A curated and frequently updated guide to arts and entertainment events in the mid-valley that might be worth your time and money. Although the focus is local, if there’s a big event happening elsewhere, I’ll make note of it here. If you want me to include your event in this list, send me an email at [email protected].

Friday, Oct. 11

THEATER: “Evil Dead the Musical” continues at Albany Civic

Ash, armed (literally) with chainsaw, battles with singing and dancing demons in “Evil Dead the Musical,” loosely adapted from the first three movies in the “Evil Dead” series — the ones that blended horror and comedy. The emphasis here is decidedly on the comedy, though, with cheesy effects and enough fake blood to satisfy those fans who will pay a little extra to sit in the first few rows of the theater — the so-called “splatter zone.” Johanna Spencer directs the show. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11 and 12. Tickets are $21 for adults, $17 for seniors and juniors. (Seats in the splatter zone cost more, but you knew that.) Click here to buy tickets. Albany Civic Theater is at 111 W. First Ave. W. in Albany.

MUSIC: Side Hustle, at the Whiteside

The Corvallis soul-pop band Side Hustle holds court at the Whiteside Theatre for a Friday night show. The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 advance, $15 at the door. The Whiteside is at 361 SW Madison Ave. 

COMEDY: “Naughty but Nerdy” showcase at the Majestic

A half-dozen mid-valley comedians take the mic at the Majestic Lab Theatre for this Friday night showcase. The lineup includes Naomi Fitter and Dave Williams of Corvallis, Julia Corral and Joe John Sanchez III of Portland, Sarah Hagen of Eugene and Juno Men of Seattle. The show begins Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $16. The Majestic is at 115 SW Second Ave. in Corvallis.

MOVIES: Playing in theaters and streaming

Darkside Cinema is playing two new movies this weekend:

• “The Apprentice” stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump as Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in a drama about Trump’s real-estate dealings in the 1970s and 1980s. Word is that Trump doesn’t care for the film. (“The Apprentice” also is showing at the AMC Corvallis 12.)
• “The Outrun” stars Saoirse Ronan in a drama about as a woman recently out of rehab for alcoholism who returns home to the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The movie is based on the memoir by Amy Liptrot.

The Darkside is holding over “A Different Man,” an offbeat dark comedy about a man (Sebastian Stan) who undergoes facial reconstruction surgery — and then becomes obsessed with a theatrical production based on his life; “Lee,” with Kate Winslet in a biopic about Lee Miller, a model who became a World War II photographer; and “The Substance,” the body-horror movie with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

Six new movies are playing at the AMC Corvallis 12. Here’s the rundown:

• “Piece by Piece” is a documentary film about the life of singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams. Here’s the catch: It’s mostly made through Lego animation.
• “Saturday Night” is about the production of the very first episode of “Saturday Night,” the show that we now know as “Saturday Night Live,” back in 1975.
• “The Apprentice” stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump as Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in a drama about Trump’s real-estate dealings in the 1970s and 1980s. Word is that Trump doesn’t care for the film. (“The Apprentice” also is showing at the Darkside.)
• “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is a documentary about the life of the actor, best known for playing Superman on the big screen.
• “Terrifier 3” finds the serial killer Art the Clown going on a Christmas killing spree in the latest installment of the ultra-gory slasher series. Happy holidays!
• “My Hero Academia: You’re Next” is the latest edition of the Japanese animated superhero series.

Here’s the rest of the weekend lineup at the AMC 12:

“Joker: Folie a Deux,” with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the bleak followup to 2019’s “Joker;” “The Wild Robot,” the animated flick about a robot who adopts a gosling; “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” Tim Burton’s hit sequel with Michael Keaton and other familiar faces from the original; the animated origin film “Transformers One;” and the psychological horror flick “Speak No Evil,” with James McAvoy.

Saturday, Oct. 12

MUSIC: Pantsuitguy, Common Koi and Skip the Millers, at the Whiteside

Juliet Diballa, who records as Pantsuitguy, leads their live band into the Whiteside Theatre as one of three acts featured in a Saturday show. Common Koi from Eugene and the Corvallis band Skip the Millers round out the lineup. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 advance and $15 day of show. 

MUSIC:  Jean Rohe and Sadie Gustafson-Zook, in concert for Unity Shelter

Folk musicians Jean Rohe and Sadie Gustafson-Zook have teamed up for a tour of the West Coast. On Saturday night, the tour stops at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 4515 SW West Hills Road. The show is a benefit for Unity Shelter, the Corvallis nonprofit that works to house the unsheltered. A donation of $10 per person is suggested, but y0u could give more if you were so inclined. The show starts at 7 p.m. 

BOOKS: Tom Birdseye reads from “There is No Map for This,” at Grass Roots

Corvallis author Tom Birdseye reads from and signs copy of his new young-adult novel, “There is No Map for This,” during a Saturday evening event at Grass Roots Books and Music. Birdseye’s ninth novel follows a 17-year-old named Ren, who flees from his obnoxious born-again mom to take refuge in Oregon’s Cascade Range with a beloved big brother.  The event starts at 7 p.m. at Grass Roots, 251 SW Madison Ave. 

Thursday, Oct. 17

MOVIE: “Ganja and Hess,” at the Darkside

Darkside Cinema is showing a little-known horror film throughout Otober: “Ganja and Hess” is a 1973 American black horror movie written and directed by Bill Gunn. The film, about an anthropologist who becomes a vampire after being stabbed with an ancient dagger, stars Duane Jones, best known as the lead in the original “Night of the Living Dead.” The Oct. 17 showing is at 8 p.m.; showtimes have yet to be determined for the showings on Oct. 24 and 31. Tickets are $5.

Through Saturday, Oct. 26

VISUAL ARTS: “Transformation/Reclamation,” at The Arts Center

Through paintings, sculpture and poetry, artists Daniela Naomi Molnar and Lee Emma Running invite healing through the actions of witness, mourning and immersion in beauty in their new show, “Transformation/Reclamation,” which opens Friday at The Arts Center.  The work seeks to shift perspectives from despair to creative possibility, from trauma to wonder, from isolation to purpose. For this show, Running, a Nebraska artist, repairs the bones of roadkill with glass and gold and transforms exploded tires into cast-iron dinnerware. Molnar is an Oregon poet and artist who forages for pigments in locations such as former concentration camps, previous glaciated spots and abandoned villages. The Arts Center, 700 SW Madison Ave. in Corvallis, is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The show runs through Oct. 26.