ART

GEOMETRIC PERSPECTIVE In his latest exhibit of paintings, “Tracts,” artist Lloyd Martin experiments with the geometric interactions of colors and shapes. They “appeal exclusively to our sense of scale and balance. In that sense, they approach the character of music,” critic Maureen Mullarkey wrote of Mr. Martin’s paintings in the October 19, 2006 edition of The New York Sun. Through Saturday, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Stephen Haller Gallery, 542 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-741-7777, free.

THE COLLABORATOR Choreographer Merce Cunningham has drawn acclaim for his collaborative work with contemporary artists and musicians. “Invention: Merce Cunningham & Collaborators,” an exhibit at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, offers a glimpse at the dancer’s creative process, including four key discoveries. Mr. Cunningham’s manuscripts, designs, and computer-generated choreography are on view together with archival materials collected from a selection of artists with whom he has worked. Composer John Cage and artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns are featured. The exhibit is presented by the library, the Cunningham Dance Foundation, and the John Cage Trust. Through Saturday, Monday and Thursday, noon–8 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, between 64th and 65th streets, 212-870-1630, free.

POLITICS ON PAINT “Midnight’s Daydream,” an exhibit at the Studio Museum in Harlem, explores the theme of “the witching hour.” The show highlights the work of the museum’s 2006–07 artists-in-residence, Titus Kaphar, Wardell Milan II, and Demetrius Oliver. In the diptych “Conversation Between Paintings no.3: Descent” (2007), Mr. Kaphar engages historical issues of race in Europe and the New World by juxtaposing and mashing two works, John Baptiste de Medina’s portrait, “James Drummond, 2nd Titular Duke of Perth” (c. 1700), and Anne-Louis Girodet’s “Jean-Baptiste Balley” (1797), which was a likeness of the Senegal-born representative of Santo Domingo (now Haiti) in the French Parliament. Through Sunday, October 28, Wednesday–Friday and Sunday, noon–6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 W. 125th St., between Lenox and Seventh avenues, 212-864-4500, $7 general, $3 seniors and students, free for members and children under age 12.

PAINTINGS

MONSTER MASH A resident artist at the Virgil de Voldère Gallery, Nicolas Touron, presents new paintings in the exhibit “Circus.” Many of his paintings feature alien-esque characters, reminiscent of the otherworldly figures present in Bosch’s paintings, looming over gloomy, dark landscapes. Selections from the exhibit include “La Fete” (2007), above. Through Saturday, October 20, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Virgil de Voldère Gallery, 526 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-343-9694, free.

READINGS

STORYTELLING “Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story” opens with a reading hosted by mystery author Stephen King, featuring stories that were included in the collection “The Best American Short Stories 2007.” Writer Joanna Gleason reads a story by Karen Russell and Judith Ivey reads a story by T.C. Boyle. Mr. King guest-edited parts of this year’s collection and says what he looked for in stories included a “sense of emotional involvement, of flipped-out amazement … like a big hot meteor screaming down from the Kansas sky.” Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, $26 in advance, $30 at the doors, $24 for members.

LIVING IN AMERICA A host and producer of the National Public Radio program “This American Life,”Ira Glass, discusses the 14 stories featured in his recently published book, “The New Kings of Nonfiction” (Riverhead Trade). Mr. Glass is joined by three of the featured writers, who read from and expound on their contributions: Malcolm Gladwell, Chuck Klosterman, and Susan Orlean. The event benefits 826Chicago, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center. Tonight, 8p.m., Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St., between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, 212-840-2824, $30.

SOIRÉES

SAIL AWAY Gilda’s Club, named after the late comedian Gilda Radner, raises funds and awareness for families stricken by cancer. The international arm of the nonprofit organization, Gilda’s Club Worldwide, holds a benefit cocktail reception aboard the SeaFair Grand Luxe, a five-level ship with on-board galleries specializing in 17th-century to 19th-century decorative arts, 20th-century to 21st-century modern and contemporary art, Asian art, and more. Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m., Chelsea Piers, Pier 59, 23rd Street and the Hudson River, 914-579-1000, $250 and up.

TALKS

ART AS OURSELVES The School of Visual Arts’s MFA Art Criticism and Writing Department presents a lecture by a contributing editor to “Art in America,” Carter Ratcliff, as he discusses art as a means for preserving and improving civil society. He talks about how modern art sustains various ideas of individuality and history for those who define themselves through art. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., SVA, Amphitheater, 209 E. 23 St. at Third Avenue, 3rd floor, 212-592-2145, free.

THEATER

TAFFETA, SWEETHEART Halloween’s around the corner, which means there are plenty of odes to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” on-screen and onstage. The 37 Arts theater presents the new off-Broadway musical “Frankenstein,” about the antics of a scientist who creates a monster from an experiment. When Dr. Frankenstein discovers the monster has a mind of his own, the scientist discovers that his own life is in deep peril. Bill Fennelly directs the play, and Hunter Foster plays Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Other actors include Christiane Noll and Steve Blanchard. Wednesday through an open run, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 8 p.m., Wednesday, 3 and 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., 37 Arts, 450 W. 37th St. at Dyer Avenue, 212-307-4100, $50–$120.

CHILDHOOD FAVORITE For New Yorkers, “The Phantom of the Opera”might not be the first show that comes to mind when asked about local theater. But the show continues to be a popular destination for many families with young adolescents in tow. The musical, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, tells the story of a deformed musical genius who hides in a Paris opera house, and falls in love with a new soprano, Christine. The”phantom” soon makes Christine his captive in an effort to separate the singer from her lover, but he releases her after finding his promise of love is unrequited. The show currently stars Howard McGillin as the Phantom, and Sandra Joseph as Christine. Through an open run, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 8 p.m., Tuesday, 7 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., Majestic Theater, 245 W. 44th St., between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 212-239-6200, $20–$100.

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.