ART

GALLERY TECHNOLOGY MIT graduate Jim Campbell used custom-made software, LED (light emitting diodes) displays, resin, Plexiglas, and still photographs to create the glowing panels in the exhibit “Material Light,” which opens Friday. “Library” (2004), at right, is Mr. Campbell’s first combination of LED and traditional photography. He began by making a 30-minute movie focused on the New York Public Library steps and used custom-made software to transcribe the film onto LED screens. Then he made a photogravure of the same scene and sandwiched it in Plexiglas. The final product, the LED display on top of the photogravure, is a flickering screen in which the figures on the library steps seem like ghosts. Reception: Friday, 6-8 p.m. Exhibit: Friday through Saturday, May 14, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, 601 W. 26th St. at Eleventh Avenue, no. 1240, 212-243-8830, free.

BOOKS

BEST ILLUSTRATORS The winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal for children’s book illustrations, Kevin Henkes, joins this year’s other three honorees at a reading and book signing. Mr. Henkes won for “Kitten’s First Full Moon” (Greenwillow). Also on hand are Mo Willems (“Knuffle Bunny,” Hyperion), Barbara Lehman (“The Red Book,” Houghton Mifflin), and E.B. Lewis (“Coming on Home Soon,” Putnam), who is accompanied by his collaborator Jacqueline Woodson. Saturday, noon, Books of Wonder, 18 W. 18th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-989-3270, free.

DESIGN

BRAND-NEW LOOK Robot designers, flower arrangers, and textile artists show off their wares and discuss their crafts at a wide-ranging symposium focusing on the new wave of Japanese design. Friday through Sunday, times vary, Friday and Saturday events take place at 145 1511 299 1524Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-832-1155, Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. workshop takes place at the Museum of Arts & Design, 40 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-956-3535, $15-$85. Please go to www.japansociety.org for full schedule.

FAMILY

GREEN SCENE The Bronx Zoo celebrates all things green, from spring to St. Patrick’s Day, with a weekend of events on the “World of Reptiles.” Reptile keepers show off tree pythons, poison dart frogs, and a “pig-nose” turtle – the Bronx Zoo is the only one in America to successfully hatch the breed. Keeper talks: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Zoo hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily, Bronx Zoo, Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road, Bronx, 718-367-1010, $8 general, $6 seniors and children ages 2 to 12.

FILM

CLOWNING AROUND The “Silent Clowns” series screens six comedy shorts starring and directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. The films, including “Fatty’s Reckless Fling” and “Fatty’s Tintype Tangle,” were all made during a six-month period in 1915 for Keystone Studios. Pianist Ben Model provides accompaniment to the silent films. Sunday, 2 p.m., Makor, 35 W. 67th St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-601-1000, $7.

FOUR BLONDES The Brooklyn Museum screens four Marilyn Monroe films this weekend: Howard Hawks’s 1953 “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (Saturday, 1 p.m.), the 1956 Western romance “Bus Stop” (Saturday, 4 p.m.), the 1953 domestic drama “Niagara” (Sunday, 1 p.m.), and her last completed film, John Huston’s 1961 “The Misfits” (Sunday, 4 p.m.). The museum’s exhibit of photographs of Monroe, “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” closes on Sunday. Weekend hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway at Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-638-5000, $8 general, $4 seniors and students.

FOOD & DRINK

FAMILY WINE A wine tasting for young professionals benefits One Family Fund, an organization that aids victims of violence in Israel. A dairy dinner is served and Kosher-wine expert Jay Buchsbaum gives a talk. A survivor of a 2003 cafe attack in Israel, Tzippy Cohen, speaks about her experiences. Sunday, 6-9 p.m., New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 124 E. 58th St., between Lexington and Park avenues, 973-438-3535, $65.

SOMETHING’S FISHY Pieces of sushi chosen for their spring colors are the centerpiece at a sushi-making demonstration and wine tasting that celebrates the season. Monday, 6-7:30 p.m., Felissimo Design House, 10 W. 56th St., between Fifth and Sixth av 1008 1404 1207 1418enues, second floor, free, reservations required at specialevents@felissimo.com.

MUSIC

FEELING DIZZY Former members of Dizzy Gillespie’s band join biographer Don Maggin at a reading from “Dizzy” (Harper-Entertainment). The performers are pianist Mike Longo, drummer Charli Persip, bassist John Lee, and trumpet player Jimmy Owens. Friday, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle, 1972 Broadway at 66th Street, 212-595-6859, free.

SURFEIT OF SONDHEIM “Wall to Wall,” a 12-hour music marathon, celebrates the work of composer Stephen Sondheim in anticipation of his 75th birthday Monday. Highlights include Elaine Stritch singing “The Ladies Who Lunch,” from “Company,” Dana Ivey and Isaiah Scheffer performing “No Life,” from “Sunday in the Park With George,” and Neil Patrick Harris crooning “If You Can Find Me, I’m Here,” from “Evening Primrose.” Throughout the day, Mr. Sondheim participates in discussions with Jonathan Schwartz, Frank Rich, and others. Saturday, 10:30 p.m. doors open, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. performances, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, free. Please see www.symphonyspace.org for a complete schedule. Note: The event is broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio and from noon-4 p.m. on WNYC 93.9 FM. (Can’t get enough Sondheim? There’s more to come. The Museum of Television & Radio kicks off a new screening series of Mr. Sondheim’s contributions to television – he has been a writer, composer, documentary subject, and actor. Friday through July 3, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday-Sunday, 2 p.m., Thursday, 2 and 5 p.m., Museum of Television & Radio, 25 W. 52nd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-621-6600, $10. Also: Mr. Sondheim’s “Passion” will be broadcast as part of “Live from Lincoln Center” on PBS at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 31.)

SEASONAL SONGS Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons perform as part of Lehman Center’s 25th anniversary season. Mr. Valli is known for crooning hits such as “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” Saturday, 8 p.m., Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, between Paul and Goulden avenues, Bronx, 718-960-8833, $25-$45.

WHITHER THE ZITHER Vienna-based Christof Dienz (aka Dienz Zithered) uses analog instruments, including a zither, tuning forks, and wooden sticks, to approximate electronic sounds. He shares a bill this weekend at Tonic with the electronic trio OMAC and the improvisational group TV Pow. Coming up: The indie rock band Yo La Tengo performs in a benefit for the venue, which is facing extinction due to rising rents (Tuesday, March 29, 7 and 10 p.m., $30). Dienz: Sunday, 8 p.m., Tonic, 107 Norfolk St., between Delancey and Rivington streets, 212-358-7501, $8 and one-drink minimum.

‘CAGED BIRD’ SONGS Vocalist Capathia Jenkins performs composer Louis Rosen’s 12-song suite based on the work of writer Maya Angelou. Sundays, March 20 and March 27, 7 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. at Astor Place, 212-239-6200, $20 and two-drink minimum.

PUPPETRY

WAR STORY Theodora Skipitares’s “Iphigenia,” adapted from the play by Euripides, features 5-foot puppets strapped to actors’ bodies. The story follows King Agamemnon during the period before the Trojan War. Opens: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Through Sunday, April 3, Thursday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m., La MaMa E.T.C., 74A E. 4th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-475-7710, $15.

READING

LIVE RADIO A three-day festival on Staten Island’s north shore offers live readings of classic radio dramas and comedies. “Sorry, Wrong Number,” a sort of auditory “Rear Window,” is the story of a rich New York invalid who accidentally hears a murder plot over the phone. It shares a program with “Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel,” a comedy first performed on air by the Marx Brothers (Friday, 8 p.m.). “Marty,” a radio play based on a film starring Ernest Borgnine, shares a double bill with “Stella Dallas,” a melodrama about a mother who realizes her daughter would be better off without her (Saturday, 8 p.m.). The final program features a repeat performance of “Stella Dallas” and a production of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” about two elderly aunts who have murder on the mind (Sunday, 3 p.m.). All performances: Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace at Snug Harbor Road, Staten Island, 212-868-4444, $10 general, $8 seniors, students, and members, $20 entire festival.

TALK

ADAMS AT ZANKEL Author Russell Banks talks with composer John Adams as part of Mr. Adams’s “Creative Process” series of conversations with writers, actors, filmmakers, and artists. Sunday, 4 p.m., Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, 212-247-7800, $15.

THEATER

FRUITY FUN The musical/theater/acrobatics show “Planet Banana,” subtitled “A Rock ‘n’ Roll Love Story,” follows a pretty singer wants to fall in love. Opens: Friday, 8 p.m. Runs: Through Saturday, May 7, Thursday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Friday, 8 and 10 p.m., Ars Nova Theater, 511 W. 54th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-868-4444, $20.

METAMORPHOSIS In Keith Jarrow’s rock musical “Gorilla Man,” a 14-year-old wakes up one morning to discover that fur has sprouted on the backs of his hands. As he sets out to find his father, the mysterious Gorilla Man, the play makes the indisputable case that “Puberty is hard enough without the insatiable thirst for blood.” Habib Azar directs. “Gorilla Man” runs in repertory with Young Jean Lee’s “Pullman, WA.” Through Sunday, March 27, Thursday-Saturday, 9 p.m., Sunday, 7 p.m., P.S. 122, 150 First Ave., 212-477-5288, $15 one show, $25 both shows.

TOURS

STEPS OF FAITH A walking tour explores the role of religion in Chinatown’s history and current culture. Stops include Eastern States Buddhist Temple, Church of the Transfiguration, and the Eldridge Street Synagogue. Saturday, 1-2:15 p.m., meet at the Museum of Chinese in the Americas, 70 Mulberry St. at Bayard Street, second floor, 212-619-4785, $12 general, $8 members, $6 seniors and students, free for children under 5, reservations required.

BIKE BROOKLYN Bike the Big Apple offers a twilight bicycle ride across the Brooklyn Bridge. The 8-mile tour begins in daylight in the West Village and proceeds along the Hudson River Greenway and through Battery Park City. Bikers view the sunset over Manhattan from the bridge and then pedal through Chinatown and SoHo at night. Sunday, 4-8 p.m., 877-865-0078 for meeting place and reservations, $49 includes bicycle and helmet.

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.