Community Calendar

Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale is thrown into the blender with Mel Brooks and Monty Python in this lightning-fast, laugh-out-loud show!

When her sister Mina falls ill with a mysterious disease of the blood, Lucy Westfeldt and her fiancé, Jonathan Harker, enlist the help of famed vampire hunter Doctor Van Helsing. Their hunt for the dangerous— and sexy— Count Dracula abounds with clever wordplay and quick-change antics.

Five actors play over a dozen roles in this bloodcurdlingly hilarious send-up of the literary classic.

The Next Picture Show is once again proud to host the Plein Air Painting Show, sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild. En plein air, or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors with the artist's subject in full view.

In conjunction, The Next Picture Show will also host Stories in Portraits, also sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild. This is an all-media exhibition of both 2-D and 3-D original work.

Both exhibitions run Oct. 22-Nov.15. Both are juried shows. A reception and awards presentation will be held Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m.

Artists' Ensemble Theater of Rockford presents the play "Misery" by William Goldman, adapted from the novel by Stephen King, Thursdays-Sundays, Nov. 6-23, in Rockford University's Cheek Theatre.

Novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued from a terrible car crash by his “number one fan” Annie Wilkes. He wakes up captive in her secluded home and discovers that Annie has no intention of letting his go anywhere. Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and it does.

The stage adaptation of Misery was written by two-time Academy Award winner William Goldman. The cast features David A. Gingerich, Laurie Carter Rose and Antonio Laws. The production is directed by AET producing artistic director Richard Raether.

Misery will be performed November 6-23 in the Cheek Theatre inside the Clark Arts Center at Rockford University. Performances are Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with added matinees at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

An American Sign Language-interpreted performance will be on Friday, Nov. 7. Teen takeover: Saturday, Nov. 8 at 4:00 p.m. is the Teen takeover. Teens get in for just $5 and after the show get a special behind the scenes look at how the show was done.

Thursday tickets are $19. All other performances are $28 for adults, and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased at artistsensemble.org or by calling 815-394-5004. This play is recommended for ages 10 and up.

The Black Box Theatre at McHenry County College is proud to announce their Fall 2025 production of Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring, directed by Jay Geller, running Fridays-Sundays, Oct. 31-Nov. 16.

Set in Brooklyn, New York in the 1940s, Arsenic and Old Lace follows drama critic Mortimer Brewster as he discovers his sweet, elderly aunts have a deadly secret: they poison lonely old men with elderberry wine laced with arsenic. As Mortimer tries to deal with his eccentric family — including a brother who thinks he’s Theodore Roosevelt and another who’s a homicidal maniac — chaos and hilarity ensue.

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra brings elegance and energy to its November program, led by Music Director Chad Music Director Chad Goodman.

Esteemed hornist Greg Flint performs Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s joyful Horn Concerto No. 4, paired with his Symphony No. 13. Benjamin de Murashkin’s orchestration of Clara Schumann’s tender "Three Romances" and Felix Mendelssohn’s exuberant "Italian" Symphony round out the evening.

Performances are Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2:30 p.m., at the Hemmens Cultural Center. Tickets begin at $20, with $10 student pricing. Contact the ESO Box Office for free youth tickets (age 17 and under) with a paid adult. Visit ElginSymphony.org, or call 847-888-4000 during Box Office hours, Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A Pre-Concert Talk with Music Director Chad Goodman begins one hour prior to each concert and is free for ticketholders.

NIU Annuitants Association trip to Branson to see 6 shows, Nov 10-14. Motorcoach departs from NIU on Monday, November 10.

The Next Picture Show is once again proud to host the Plein Air Painting Show, sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild. En plein air, or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors with the artist's subject in full view.

In conjunction, The Next Picture Show will also host Stories in Portraits, also sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild. This is an all-media exhibition of both 2-D and 3-D original work.

Both exhibitions run Oct. 22-Nov.15. Both are juried shows. A reception and awards presentation will be held Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m.

Prepare for swoon-worthy reads and lively conversations with fellow romance lovers! We meet each month to discuss our latest romantic read-- sharing thoughts, feelings, and favorite moments along the way. From steamy westerns and eerie sci-fi love stories to sweeping historical romances, our carefully chosen selections span the full spectrum of the genre. Whether you're a longtime romance reader or just starting to explore, you'll find your perfect match here!

September: Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
October: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
November: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Books are available in Adult Services. No registration is required. This book club is intended for adults.

For additional information, please contact Amy at amyf@dkpl.org or call (815) 756-9568 ext. 2150.

NIU Annuitants Association trip to Branson to see 6 shows, Nov 10-14. Motorcoach departs from NIU on Monday, November 10.

The Next Picture Show is once again proud to host the Plein Air Painting Show, sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild. En plein air, or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors with the artist's subject in full view.

In conjunction, The Next Picture Show will also host Stories in Portraits, also sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild. This is an all-media exhibition of both 2-D and 3-D original work.

Both exhibitions run Oct. 22-Nov.15. Both are juried shows. A reception and awards presentation will be held Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m.