October with Arts Passport: Stories, Screens, and Shared Spaces

by Avery Anderson

If the last few years taught us anything, it’s that connection is not a luxury — it’s the main event. That’s the mission of Arts Passport: making space for Tampa Bay to gather, to listen, to argue, to laugh, to sit in the dark with strangers and remember that we’re not alone.

This October, we’ve lined up three events that lean into that spirit. From novels to cinema to century-old horror, it’s all about finding yourself in someone else’s story.

October 5 — Book Club: Lies in Bone with Natalie Symons

Start the month in conversation, not in silence. Our October Arts Passport Book Club dives into Lies in Bone, the darkly funny, razor-sharp novel by award-winning playwright Natalie Symons.

We’ll gather at freeFall Theatre with Symons herself to unpack the secrets that shape us, the ones we inherit, and the ones we invent. It’s not every day you get to ask the author directly why that one scene made you gasp (or laugh a little too loudly).

📚 Bonus: Arts Passport members get a free copy of the book from Tombolo Books.

🗓️ Sunday, October 5, 11:00 a.m. 📍 freeFall Theatre

October 12 — Film Screening: Hidden Figures

Next stop: Greenlight Cinema. We’re teaming up with The Studio@620 and Powerstories Theatre to screen Hidden Figures, the story of the Black women mathematicians whose brilliance helped launch America into space.

After the credits roll, stay for a conversation with artists from The Studio@620 and Powerstories. They’ll connect the film’s legacy to Cadillac Crew, Powerstories’ upcoming play about the women who propelled the Civil Rights Movement from behind the scenes.

Because history isn’t just names in textbooks — it’s voices we still need to hear.

🗓️ Sunday, October 12 📍 Greenlight Cinema, St. Pete

🎟️ Arts Passport members: $12 | General: $15

October 24 — Phantom of the Opera at 100

We close the month with a scream. Tampa Theatre is marking the 100th anniversary of Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera with a screening unlike any other: live accompaniment on the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ and a guest soprano to send shivers down your spine.

It’s history, spectacle, and a reminder that shared awe is better than streaming alone.

🗓️ Friday, October 24, 7:00 p.m. 📍 Tampa Theatre

🎟️ Arts Passport members: $12 | General: $15

Why October Matters

Each of these nights is about more than a ticket. It’s about pulling up a chair, turning off your phone, and being part of something bigger. That’s the Arts Passport promise: connection and access to the arts — for everyone, in every corner of Tampa Bay.

So bring your curiosity. Bring a friend. Bring your questions. October’s waiting.

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