madison ties, are celebrating the publication of their short story collections by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Cornerstone Press (which is one of five undergraduate, student-staffed presses in the country). Both titles feature tales set in the Midwest, and they experiment with form and highlight unconventional subject matter and point of view. Suhr’s Close Call: Stories features storytelling by text messages and emails, play scripts, social media posts and even an obituary. Meanwhile, the characters in Bell’s Signs of the Imminent Apocalypse and Other Stories are yearning for answers or, in some cases, simply relief.

Mills Folly Microcinema, Thursday, Oct. 24, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: Experimental film and video gets in the Halloween spirit with an evening of “Spectral Speculations,” short spooky experimental films curated by Emily Eddy, a writer, producer, and cinephile based in Chicago. Films are The Scary Movie by Peggy Awhesh, Possibly in Michigan by Cecelia Condit, Creeping Crimson by George Kuchar and Psykho III The Musical by Mark Oates and Tom Rubnitz. The last three are from the mid-1980s while Awesh’s film is from 1993; their subjects range from Lacanian feminism to “an operatic fairytale about cannibalism in Middle America.”

For the Love Of (Or the Roller Derby Play), through Oct. 27, Madison College-Truax Studio Theater: Playwright Gina Femia has written 10 plays and a young adult novel, reflecting themes of friendship, family, queer lives, pride and love. Here the scene is an unexpected roller derby romance; For the Love Of features an all-female cast. Madison College Performing Arts puts on the show with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets here.

The Untold Story of the Collyer Brothers, through Oct. 26, Bartell Theatre: This is the first show for the new Madison Public Theatre (formerly Strollers Theatre), co-produced by Oracular Studios. The told part of the untold story is that the Collyer brothers, Homer and Langley, are hoarders living in a junk-laden, booby-trapped brownstone in 1930s Harlem. The Untold Story of the Collyer Brothers, written and directed by Madison’s Finn Gallagher, takes off from this intriguing true story. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except for 2 p.m. on Oct. 26) and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Willy Porter, Thursday, Oct. 24, Bur Oak, 7:30 p.m.: Released 25 years ago, Falling Forward was Willy Porter’s breakout release. The catchy pop-rock tunes therein stand the test of time but it’s Porter’s insane mastery of the guitar that keeps him relevant. One part Leo Kottke, one part Michael Hedges, his on-stage soloing makes the audience nearly forget about what else is happening on any given song. The Milwaukeean will be joined by a full band and play the entire album as well as cuts from his newest, The Ravine. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

The God Cluster: A Queer Pandemic Revenge Tragedy, through Oct. 26, Broom Street Theater: An intimate play set in a vaccine lab during “the next” pandemic. Mortality, medicine and love are front and center in this timely and thought provoking play by Ernie Lijoi. The God Cluster: A Queer Pandemic Revenge Tragedy was inspired by Lijoi’s two years' working in a COVID ICU. Shows are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 and 2 p.m., Oct. 13 and 20.

The Moth Project, Thursday, Oct. 24, Overture-Playhouse, 8 p.m.: The Moth Project is not the storytelling organization, but it does tell a story: an exploration of the parallel lives of insects and humans. In this multimedia presentation, musicians Peter Kiesewalter and Whitney La Grange play original music and covers accompanied by macro photography and slow-motion video, and spoken word. Tickets at overture.org.

Cannibal Holocaust, Friday, Oct. 25, UW Cinematheque, 7 p.m.: For exploitation and horror film fans who have the ability to watch extreme gore, the style of films the Italian industry released in the 1970s and '80s are hard to top. Cannibal Holocaust, from 1980, included “documentary” footage as a film-within-the-film that was realistic enough that it was seized after its Italian premiere, and the filmmakers eventually convicted of obscenity. YIKES. There is more going on with the film beyond being extreme, however…enough so that Madison author Nathan Wardinski has written a book about it, Dissecting Cannibal Holocaust. Wardinski will discuss the film following this UW Cinematheque screening.

Nat Turner in Jerusalem, through Nov. 10, American Players Theatre-Touchstone, Spring Green: Nat Turner famously led an uprising of the enslaved that was one of the sparks for the Civil War. In Nat Turner in Jerusalem, playwright Nathan Alan Davis draws from a document written by lawyer Thomas R. Gray from a conversation with Turner in his jail cell the night before he is to be executed in Jerusalem, Virginia. This serious, tense, still work should be in good hands with James DeVita and Gavin Lawrence. Read Jonathan Shipley's review here. Through Nov. 10; performances this week at 1 p.m. on Oct. 24, 26-27 and 30; 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 and 29; and 6 p.m. on Oct. 27. Find the full schedule and tickets at americanplayers.org.

Souled American + Camden Joy, Friday, Oct. 25, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7:30 p.m.: Here’s an event you won’t see anywhere but in Madison. Chicagoland band Souled American followed their own winding path in the ‘80s and '90s, releasing a series of increasingly hard to find albums (the last few released only via European labels) filled with a unique melding of country-folk and slowed-down alt-rock. Their albums sound fresh today because they still don’t really sound like anyone else. The duo of Joe Adducci and Chris Grigoroff will play their first Madison show since 1990, which opens with a talk by artist Camden Joy, creator of the street art project “Fifty Posters About Souled American” in 1997. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com.

The Wonderporium album release, Friday, Oct. 25, Giant Jones Brewing, 7:30 p.m.: The Madison music scene is graced by many top-notch players who enjoy combining styles of music and instrumentation in novel ways. The Wonderporium is one such outfit, featuring percussion by Dave Alcorn (Clocks in Motion), tuba and electronics by Tom Curry (Wisconsin Brass Quintet), synths by Noah Gilfillan (The Earthlings), and keys by Jason Kutz (Mr. Chair). Each concert features improvised electronic music; this show also doubles as a release party for a new live album, Two Impromptus.

Boograss Ball, Friday, Oct. 25, Majestic, 8 p.m.: The Madison based jam-grassers Armchair Boogie hosts a lineup of bluegrass and fusion acts so banging it’s scary. For the annual Boograss Ball, the hard-touring hosts will be joined by equally well-traveled bluegrass festival favorites Henhouse Prowlers. Madison’s WURK turns Phish-like wanderings inside out by smacking the funk into it (lots of it); they just released a groovy new single, “Song for Squares,” last week. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Fine Art & Craft Sale, Oct. 26-27, Olbrich Gardens, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: In spring and fall, the Madison Weavers Guild hosts the Fine Art & Craft Sale, for the last 10 years at Olbrich Gardens. There are plenty of fiber artists displaying work, but also painters, ceramicists, photographers, woodworkers and more. Find a complete list of artists at fineartandcraftsale.com.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, through Oct. 27, Madison Youth Arts: The beloved book series is transformed into a stage musical with the kid-friendly running time of 60 minutes for this Children’s Theater of Madison production. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, intended for ages 8 and up, centers on Greg, a middle-schooler, and his friendship situation. The script helps kids deal with themes like choices and belonging. Shows at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday, plus 7 p.m. on Oct. 25; tickets at overture.org.

Freakin' Halloweekend, Saturday, Oct. 26, High Noon Saloon, 7 p.m.: Local artists paying tribute to their own favorite bands is a regular occurrence in Madison these days, but that wasn’t always all that common. Freakin' Halloweekend was one of the events that lit the spark on that trend, and it returns for its 18th season with tributes to Metallica, Duran Duran, Radiohead, ELO and The Police, with performers including Sean Michael Dargan, The Earthlings, members of The Shabelles, Gentle Brontosaurus, Ask for Jane and others. The always-fun costume contest parades across the stage at 11 p.m. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Fear & Loathing in Wisconsin: A Stand-Up Spooktacular, Saturday, Oct. 26, Cardinal Bar, 7 p.m.: This is not a documentary about the upcoming election but rather a “dark” comedy show sprinkled with ghost stories (not, come to think of it, a bad description of the upcoming election). Try to focus instead on Halloween, with headliner Joe Fernandez (self-described as an “intolerable presence” and a “lovable jerk”) is joined by Chicago’s Sam Biru and Maeve Devitt (who bills herself as the “Kirkland brand” comedian). This Cheshire Cat Comedy showcase is hosted by Noah Mailloux. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

No Regrets, Oct. 26-27, Arts + Literature Laboratory: This production from Fermat's Last Theater Co. pairs Albert Camus and Edith Piaf and their roles in the French Resistance during World War II. It will be an evening of Piaf’s classic songs and Camus’ writings for the underground newspaper Combat. The cast includes Amanda Lauracelli as Piaf, Melvin Hinton as Camus, and Daniel Graupner as the narrator, with music by Aubrie Jacobson on piano and Autumn Maria Reed on bass. No Regrets shows at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 2 p.m. on Oct. 27.

The Moth Madison GrandSLAM, Saturday, Oct. 26, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: This annual evening of live storytelling, with the theme of “Fight or Flight,” will feature winners from recent monthly events hosted by The Moth Madison. Ten individuals — Nestor Gomez, Danielle Hairston Green, Noelle Mariano, Rosie Miesner, Cheri Miller, Brendon Panke, Alice Pauser, Audrey Perry, Megan Diaz-Ricks and Jules Wolf Stenzel — will share tales about tough choices and mettle-testing moments. This will be the sixth Madison Moth GrandSLAM, and it promises to be a powerful and uplifting night. (Madison is one of two Wisconsin cities that are part of The Moth, a nonprofit New York City-based organization launched in 1997 and dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling around the country.) Kevin Willmott II hosts, with music by Bear in the Forest. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

Truth, Saturday, Oct. 26, Liquid, 9 p.m.: Since breaking into the international dubstep scene from their native New Zealand in 2007, Truth has remained at the forefront of the genre through their own music and productions, and by highlighting others via their Deep Dark and Dangerous label. Their most recent EP, Summer Daze, retains a dark hue but also a laid-back vibe. With DMVU, Stylust. Tickets at liquidmadison.com.

Drive-By Truckers, Sunday, Oct. 27, Sylvee, 8 p.m.: The stomping, soulful Southern rock of Drive-By Truckers is nearly always joined to lyrics with a story to tell, sometimes mirroring the ills of modern society and sometimes with a historical focus. The band’s Southern Rock Opera is a concept album filtering post-civil rights era history through the lens of a ’70s rock band; the album (released Sept. 11, 2001) and the band’s raucous live shows catapulted DBT into a must-see touring act from coast to coast, which they remain today. The album received a deluxe release this summer and Drive-By Truckers are on the road playing the full album and more. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.