One meeting. Two generations. A fight neither saw coming.

Emmy nominated “Stranger Things” actor Shannon Purser makes their off-Broadway debut alongside five-time Golden Globe nominee Marilu Henner in The Ask, written by Matthew Freeman and directed by Jessi D. Hill.

What happens when a donor meeting on the Upper West Side erupts into a gripping battle of will? Greta (Marilu Henner), a longtime progressive donor, meets Tanner (Shannon Purser), a young ACLU fundraiser sent to secure a major donation. Their shared ideals quickly give way to unexpected divisions, exposing cultural and emotional fractures that separate their generations.

There’s less than one month left to see this “Especially urgent– and uncomfortably familiar” (The Knockturnal) play. Now running through November 22 only at Theater 555.

Click here and use code ASK39 to unlock $39 tickets (up to a $129 value!)*

*To access this offer, click on the up arrow at the bottom right corner located on the seat selection page.

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tuesday

🎃 thru 10/29: our roundup of 30+ spooky halloween-themed events thru thursday! >>

tues 6:30pm: hair/power: essays on control and freedom: author kajal odedra discusses her new book exploring the politics of hair, from buzz cuts and afros to the natural hair movement, and how hair can be a form of self-expression, control, and resistance, at williamsburg’s salon. she’ll be joined by salon founder and hairstylist rubi aguilar, with instyle beauty director lauren valenti moderating. free admission. >>

tues 7pm: camille de peretti: portrait of an unknown woman w/ julie satow: author camille de peretti discusses her new novel, which imagines the story of the mysterious woman depicted in gustav klimt’s portrait of a lady, with author julie satow (when women ran fifth avenue) at books are magic (brooklyn heights). $10 admission includes a store gift card, $20.69 ticket option includes a copy of the book. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): we love a theme: a storytelling show: a lineup of performers tell funny, heartwarming, and cringe-inducing tales at bailey swilley’s monthly storytelling show. tonight’s ‘scared stupid’ theme features lynn battaglia, michelle chai, betsy friedman, and john mcginniss. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free ($5 suggested donation). >>

tues 8pm (tuesdays): house party comedy: sima sepehri and zubi ahmed’s standup show returns to bushwick’s house party cafe + lounge with performances by julianna dudley, judah friedlander, sydney duncan, and salvin chahal. $10. >>

tues 8pm: live band karaoke at arlene’s grocery: pick your song, grab the mic, and be a star with your very own live band (nakatomi5) backing you up at arlene’s grocery (les). bonus: online ticket purchasers are entered in raffles to win prizes like drink tickets, skip-the-line song passes, or free admission to future shows. $10 adv, $15 day-of. >>

tues 9:30pm: story-oke: sing and tell: part karaoke, part confessional, this karaoke storytelling show invites performers and audience members alike to share a true story about their connection to a song – or the song itself – and then sing the hell out of it. hosted by shyaporn theerakulstit. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $18.76-20). >>

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EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT ON THE ASK, STARRING MARILU HENNER AND SHANNON PURSER

One meeting. Two generations. A fight neither saw coming.

See five-time Golden Globe nominee Marilu Henner and Emmy nominated “Stranger Things” actor Shannon Purser star in The Ask, an intense two-person drama by Matthew Freeman and directed by Jessi D. Hill.

Now playing off-Broadway, this razor-edged play about money, morality, and the terrifying moment when people on the same side stop recognizing each other. Don’t miss this gripping battle of intellect, ideology, and identity.

Experience this “Especially urgent– and uncomfortably familiar” (The Knockturnal) play. Now running through November 22 only at Theater 555!

Click here and use code ASK39 to unlock $39 tickets (up to a $129 value!)*

* To access this offer, click on the up arrow at the bottom right corner located on the seat selection page.

wednesday

weds thru the season: ice skating! lace up and get your skate on at these outdoor rinks opening for the season:
► winter village at bryant park (10/28-2/28) >>
► wollman rink in central park (10/28-3/16) >>
► lefrak center at lakeside in prospect park (10/31 thru ?) >>
► the gottesman rink at the davis center in central park (11/1-3/7) >>
► roebling rink at brooklyn bridge park (11/14-1/31) >>

weds 6pm: eighth annual european literature night: award-winning authors from 14 countries celebrate the english translations of their latest books during an evening of readings and discussions at the ukrainian institute of america (ues). throughout the evening, audiences can move between individual author readings and conversations and four thematic panel discussions moderated by pen america. free admission (rsvp). >>

weds 6:30pm: an evening with the new york times op-docs 2026, part 1: the new york times op-docs presents a screening of four acclaimed short documentaries, followed by a discussion with filmmakers and members of the op-docs team. ifc center (greenwich village), $18 general, $15 seniors. >>

weds 7pm: junk journal hang and zine trade: seasoned zine fans and newbies alike are welcome to hang and create junk journals at purgatory (bushwick). supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own to share. free admission (donations welcome). >>

weds 7pm: letters + sodas reading series: writer lana schwartz (the new yorker, mcsweeney’s) brings together comedians and writers for a night of standup, humor pieces, fiction, and essay readings. the greats of craft (lic), $5. >>

weds 7pm: science tonight: the one billion episode: hosted by astronomer dr. mark popinchalk of the american museum of natural history, science tonight is a comedy talk show where prepared scientists and unprepared improvisers team up to talk all things science. tonight’s season finale explores billionths, billions, and billionaires with guest sarah adelman (blow my mind). $14.64 with promo code ‘scitoniskint’ (reg. $24-25). >>

weds 7pm (wednesdays): baby shoes comedy: clare donaher and alex murdoch’s baby shoes comedy show delivers grown-up laughs with a fresh lineup of comedians each week. tonight’s show features ellen harrold, spencer wright, rohan dias, and chiara montali. black cat les, free admission. >>

weds 7pm: the vinyl word: the smiths vs. the cure: the vinyl word pits the smiths’ the queen is dead against the cure’s disintegration with a back-to-back album listening party where the crowd votes on the winner. alphaville (bushwick), $15 adv, $20 door. >>

weds 7:30pm (wednesdays): we have fun: a stand-up show: hosts zach sims and dan wilbur team up to bring the fun-ny to young ethel’s (south slope), with stand-up by katie hannigan (colbert), matt koff (the daily show), emily walsh (peacock), and jordan wold funny or die). free admission. >>

weds 7:30pm: southern oracles: the black air poets fuse jazz, hip hop, poetry, dance, and more in a multidisciplinary concert that touches on all things conceptually south: neighborhoods, music, history, culture. the adam space/bamcafé (fort greene), free admission. >>

weds 8pm (monthly): ditmas lit: a diverse range of fiction writers, storytellers, poets, and essayists share their work at the ditmas lit series, returning to the urbane arts club (ditmas park) with andrew colarusso (pettyg-d: poems), margaret kogan (steppingstones), maxim matusevich (six trains of no return), and kailee pederson (sacrificial animals). hosted by sarah bridgins. free admission. >>

weds 8:30pm: comedy on kingston: the comedy on kingston show returns with a night of stand up featuring reg thomas, andrew durso, cab washington, courtney reynolds, and zubi ahmed, plus music by kenan banks. hosted by nolawee. salon on kingston (crown heights), $15. >>

thursday

thurs 6:30pm: data by design: p+t knitwear welcomes lauren klein, tanvi sharma, and silas munro to celebrate and discuss the release of their book data by design, which explores how the history of data visualization holds the key to designing a more just future. p+t knitwear bookstore (les). $10 admission, $44.52 ticket option includes a copy of the book. >>

thurs 6:30pm: newsreel presents: a midterm mania panel + party: five days before the election, new york city council member chi ossé, morris katz of the mamdani campaign, vox’s astead herndon, and newsnation host batya ungar-sargon talk midterms at a phone-free panel, followed by a party with a dj. 100 sutton event space (greenpoint), $15 with promo code ‘skint15’ (reg. $40). bonus: ticket includes a drink. >>

thurs 7pm: carnegie science spooky social: space is full of things that should scare you more than ghosts. join astronomer dr. scott sheppard for a spooky evening exploring hidden planets, ‘planet-killer’ asteroids, and other mysteries lurking in our solar system. hosted by science comedians sarah rose siskind and willa barnett, the night features trivia, prizes, an optional costume contest, and a q+a with sheppard and carnegie science president john mulcahey. $17.85 with promo code ‘helloscicom’ (reg. $23-25). >>

thurs 7pm: a final reading with the center for fiction / susan kamil 20266 emerging writer fellows: the center for fiction’s nine 2026 emerging writer fellows come together to conclude their cohort year and share their published writing and works in-progress. the center for fiction (fort greene), free admission (donations welcome). >>

thurs 7pm (monthly): golden spiral comedy show: at mindy raf and katie compa’s golden spiral comedy show, stand-up set lengths follow the fibonacci sequence (5, 8, 13, and 21 minutes each). tonight’s show at whiskey cellar nyc (east village) features courtney maginnis (hbo), matt goldich (seth meyers), amanda gordon (subway takes), and kofi thomas (secret sauce comedy). advance ticket purchase includes a raffle ticket for a free drink. a limited number of tickets are available for $7.18 with promo code ‘skintspiral’ >>

thurs 7pm-10pm: the sixth annual francon: mingle with other fran fans at this annual tribute to iconic new york writer and humorist fran lebowitz, where you can swap books, smoke candy cigarettes, and drink themed cocktails. holiday cocktail lounge (east village), $5-17 admission. >>

thurs 8:30pm (monthly): connor ratliff presents: the acting class: a fully improvised show disguised as an acting workshop, where host connor ratliff demonstrates ‘what acting truly is’ with the help of a guest performer and occasional audience participation. ucb (east village), $15. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: hitchcocktober, the amazing maize maze, and more. >>

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if you enjoy this newsletter and would like to help keep it going, please consider supporting us here

the roundup is broken out into three sections:
• parties + events
• tribute bands
• movie-related

note: events marked with a pumpkin 🎃 will have a costume contest.

parties + events

10/27 6:30pm: haunted brooklyn: ghosts, folklore, and the stories we tell: andrea janes, founder of boroughs of the dead and an expert in new york city’s haunted histories, is joined by a panel to bring brooklyn ghost stories to life. center for brooklyn history (brooklyn heights), free admission. >>

10/27 7pm: aerobicide: slimer edition: workout/dance to john carpenter, the cure, spike hellis, dead or alive, ray parker jr, and more. saint vitus (ridgewood), $25. >>

10/27 7pm: black cherry sideshow: ‘sawtober ii: tales from da cherry pit massacre’: featuring the first and only all bipoc, all trans sideshow drag troupe. ars nova theater (hell’s kitchen), $20-35. >>

🎃 10/27 8pm: high + mighty brass band halloween party: sleepwalk (bushwick), $17. >>

10/27 9:30pm: monster mash: improv comedy by your favorite characters from tv, movies, real life… and beyond: ucb (east village), $13.50 with promo code ‘monstermash’ (reg. $18.50). >>

10/28 6pm: boroughs of the dead + the merchant’s house museum present: houdini among the villagers: a panel talk on houdini’s rise to fame in new york and his detour into the worlds of ghosts and spiritualism. church of the village (greenwich village), free admission. >>

10/28 6pm: pumpkitecture! the eighth annual architectural pumpkin carving competition: the center for architecture (greenwich village), $15 admission. >>

10/28 8pm: horror classics book club: the legend of sleepy hollow + other storeis by washington irving : the twisted spine bookstore and café (williamsburg), free admission. >>

10/28 8pm: nyc’s halloween punderdome: pun-slam and pun-costume compuntition: pun-masters have a war of the words at the beloved pun-slinging competition. hosted by fred firestone. littlefield (gowanus), $14 adv, $16 day-of. >>

10/28 8pm: the savage garden: a drag tribute to the work of anne rice: c’mon everybody (bed-stuy), $20.09. >>

🎃 10/29 7pm: tim curry costume ball: costume contests | trivia | games | prizes | all-night, curry-centric chaos. come dressed as your favorite version of tim curry! sanger hall (sunnyside), free admission. >>

🎃 10/29 7pm doors: niche night nyc presents: y2 slay baby one more time 90s + 2000s halloween party: costumes encouraged. friends and lovers (crown heights), free admission. >>

10/29 8pm-midnight: nightbreed: queer dark wave night: a night of synth, post punk, goth, and 80s sleaze for queer bats. costumes and spooky wear encouraged. purgatory (bushwick), free admission. >>

10/29 8pm-late: dyke-o-ween: a sapphic + trans dance party: the sultan room at the turk’s inn (bushwick), $20.09. >>

10/29 8:30pm: venomous verses in the gloaming: an evening of supernatural ballads with shinbone alley: jalopy theatre (columbia street waterfront district), $23. >>

10/29 11pm: blade rave: the brooklyn monarch (east williamsburg), $31.75. >>

tribute bands

10/28 7pm: halloween cover band showcase: tributes to the white stripes, can, and simon + garfunkel. trans-pecos (ridgewood), $12 adv, $15 day of. >>

10/28 7pm: twee halloween: tributes to belle + sebastian, magnetic fields, velvet underground. union pool (williamsburg), $12.98. >>

10/28 7pm: tealeaf collective’s halloween covers night: tributes to smashing pumpkins, alice in chains, hole, and the singles soundtrack. arlene’s grocery (les), $11-13 adv, $15 day of. >>

10/28 7:30pm: diyween: tributes to the beatles, the kinks, and more. tv eye (ridgewood), $19.57. >>

10/28 7:30pm: halloween cover show at the broadway: tributes to title fight, distillers, oasis, boygenius, and sufjan stevens. the broadway (bushwick/bed-stuy), $12 adv, $15 day of. >>

10/28 7:30pm: the annual sally can’t dance tribute to the cramps: hosted by michael t at bowery palace (east village). $18.78. >>

10/28 8pm: fredaween presents the rocky horror picture show: frank-n-furter edition: tributes to rocky horror, violent femmes, and tom petty. bar freda (ridgewood), $10 adv, $12 door. >>

10/29-31 (8pm-midnight): the gutter’s annual gutterween: 20+ tribute bands over three nights. costumes recommended. the gutter (williamsburg), free admission. >>

10/29 8pm:: hood park 2nd annual coat drive + cover show: tributes to bad brains, sick of it all, warzone, youth of today, and more. tv eye (ridgewood), $15 cover, $10 with coat donation. >>

10/29 8pm: melt ice: benefit show for undocumented new yorkers: tributes to mannequin pussy, my chemical romance, l7, and more. bar freda (ridgewood), $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

10/29 9:30pm: live coverage: post-punk, new wave, power-pop, and indie rock. costumes encouraged. bowery palace (east village), $12.44. >>

movie-related

10/27-29 (7pm): monster movie mini series at elizabeth street garden (nolita): clue, james and the giant peach, addams family values. free admission. >>

10/28 7pm: aesop’s sound fables presents: strange animations monster party:ensemble band aesop’s sound fables preforms original soundtracks to curated short films, followed by a q+a with local directors. purgatory (bushwick), $17. >>

10/28 7:30pm: nosferatu (1922) with an original live scores by the flushing remonstrance: cobble hill cinemas (brooklyn), $20. >>

10/29 6pm (weather permitting): free outdoor movie: corpse bride at sunset park (brooklyn). >>

10/29 7pm: secrets of the dead short horror film festival: film noir cinema (greenpoint), $12. >>

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if you enjoy this newsletter and would like to help keep it going, please consider supporting us here