Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — October brings a full harvest of cultural activities on Kansas State University's Manhattan campus.

Enjoy performances by the university's Tap Dance Ensemble, discussions by art experts, Broadway shows like "Anything Goes" and more throughout the month. Events, most free and open to the public, are offered by the university's McCain Performance Series, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art and School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Events include:

• Tod Kerstetter, professor of clarinet, will share a clarinet recital with Michael Chesher, associate professor at Luther College, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, in All Faiths Chapel. They will be joined by Julie Pentz, associate professor of dance, for the premier of a new tap dance piece.

• The Beach Museum of Art and the music program from K-State's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance will present Meet the Music: Percussion at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the museum. The event features K-State percussion studio students of Kurt Gartner, professor of music.

• The Purple Masque Theatre's season kicks off with the psychological mystery "Monkey, Monkey, Bottle of Beer, How Many Monkeys Have We Here?" at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2-4 in the theatre, which is in East Stadium. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students, plus tax and applicable fees. They can be purchased at the McCain Auditorium box office from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, or by phone at 785-532-6428. Tickets also may be purchased online at http://www.k-state.edu/theatre. Fees apply to phone and online orders.

• Explore the Beach Museum with your senses at the Art Beyond Sight open house from 1:30-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, at the museum. This will be the last chance to experience the multisensory exhibition "Igniting the Senses." Visitors also can explore the wooden sculptures in the exhibition "Life Forms: Chet Peters." The open house is part of national Art Beyond Sight awareness activities.

• The Beach Museum's Early Release Workshop from 2-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, will include viewings of the exhibitions "Tree of Life" and "Life Forms" to learn more about sculpting in wood. Participants will then create their own wood sculptures — no carving allowed. The cost is $5 per participant or $3 for Beach members.

• Enjoy an evening of tap when the K-State Tap Ensemble performs at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Beach Museum.

• The curtain rises on the 2014-2015 K-State Theatre season with the Tony Award-winning comedy about siblings, "Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike." The play will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9-11 and 16-18 and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Mark A. Chapman Theatre in Nichols Hall. Tickets cost $10-15, with applicable taxes and fees. They can be purchased at the McCain Auditorium box office from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, or by phone at 785-532-6428. Tickets also may be purchased online at http://www.k-state.edu/theatre. Fees apply to phone and online orders.

• A celebration of Native American culture, "Music of the Sun" with ETHEL and Robert Mirabal, will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, in McCain Auditorium. The performance is offered through the McCain Performance Series. ETHEL is a pioneering string quartet, and Mirabal is a Grammy-winning Native American flutist. Tickets are available by calling 785-532-6428 or online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.

• The flute studio of Karen Large, assistant professor of music, will perform a recital at noon Sunday, Oct. 12, in McCain Auditorium's Kirmser Hall.

• The university's Wind Symphony and Brass Ensemble, directed by Frank Tracz, professor of music, and Don Linn, instructor of music, will perform a concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in McCain Auditorium.

• "Basetrack," featuring real-life stories from American warriors inspired by the Basetrack page on Facebook, will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, in McCain Auditorium for the McCain Performance Series. Tickets are available by calling 785-532-6428 or online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.

• On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the university's Wind Ensemble will perform a concert with the Boston Brass at 7:30 p.m. in McCain Auditorium. The Wind Ensemble is directed by Frank Tracz, professor of music and Don Linn, instructor of music.

• The Student Recital Series will present a General Student Recital at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in All Faiths Chapel. The recital will feature student performers from the music program's voice, keyboard, string, wind, brass, and/or percussion divisions.

• The university's Opera Workshop will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in All Faiths Chapel. The Opera Workshop features K-State voice students performing scenes from well-known operas.

• Faculty oboist Nora Lewis, associate professor of music; pianist Amanda Arrington, collaborative artist; and double bassist Gordon Lewis, instructor of music, will perform as part of the Hale Library Concert Series at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, in the Hemisphere Room at Hale Library. Contact Darchelle Martin at 785-532-7442 or libfrnds@k-state.edu to get tickets through the Friends of Hale Library

• The K-State Bands will host the 28th annual Central States Marching Festival from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Admission for the day is $5; the festival is free to K-State students with their student ID.

• The K-State Tap Ensemble will perform at Sunset Zoo's Spooktacular from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. The performance is included with admission to the zoo, 2333 Oak St., Manhattan.

• On Monday, Oct. 20, the Bassoon Studio of Susan Maxwell, instructor of music, will perform a recital at 7:30 p.m. in McCain Auditorium's Kirmser Hall.

• The K-State Orchestra, directed by David Littrell, university distinguished professor of music, will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in McCain Auditorium. The Czech-inspired program will include Smetana's Three Dances from "The Bartered Bride,"Martinu's "Memorial to Lidice," Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, Nos. 1, 2, 4, and 8; and Dvorak's Te Deum, Op. 103. Guest artists on the concert will be the Flint Hills Masterworks Chorale, directed by Julie Yu, associate professor of music.

• The Tuba and Euphonium Studio of Steven Maxwell, associate professor of music, will perform a recital at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in McCain Auditorium's Kirmser Hall.

• Kat Griefen from New York City's Accola Griefen Gallery will discuss contemporary art and her experiences as a gallerist in a talk at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Beach Museum. Griefen is the juror for "Making Progress," the K-State art department's student exhibition.

• The Konza Wind Quintet, composed of flutist Karen Large, assistant professor of music; oboist Nora Lewis, associate professor of music; clarinetist Tod Kerstetter, professor of music; French hornist Jacqueline Fassler-Kerstetter, associate professor of music; and bassoonist Susan Maxwell, instructor of music, will perform a recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in All Faiths Chapel.

• Straight No Chaser will present its Happy Hour Tour 2014 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in McCain Auditorium. The male a cappella group has a massive fan base, numerous national TV appearances and successful CD releases. Tickets for this McCain Performance Series event are available by calling 785-532-6428 or online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.

• East Stadium's Purple Masque Theatre will feature the drama "Miss Julie" at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23-25. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students, plus tax and applicable fees. They can be purchased in person at the McCain Auditorium box office from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, or by phone at 785-532-6428. Tickets also may be purchased online at http://www.k-state.edu/theatre. Fees apply to phone and online orders.

• Flutist Elizabeth Robinson, instructor of music, will perform a recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in McCain Auditorium's Kirmser Hall.

• Enjoy the K-State Singers' fall show at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in McCain Auditorium. Tickets are available by calling the McCain Auditorium box office at 785-532-6428 between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

• America's favorite storyteller, Garrison Keiller, will be featured in the McCain Performance Series at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27. In "An Evening with Garrison Keiller," the host of "A Prairie Home Companion" will share his humorous anecdotes about growing up in the American Midwest, the people of Lake Wobegon and late-life fatherhood. Tickets are available by calling 785-532-6428 or online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.

• The K-State Men's and Women's Choirs, directed by Joshua Oppenheim and Julie Yu, associate professors of music, will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, in All Faiths Chapel.

• The K-State Collegiate Chorale and Concert Choir, directed by Joshua Oppenheim and Julie Yu, associate professors of music, will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in All Faiths Chapel.

• The K-State Big Bands, directed by Wayne Goins, professor of music, will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, in Forum Hall at the K-State Union.

• Catch a screening of the film "Skins," by filmmaker Chris Eyre, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Beach Museum. "Skins" is a hard-hitting drama that takes a look at contemporary Native American culture. It stars Eric Schweig and Graham Greene as two brothers living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The film is rated R. It is being shown in conjunction with the Beach exhibition "Earth and Loom: A Century of Native American Art."

• Cole Porter's classic musical comedy "Anything Goes" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in McCain Auditorium as part of the McCain Performance Series. The Tony Award-winning play about couples finding love at sea, features memorable standards "I Get a Kick Out of You," "You're the Top" and "Anything Goes." Tickets are available by calling 785-532-6428 or online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.

• The K-State Jazz Combos will present their annual "Halloween Jazz Jam" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in Union Station at the K-State Student Union. The Jazz Combos are directed by Wayne Goins, professor of music.

• Celebrate Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31, by sending someone special a tap-a-gram performed by the K-State Tap Dance Ensemble. To order a tap-a-gram, contact Julie Pentz, associate professor of dance, at jpentz@k-state.edu.

• The university's popular a cappella ensemble, In-A-Chord, will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in McCain Auditorium. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door, and are available from members of the group. More information about In-A-Chord is available by liking the group on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/KSUInAChord; following the group on Twitter, @In_A_Chord; or visiting http://www.kstatechoirs.com/in-a-chord.html.