Copyright Chicago Tribune
The original 1960 American horror comedy black and white film “Little Shop of Horrors,” as directed by Roger Corman, gets big screen treatment for Halloween for one showing only Friday, Oct. 31, at Hoosier Theatre, 1335 119th St., in Whiting. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film farce about a florist’s assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on blood not only stars Corman’s ensemble favorites Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles and Dick Miller, who had all worked for Corman on previous films, but also features one of the early on screen acting moments by a young Jack Nicholson, now age 88. Tickets are $10 one-price-for-all admission at 219-659-0567 or www.hoosiertheatre.com. Mystery man Sherlock Holmes returns to 4th Street Theater in Chesterton Nov. 7-23 for a comedy spin by Ken Ludwig in “Baskerviller: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.” Playwright Ludwig of “Lend Me a Tenor” fame as well as “Moon Over Buffalo” transforms Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic “The Hound of the Baskervilles” into a murderously funny adventure as the male heirs of the Baskerville line are being dispatched one by one. To find their ingenious killer, Holmes and Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest heir. With clever, quick moves, five actors portray more than 40 characters. All performances are held at 4th Street Theater, 125 N. Fourth St., Chesterton, and the cost is $20 all-inclusive admission by calling 219-926-7875 or www.4thstreetncca.com. When in Rome The Marian Theatre Guild is presenting their fall production “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 1-16. Long before the film version in 1966, the Broadway launch in 1962 earned audience ovations. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus, the musical tells the silly story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door, with a nod of satirical comments on social class. It is directed by Stephanie Naumoff and all performances are in the 800-seat auditorium of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 119th Street and 1849 Lincoln Ave. in Whiting. Tickets are $18-$20; the pre-show dinner meal on Saturdays is $38 with seating at 5:30 p.m. The menu includes fried chicken, roast beef, green beans and sides. The night box office is open 7-9 p.m. by calling 219-473-0713. On exhibit South Shore Arts presents its second annual “Less than 5” invitational, a celebration of artistic diversity and price accessibility from Oct. 28 through Nov. 29 in the Atrium Gallery at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road in Munster. This new free exhibit features dozens of recent works by local artists. “Less than 5” is a unique invitational that provides a platform for local artists while also highlighting several more established national artists. Every work in the exhibition is priced at $500 or less, offering both first-time and longtime collectors a rare opportunity to acquire high-quality works at an accessible price point. This intersection of affordability and excellence forms the cornerstone of this exhibition. For more information, call 219-836-1839 or visit www.southshoreartsonline.org. Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and radio host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at philpotempa@gmail.com.
