See & Do 

October 12
Wednesday

If you like to see a stage crackle with violent action -- and crammed with gritty litter -- you won't find Tracy Letts' Bug repellent. Actor's Theatre of Charlotte shepherds this macabre slice of Southwestern life to 650 E. Stonewall St. for its local premiere. Set in a seedy Oklahoma City motel room, Bug revolves around the enigmatic Peter Evans, who professes to have been a guinea pig in a diabolical government experiment. As we find out, the Feds -- or whomever Peter is fleeing from -- aren't easy to shake. Plenty of petroleum products are used to ward off the vermin, enough to make the original off-Broadway production smell like a can of Raid. The creepy-crawly sci-fi thriller plays through Oct. 29. Wednesday and Thursday performances begin at 7:30pm, with tickets priced at $20; Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm are priced at $25. A 2:30pm Sunday matinee is scheduled for Oct. 23 ($20) and a pay-what-you-can night on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Call 704-342-2251. (Tannenbaum)

Oft-compared to Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch for her rollicking, bluegrass-flavored ramble, Adrienne Young is an organic farmer of the Wendell Berry variety who has taken part in numerous Farm Aid concerts. Young's new album, The Art of Virtue, is based on the ideals of Ben Franklin, whose notions of aggressive agrarianism gave shape to the album's songs. Young appears at the Neighborhood Theatre at 8 pm. Tickets for the show are $10, available by calling 704-358-9298 or online at www.neighborhoodtheatre.com. (Davis)

The US Disc Golf Championship takes place today through Saturday at Winthrop University in Rock Hill. Long a favorite pastime of college students, baby boomers and the kind of folks who keep the patchouli industry in business, disc golf has really taken off in recent years -- and why not? Unlike the other golf, it's easy to learn, cheap to play and you can still quaff a few cold ones (or fire up a few hot ones) while flinging the ol' frisbee (er, disc) around. The winner will receive the title of United States Champion and some $70,000 in prize money. Now in its seventh year of hosting the event, Winthrop is considered by many to be the "Augusta National" of disc golf (however, they do allow women to play). Tickets are $5 a day with VIP passes available for $25 (free admission for ages 12 and under). All ticketholders will receive a free disc with entry. For more information, log onto www.ncdgc.com. (Davis)

Can't quite make it to the serene mountains to view the fall leaves? Well, bring the earplugs and take in the fall fumes, as the UAW-GM Quality 500 Race Week screeches out of the gates beginning today through Sunday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. There's a stack of races lined up, including the headline event UAW-GM Quality 500, Dollar General 300, Mopar Sprint Car Nationals and others. There's also racing action at the Dirt Track and the week is interlaced with activities for the family. Pre-race festivities for the big race include stuntman Mark Hager's two death defying acts and a performance by country duo Montgomery Gentry. Tickets for the various races range from $10-$131. For further details, call 704-455-3200 or visit lowesmotorspeedway.com. (Shukla)

october14friday

The McColl Family Theatre at ImaginOn opens with a big splash as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe takes a new generation on a magical trip to C.S. Lewis's enchanting Narnia. For anybody who missed the grand opening across from Seventh Street Station last weekend, this is your chance for a first glimpse at Charlotte's newest stage. The White Witch (Catherine Smith) will continue to hold sway over Aslan the Lion (Mark Sutton and April Jones), unless four British kids can help tip the balance of power. Fantasy adventuring continues -- via a somewhat labyrinthine schedule -- through Oct. 30. Front orchestra seats are $18 with general admission priced at $14. Call the new box office at 704-973-2828. (Tannenbaum)

Each month the Charlotte Folk Society holds a gathering for the whole family featuring an hour-long concert. Performing this month, the Sankofa Strings, an African American trio that draws upon the string and vocal traditions of the Americas, Africa and Europe (read more about 'em in our Vibes section). A refreshment break follows the concert, and after that a song circle and fast and slow jams give musicians in the audience an opportunity to show their stuff. It all starts at 7:30pm in the Bryant Recital Hall in the Sloan-Morgan Building on CPCC's uptown campus (1220 Elizabeth Ave.). The gathering is free and open to the public, although donations, which benefit the performers, are appreciated. Call 704-563-7080 for more info. (Vespa)

The Charlotte Film Society's Second Week series continues today at the Manor Theatre. This month's lineup consists of France's The Beat That My Heart Skipped, about a crook who longs to become a concert pianist, Germany's The Edukators, focusing on a trio of young activists, and Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin, in which two teenage boys cope with sexual molestation. For reviews, see this issue's Film section; for information on prices and times, call 704-334-1324 or go online to http://charlottefilmsociety.com. (Brunson)

October 15
Saturday

Let the chicken-or-the-egg arguments begin. Now that Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra is getting nationwide exposure through PBS specials, you may notice that guest soloists of true stature, as in this week's Beethoven and the Emperor concert at Ovens Auditorium, are becoming a fairly regular occurrence. At the keyboard for Ludwig's Emperor Concerto will be Martin Kasík, winner of the Young Concert Artists Competition in 1999. Maestro Albert E. Moehring will be the Czech's mate at the podium, wielding the baton in a program that includes Eric Coates's London Every Day and Lerner & Loewe's "I Could Have Danced All Night." General admission tickets for the 8pm concert are $30. Call 704-846-2788. (Tannenbaum)

October 16
Sunday

BareBones Theatre Group is giving weekly readings of scripts they're considering for future productions -- and basing their decisions on audience reactions in post-performance discussions. In the Blood, by Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog writer Suzan-Lori Parks, is the most intriguing and challenging work that BBTG has chosen. It's the "other" Red Letter play by Parks. The one called Fucking, A drew more publicity. Go figure. Both are gritty urban riffs on Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter featuring heroines named Hester and the letter A. Blood brings us Hester La Negrita, a branded, unapologetic homeless mother of five who isn't getting very far in her struggles with the alphabet. Drop in for the free reading at SPAC, 201 Rampart St., at 5pm. No reservations necessary. Call 704-332-5300. (Tannenbaum)