Calendar
MUSIC
Charles Matton/Forum Gallery
GALLERY-GOING - SMALLER THAN THEY APPEAR The Parisian artist Charles Matton constructs miniature re-creations of interiors in boxes, employing wood, mirrors, and paper to build tiny rooms based on places both real and imagined. By creating optical illusions through the use of the mirrors, Mr. Matton makes the dioramas appear to stretch beyond the four walls that contain them. He often alludes to other artists in his pieces, depicting the studios and work spaces of musical, fine art, and literary masters, as in “Library: Homage to James Joyce” (2004), above. Through Saturday, September 6, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Forum Gallery, 745 Fifth Ave., 5th floor, between 57th and 58th streets, 212-355-4545, free.
FIVE FOR FOLK An acoustic quintet, the Punch Brothers, plays tonight at Rockefeller Park. The band draws from a range of musical traditions, mainly folk and bluegrass, with a hint of jazz and alternative rock. In 2007, under the direction of mandolin player Chris Thile, the group performed the premiere of "The Blind Leaving the Blind," a complex, 40-minute, four-movement suite, at Zankel Hall as part of the In Your Ear Redux Festival. The piece became the cornerstone of the group's debut album, "Punch," released this year. In addition to Mr. Thile, the band's lineup includes banjo player Noam Pikelny, violinist Gabe Witcher, guitarist Chris Eldridge, and bassist Greg Garrison. Tonight, 7 p.m., Rockefeller Park, River Terrace at Warren Street, 212-417-2000, free.
PAINTINGS
A STRIKING POSE "Stories: Portraits," a group show at Eleven Rivington, aims to challenge the traditional genre. The predominantly international set of artists, many of whom are exhibiting for the first time in a New York gallery, paint friends, lovers, and relatives both from life and from found images and family photographs. Through Friday, August 22, July: Wednesday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m., August: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Eleven Rivington, 11 Rivington St., between Bowery and Chrystie Street, 212-982-1930, free.
PORTS AND HARBORS The Spanierman Gallery presents an exhibit of works by Emile Gruppe, a 20th-century American artist who painted the bustling boatyards and quiet sidewalks of Gloucester, Mass., as well as the rich autumnal landscapes of rural Vermont. Using vigorous impressionistic brushstrokes and a bold color spectrum to depict light reflecting off water and leaves, Gruppe conveys the lush but simple aesthetic of New England farms and fishing ports. Through Saturday, August 30, Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Spanierman Gallery, 45 E. 58th St. at Madison Avenue, 212-832-0208, free.
READINGS
DARK PAST The author Gary Indiana (born Gary Hoisington) reads from "Do Everything in the Dark" (St. Martin's), his novel about a group of couples lamenting the loss of bohemian New York. Mr. Indiana delves into the indulgent neuroses of the characters, basing the book, in part, on his own experiences as a member of New York literary circles. He is the former chief art critic for the Village Voice and author of a dozen books. The event is part of the St. Mark's Bookshop Reading Series. Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Solas Bar, 232 E. 9th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-260-7853, free.
TALKS
ONSTAGE AND BEYOND The Summer Play Festival presents "Stage & Screen: Playwrights Talk About Writing for Film and Television," a discussion with the playwrights Adam Rapp, Keith Bunin, and Beau Willimon. All three have worked behind both the camera and the curtain: Mr. Rapp has penned 11 plays, including "Blackbird" and "Red Light Winter." Mr. Bunin wrote the play "The Busy World is Hushed" and co-edited the film adaptation of Michael Cunningham's novel "A Home at the End of the World" (2004). In addition to writing the play "Farragut North," Mr. Willimon is the author of the screenplay for its upcoming film adaptation. Registration is required; e-mail rsvp@spfnyc.com. Tomorrow, 5 p.m., Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. at Astor Place, 212-967-7555, free.
THEATER
JUDGMENT DAY The East to Edinburgh Festival concludes this week with "The Judgment of Paris," a satirical adaptation of the Greek myth presented by Company XIV. In the play, a Trojan prince, Paris, is forced to choose the most beautiful among the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. The director of this adaptation, Austin McCormick, re-creates the ancient beauty contest — which leads to the Trojan War — with a comedic mixture of French burlesque, classical ballet, and slapstick humor. Today through Friday, 9 p.m., festival through Sunday, 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-279-4200, $15 general, $10.50 members.
TICKLED PINK Playwright Luigi Creatore's "Flamingo Court," a trio of one-act comedies, unfolds in a Florida retirement community. Actors Anita Gillette and Jamie Farr play multiple characters; the action spans several condominiums and multiple love affairs. Mr. Creatore, who himself retired to Florida in 1981 from his career as a songwriter in New York, is best known for hit Broadway songs and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love." The play, currently in previews, opens on Thursday, July 31. Monday and Thursday-Friday, 8 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, 212-239-6200, $57-$72.
To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.
To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.
