DEEP: Seaspace

Oct 21–22 | The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Karen Stokes, University of Houston dance professor and founder of Karen Stokes Dance company, fuses history with movement in this innovative performance inspired by the industries that define Houston: sea (the ship channel) and space (NASA).

From $15. The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St. karenstokesdance.org

David Spade

Oct 21 | Houston Improv

The sarcastic, self-deprecating SNL alum comes through town on Friday for one night only, bringing his beloved bits—like a snide airline steward—before saying buh-bye to the Bayou City. 

Oct 21. $45–50. Houston Improv, 7620 Katy Fwy. 713-333-8800. improvhouston.com

The Woman in Black

Oct 21–Nov 5 | Queensbury Theatre

Get into the spooky spirit of the season with the opening of this 1987 play by Stephen Mallatratt at Queensbury Theatre. Based on the book by Susan Hill, the performance recounts the mystery of the titular woman, giving audiences plenty of goosebumps along the way.

$23–26. Queensbury Theatre, 12777 Queensbury Ln. 877-674-8147. queensburytheatre.org

The Crucible

Oct 21–24 | Moores Opera Center, University of Houston

Don't miss Robert Ward’s Pulitzer Prize–winning 1962 opera this weekend, based on Arthur Miller’s classic drama that takes on the Salem witch hunts and, more obliquely, McCarthyism.

$12–20. UH Moores Opera Center, 120 School of Music Bldg. 713-743-3009. uh.edu

Bicycle Opera 

Oct 22 | Second Ward (Historic Fire Station #2)

Brought to Houston in 2015 by sound artist Kaffe Matthews and reprised by Nameless Sound founding director David Dove, participants can pedal programmed bikes that are outfitted with speakers, producing a digital composition based on riders' speeds and routes. Consider this music to your wheels! 

Noon to 6 p.m. Free; sonic bikes provided. 317 Sampson Street. 713-928-5653. namelesssound.org

God...Steel and a Wasted Dream

Oct 22–Nov 23 | Hooks-Epstein Galleries

This Saturday, Hooks-Epstein Galleries open God…Steel and a Wasted Dream, an exhibition by twin brothers Kelly and Kyle Phelps that showcase their ceramic and mixed-media sculptures, depicting themes like the struggling working class and race relations in America.

Free. Hooks-Epstein Galleries, 2631 Colquitt St. 713-522 0718. hooksepsteingalleries.com

Wolf Hall

Oct 22–Dec 18 | Main Street Theater

This Saturday night, don't miss the opening of Mike Poulton’s 2014 adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s blockbuster novel, as it recounts, in mesmerizing fashion, the passions and obsessions raging through Henry VIII’s court in Tudor England. (Heads up: Things don’t end well for the Boleyn girl.)

$39–42. Main Street Theater, 2540 Times Blvd. 713-524-6706. mainstreettheater.com

Blake Rayne

Oct 22–Mar 18 | Blaffer Art Museum 

The New York–based artist displays more than 30 paintings, silkscreens, sculptures and moving images—all exploring shifts in technology and manufacturing—in his first solo show at the Blaffer Art Museum, opening this Saturday.

Free. Tues–Sat 10–5. UH Blaffer Art Museum, 4173 Elgin St. 713-743-9521. blafferartmuseum.org

Emperors’ Treasures: Chinese Art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei

Oct 23–Jan 29 | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Opening this Sunday, MFAH's newest exhibition highlights the artistic and cultural contributions of imperial rulers in China—from the Song to the Qing dynasties—bringing a unique selection of masterpieces to the Bayou City, including portraits, textiles and jade.

$7.50–15; free for children 12 and under and members. MFAH, 1001 Bissonnet Street. 713-639-7300. mfah.org

A Traveling Show

Thru Jan 15 | Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Over eight years, Matt Keegan and Kay Rosen sent artwork, photos, clippings and other items to each other through the mail in dozens of packages. Now, they showcase their unique correspondence, along with paintings, sculptures and drawings, at CAMH beginning this month.

Free. CAMH, 5216 Montrose Blvd. 713-284-8250. camh.org