READINGS

MEND A BROKEN HEART For those unlucky enough to find themselves locked in a tiff with a significant other just before Valentine’s Day, a reading at Bluestockings Bookstore might be just the solution. Family therapist Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio reads from and discusses his book “Making Love, Playing Power: Men, Women, & the Rewards of Intimate Justice” (Soft Skull). Mr. Dolan-Del Vecchio addresses the misconceptions about communication issues in relationships. He discusses his theory that the misuse of power — stemming from gender, race, money, and other factors — is the root cause of relationship strife. Love can be built on fairness and mutual respect, he argues.

Tonight, 7 p.m., Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen St., between Stanton and Rivington streets, 212-777-6028, free.

ART

PENCIL AND PEN “Narrations,” a group exhibit, features seven artists whose work reflects the spontaneity of the drawing medium. Some of the pieces are created with materials such as graphite, while others implement the collage format. Through Saturday, March 1, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Nancy Margolis Gallery, 523 W. 25th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-242-3013, free.

RISING UP “Recent Paintings,” an exhibit by Vincent Hamel, contains works that, at first glance, appear to be monochromatic. In fact, Mr. Hamel creates the artworks by applying thick layers of multi-hued paint for a three-dimensional effect. The artist takes great pains to treat his surfaces with brushstrokes of varying lengths and directions. Through Saturday, Tuesday–Saturday, 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m., seventh floor, 529 W. 20th St., between Tenth Avenue and the West Side Highway, 646-486-7004, free.

HOLIDAY

‘FRIDAY’ ON THURSDAY A classic Hollywood screwball romance directed by Howard Hawks, “His Girl Friday” (1940) stars Cary Grant as a hard-nosed newspaper editor who goes out of his way to keep his ace reporter (and ex-wife), played by Rosalind Russell, from remarrying. The screening is featured as part of a Valentine’s Day “Dinner and a Movie” package at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; a four-course dinner and complimentary Champagne are served at BAMcafé. (The romantic dessert is a warm chocolate fondant cake with espresso gelato, whipped cream, cherries, and vanilla crème anglaise.) Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m. screening with 8:30 p.m. dinner, or 6:45 p.m. dinner with 8:30 p.m. screening, BAMcafé, 30 Lafayette Ave., between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, 718-623-7811, $63.

A FUNNY VALENTINE Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright performs with his band on Valentine’s Day. Mr. Wainwright, whose confessional style has made him a favorite among fans, once compared his lover in song to cravings for chocolate milk and cigarettes. He performs selections from his new album, “Release the Stars.” The son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, opens the show. Tomorrow, 8 p.m., Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Ave. at 50th Street, 212-307-1000, $39–$55.

SHOPPING

THRIFTY DUDS The City Opera Thrift Shop hosts its annual Spring Preview tonight with a collection of vintage and designer finds for home and wardrobe. Frocks and footwear by designers Diane Von Furstenberg, Manolo Blahnik, Burberry, and Marc Jacobs, among many others, are on offer for prices ranging between $25 and $150. Accessories and home furnishings, including a Baldwin baby grand piano, are also on sale at bargain prices. Shoppers need not feel guilty about burning holes in their wallets: All proceeds benefit the creation and design of costumes for new productions at the New York City Opera. Today, 5–8 p.m., City Opera Thrift Shop, 222 E. 23rd St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-684-5344, free.

THEATER

VONNEGUT ONSTAGE The Godlight Theatre Company stages “Slaughterhouse-Five or: The Children’s Crusade” at 59E59 Theaters. The play is adapted from Kurt Vonnegut’s novel by Eric Simonson and directed by Godlight’s artistic director, Joe Tantalo. In this anti-war tale, a former American prisoner of war and alien abductee time-travels through various stages of his life, including a tragic childhood and the bombing of Dresden during World War II

Tonight through Friday, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 and 8:30 p.m., Sun day, 3:30 p.m., 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th St., between Madison and Park avenues, 212-753-5959, $25 $17.50 members.

SCULPTURE

BIRDS OF A FEATHER Leftovers take on an entirely different meaning in Christy Rupp’s latest exhibit, “Extinct Birds Previously Consumed by Humans (From the Brink of Extinction to the Supermarket).” Using discarded poultry bones donated by friends after barbecues and holiday dinners, Ms. Rupp has re-created the skeletons of extinct birds, with the help of scientists and the American Museum of Natural History. A self-described political and social art activist, Ms. Rupp has used other animals, including rats and snails, in her previous works to illustrate the relationships between animals and their habitats. Moreover, the artist seeks to raise awareness of the consequences of overconsumption. Selections from the exhibit include “Carolina Parakeets, Eastern US” (2007), above. Through Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Frederieke Taylor Gallery, 535 W. 22nd St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 646-230-0992, free.

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