TALKS

PLEASE, MR. POSTMAN Columbia University presents “The Oral History of Women’s Letter Writing: A Lecture by Margaretta Jolly.” In addition to being an all-around expert in the art and history of letter writing, Ms. Jolly is the author of “In Love and Struggle: Letters and Contemporary Feminism” (Columbia University Press). The author discusses the evolution of letters written by women, from romantic love letters to absent men during World War I, to the letter-writing campaigns during the peace movement of the 1960s, all the way to modern-day e-mails. Tonight, 6 p.m., Columbia University, Butler Library, 535 W. 114th St., room 523, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-854-2271, free.

DANCE

CLASSICS, REINCARNATED The Juilliard School kicks off its spring dance performance series with “Dance Masterworks of the 20th Century,” a celebration of three dance icons, all of them faculty, from the Dance Division’s early years: Martha Graham, Antony Tudor, and José Limón. Graham’s “Appalachian Spring” is set to a score of the same name by Aaron Copland; Tudor’s “Dark Elegies” is set to Gustav Mahler’s “Kindertotenlieder,” and Limón’s “There is a Time” is set to Norman Dello Joio’s “Meditations on Ecclesiastes.” Conductor George Stelluto leads the Axiom ensemble during the performances. Today through Sunday, Wednesday–Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Lincoln Center, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 155 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-721-6500, $20 general, $10 students and seniors.

FILM

QUICK GETAWAY Director Walter Hill’s 1978 film noir classic, “The Driver,” comes to the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Rose Cinemas. Originally written for actor Steve McQueen, “The Driver” is the story of a detective who becomes obsessed with capturing a car thief he has nicknamed “Cowboy.” The stolen cars are used as getaway vehicles during bank robberies. This film is most revered for its exciting car-chase sequences. Film historian and critic Elliott Stein chats with the audience about the movie during the 6:50 p.m. screening.

Tonight, 6:50 and 9:30 p.m., BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave., between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, $11 general, $7.50 students and seniors.

PHOTOGRAPHY

REBUILDING OVER BREAKFAST TriBeCa’s Cosmopolitan Café hosts “Downtown Rising,” an exhibit by photographer Joe Woolhead. Mr. Woolhead’s work captures the reconstruction of the World Trade Center and surrounding buildings, and has been featured in Town and Country and Esquire magazines, among other publications. “Downtown Rising” is intended as a tribute to the workers of the World Trade Center site. The café itself is located in what used to be a 19th-century ladies’ lunch counter. Friday through Tuesday, April 1, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m., Cosmopolitan Café, 95 W. Broadway, between Chambers and Reade streets, 212-766-3787, free.

SAND FEVER Massimo Vitali began his career in the 1960s as a photojournalist. By the 1990s, he had turned his attention to creating large-scale photographs of crowded leisure scenes. His 1995 “Beaches” series captures its subjects in various forms of repose and enjoying the great outdoors. His latest work, a self-titled exhibit, is on view at Bonni Benrubi Gallery. Through Saturday, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Bonni Benrubi Gallery, 41 E. 57th St., 13th floor, at Madison Avenue, 212-888-6007, free.

HUGS JUST WON’T DO The City Reliquary presents “76 Kisses: Snapshots From the Collection of Lori Baker and David E. Brown,” an exhibit of found photographs. The Brooklyn-based couple (also artists) searched high and low for images spanning the last century that featured twosomes caught in passionate embrace — from long lip locks to saucy smooches. The artists compiled the collection after meeting — rather appropriately — on the popular photo sharing website, Flickr.com. Through Sunday, Saturday and Sunday, noon–6 p.m., or by appointment, City Reliquary, 370 Metropolitan Ave. at Havemeyer Street, 718-782-4842, donations welcome.

TALKS

STALKING BRITNEY The Atlantic magazine and New York University’s Department of Journalism co-host a news forum, “The Britney Show: The Rise of the 24/7 Celebrity News Cycle.” The program is centered on the rise of the paparazzi news culture and the drive behind the press’s incessant coverage of celebrity. Featured panelists include the editorial director of American Media and a former editor of Us Weekly magazine, Bonnie Fuller; a columnist and critic for the New York Times Magazine, Virginia Heffernan, and the editor of the New York Post’s Page Six, Richard Johnson. Today, 1 p.m., NYU, Department of Journalism, 20 Cooper Square, between 5th and 6th streets. RSVP to spavesi@theatlantic.com.

DIRECTOR’S CUT Lincoln Center Theater’s Platform Series presents a pre-performance talk with the director of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” Bartlett Sher. The Platform Series is a forum for public discussion between LCT artists and interested theatergoers. Mr. Sher has received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for his direction of LCT’s “The Light in the Piazza,” as well as a Tony nomination for “Awake and Sing!” Mr. Sher also directed the Metropolitan Opera’s acclaimed production of “The Barber of Seville.” Tonight, 6 p.m., Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 150 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-362-7600, free.

LIFE OF JAZZ Saxophonist Sonny Rollins, a modern-day jazz icon, has played music with a host of jazz masters, including Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Max Roach. Reflecting on a career that began at the age of 11, Mr. Rollins discusses music history, jazz, and ideas with a critic for The New York Sun, Gary Giddins, who is also the author of nine books, including “Visions of Jazz: The First Century,” winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., CUNY Graduate Center, Harold M. Proshansky Auditorium, 365 Fifth Ave. at 34th Street, 212-817-2005, free.

ART

LEADING LADY The paintings and multimedia work of Miriam Schapiro reflect one woman’s exploration of identity. A retrospective at the Flomenhaft Gallery illustrates the long arc of her career. Her early paintings from the 1950s suggest her personal struggle, yet when she later became a leader of the feminist art movement, her work shifted to a more joyful expression of womanhood. Her interest in diverse cultures led her to create a series of dazzling fans and mythic dramas.

Through Saturday, April 26, Flomenhaft Gallery, 547 W. 27th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-268-4953, free.

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