THU.SEP. 7
Multiracial
While Americans frequently make a show of celebrating diversity, all too often the implications and issues of belonging and identity surrounding America’s vast multiracial population are ignored. In “Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience,” Editor Chandra Prasad opens up this dialogue, bringing together eighteen stories by both new and noted writers about the experience of coming from a multiracial background. With contributors Marina Budhos, Neela Vaswani, Mat Johnson, Emily Raboteau, Carmit Delman and editor Chandra Prasad. A Q&A session and book signing will follow the reading. Housing Works Used Book Café, 126 Crosby St. 212-334-3324. 7 p.m. Free.
FRI. SEP. 8
10 Curatorial Perspectives
Haven Arts announces an exhibition showcasing the selections of ten different curators, who each control a designated wall of the gallery space. They are Carey Clark, Edwin Gonzalez, Barry Kostrinsky, Anat Litwin, Aristides Logothetis, Gay City News gallery reviewer Wayne Northcross, J.C. Rice, Tim Rollins, Nathan Schreiber, and Zimad. The range of expertise brought to bear by these diverse curators and their wide acquaintance with artists and other galleries enriches this collaboration. Opening reception, 6 p.m. 235 E. 141st. 718-585-5753 or havenarts.org
Evening Stars
For the third year, The Joyce is collaborating with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to bring world-class dance to the enchanting outdoor setting of Battery Park. Evening Stars is part of the Arts on the Horizon series, part of the River to River Festival, five days of events in lower Manhattan. The Kansas City Ballet kicks off the five night series with an evening of its extraordinary repertory including the “Catherine Wheel Suite” (Twyla Tharp choreography, David Byrne music). Through Sep. 10. Free, 7:30 p.m. Battery Park, State and Pearl Sts. For information, joyce.org or rivertorivernyc.com
LatinBeat 2006
The past decade has witnessed a resurgence throughout Latin America, not only from traditional producers as Argentina, Brazil and Mexico but also from a host of lesser-known national cinemas. The ferment noted within the cinema is of course but a reflection of the political and social changes taking place across the region, as Latin Americans search for new answers and ideas after having gone through and pushed aside a host of orthodoxies ranging from romantic revolution to free -market capitalism. The emphasis of many of the films and filmmakers in the program has moved away from discussions of society to explorations of the individual. Presenting 26 films from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela, LatinBeat opens with “El Aura,” the latest film by recently deceased (Argentine) director Fabián Bielinsky (“Nine Queens”). The series features a salute to director Alfonso Cuarón that includes, among others, his best known works “Y tu mamá también,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” as well as a sidebar celebrating 40 years of the Brazilian music and cultural movement known as Tropicália. All films in LatinBeat are New York premieres in their original language with English subtitles.
Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St, btwn. Broadway and Amsterdam. $10 212-496-3809 or tickets.filmlinc.com. Through Sep. 24
SAT. SEP. 9
Celebrate Mexico Now
The third annual Celebrate México Now offers audiences a rare opportunity to explore Mexico’s vibrant, contemporary cultural scene and features over 15 events at multiple venues throughout New York City during its 17-day celebration. Showcasing the vanguard of contemporary art and culture, the festival provides a platform for a new generation of creative artists, presenting some of Mexico’s most intriguing and compelling voices in visual art, music, architecture, dance, literature, film, theater and cuisine. The festival events range from a special five-course menu inspired by the cuisine of Oaxaca at Maya to free screenings of short films by winners of the 2005 Morelia International Film Festival at the School of Visual Arts; from the second U.S. solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed new media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at bitforms gallery to the sultry vocals and deep house, bossa-influenced beats of Sweet Electra at Joe’s Pub; from a dance performance by Mexican-born, New York-based choreographer Ofelia Loret de Mola at Joyce SoHo to a discussion on architectural collaborations with renowned designers Ricardo Legoretta and Sheila Hicks at the Americas Society, and much, much more. Through Sep. 17. mexiconowfestival.org.
Ambush
3RD Ward is the new host for East Williamsburg’s monthly avant-garde gathering previously held at Chez Bushwick. Tonight’s event features Elke Rindfleisch (dance), Jim Staley (solo trombone), Bruce Nauman (video art), Wanjiru Kamuyu (dance), and David Vaughan, Michael Cole, and Jonah Bokaer doing readings to honor John Cage’s birthday. An interview with Carla Peterson, newly-appointed Artistic Director of Dance Theater Workshop is also scheduled. 195 Morgan Ave. $5 at 718-715-4961. 8 p.m.
SUN. SEP.10
Amok Among the Boroughs
Borrowing from Charles Ludlam’s Theater of the Ridiculous, transformations using whole-body masks from Bread and Puppet Theater, and movement vocabulary from post-modern dance, Circus Amok offers gender-bending entertainment, laughter, commentary, and a surreal take on the world. The one-of-a-kind, free associating, shtick driven, star-studded circus directed by the unstoppable “bearded lady” Jennifer Miller, is a poly-sexual troupe of jugglers, stilt walkers, drag divas, and acrobats balances danger with laughter, politics with punch lines. The troupe, accompanied by the blasting, percussive sounds of the six-piece Circus Amok band, playing a variety of international musical styles from klezmer to funk to folk, returns for its 13th season of annual gender-bending urban circuses. For the full fall schedule, visit circusamok.org. Through Sep. 24.
MON. SEP. 11
Looking Back From Ground Zero
The exhibition will include paintings, photographs, prints, and drawings of the Lower Manhattan area around the World Trade Center site before, as well as after, the attack. Also included will be historical maps of the southern tip of Manhattan. The Museum’s Libraries and Archives will exhibit artist’s books and exhibition catalogues. Brooklyn Museum of Art. 200 Eastern Pkwy. at Washington Ave. 718-638-5000.
Voices of Resistance
“Voices of Resistance: Muslim Women on War, Faith and Sexuality” is a diverse collection of writing by Muslim women, whose experiences are particularly poignant in today’s politically and religiously charged climate. The contributors hail from over a dozen countries, and share engaging stories about their bodies and their communities. One woman mourns the death of a cousin killed in a suicide bombing, while another confronts sexism and hypocrisy on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. A transsexual remembers with fondness the donning of the veil he no longer wears as a Muslim man. Bluestockings, 172 Allen St. btwn. Stanton and Rivington Sts. 7 p.m., free. 212-777-6028.
Virginia Stories
Reviving the nearly forgotten art of dramatic panegyric, Peter Neofotis will relive three tales from his novel, “Concord, Virginia,” as part of Dixon Place’s fall line-up. Each following month, different stories will be presented. By turns comic, dramatic, and tragic, the stories in “Concord, Virginia” excavate life in one small rural Virginia town during the post World War II era. In the comically grotesque Southern tradition of Carson McCullers and Flannery O’Connor, Neofotis unfolds the panorama of a long-rooted community one character at a time. The tapestry grows as long-honored harmonies of nature, family, community, taboos, and local law confront a seeping flood of sanitizing modernity. Paying homage to his home state’s respect for the oral traditions of both the ancient and Appalachian worlds, Neofotis delivers his tales from memory. 258 Bowery, second floor, between Houston & Prince Sts. 8 p.m., $15, $12 student/senior discounts available. Tickets, (212) 219-0736 or theatermania.com.
TUE. SEP.12
Downtown Locals
There’s Broadway, then there’s subway. In its New York premiere, “Downtown Locals” features six subway performers who struggle to earn a living and defend their right to perform in NYC’s underground. Pioneer Theatre, 155 E. Third St. btwn. Aves. A & B. 7 p.m., 212-591-0434.
Hijacked History
The current administration runs a brilliantly orchestrated campaign of distortion, omission and repetition that turns truth into lies and lies into history before anyone can sound a proper alarm. The new anthology “A Fictional History of the United States With Huge Chunks Missing” seeks to challenge the stories we’ve been told, and create counter-narratives to the mainstream version of American history. Join editors T Cooper and Adam Mansbach, Akashic Books publisher Johnny Temple and contributor Felicia Luna Lemus for a reading from the book, followed by a discussion with the three fiction writers and their publisher—none of whom check politics at the door in their lives or work. Bluestockings, 172 Allen St. btwn. Stanton and Rivington Sts. 7 p.m., free. 212-777-6028.
WED. SEP.13
Tush
Stand up comic Jaffe Cohen, one of the original Funny Gay Males, will have you in stitches as he reads from his hilarious new novel “Tush.” It’s a sexy comedy about a gay Jewish “ass-trologer” named Joel Eisenberg who’s been using his zodiac readings to get his hands on the cute guys who used to ignore him. According to Bob Smith, author of “Openly Bob,” “‘Tush’ is a great beach read. Joel’s quest for the great white ass makes Captain Ahab look well adjusted.” The LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St. Free, 8 p.m. 212-620-7310.
The Rule of Mars
Why have men come to dominate women in so many recent societies? Cristina Biaggi’s new book is a provocative collection of the best writings by leading scholars on the subject of patriarchy—how it developed into the dominant social system, how it has been maintained, and what its impact has been on contemporary life. This wide-ranging compendium reads like an emergency siren demanding that we wake up and pay attention to the root sources of our troubled times. Bluestockings, 172 Allen St. btwn. Stanton and Rivington Sts. 7 p.m., free. 212-777-6028.
THU. SEP. 14
Dancenow/NYC
DancemOpolitan provides New York City dancemakers with a different artistic challenge, offering artists the opportunity to take a creative leap and move beyond the stage, breaking down pre-conceived notions that dance has to be something you can’t understand and isn’t fun. Presenting a full spectrum of dance styles, from Latin to hip hop, toe to tap, bare feet to flamenco and offering bite-size choreographic gems that are romantic, fun, sexy and humorous, as well as physically challenging, beautiful and poignant DancemOpolitan is attracting new, younger and enthusiastic audiences for dance. The intimacy of Joe’s Pub and the proximity of the performers to the audience creates a level of excitement that really translates, offering artists and their audiences a visceral experience that appeals to the avid dance fan as well as the regular patrons of this traditional music venue, many of whom have never attended a dance performance before. Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater. $15 at 212-239-6200 or telecharge.com. Dinner reservations can be made at 212-539-8778; seating and standing room are available on a first-come, first-served basis for all shows without a dinner reservation. Two drink minimum or $12 food purchase is standard. 425 Lafayette St. Tonight and tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. Hosted by Leigh Garrett.
Keep It Movin’
“Keep It Movin’” is a one-woman show about how women of color in the U.S. come to consciousness. Incorporating theater, poetry, dance and video, the play explores the lives of ten women of color. Born and raised in New York, playwright Una Aya Osato is a performer, educator and babysitter. She currently works with Impact Repertory Theatre, leading workshops on grassroots political organizing for young people. Bluestockings, 172 Allen St. btwn. Stanton and Rivington Sts. 7 p.m., $5 suggested. 212-777-6028.
The History of Swimming
Kim Powers is an Emmy and Peabody winning writer who has worked for both ABC’s Good Morning America and Primetime with Diane Sawyer. “The History of Swimming” details author Kim Powers’ frantic search for his twin brother, Tim—his best friend, his greatest enemy—who disappears from Manhattan one weekend. Diane Sawyer says, “This is a riveting memoir, sensitive, wise and unsparing. Kim Powers teaches so much about lives where the ‘beams of love’ are interlaced with jagged glass. Twin brothers, joined forever in hope and pain and laughter—and longing for the place they can swim in the sun.” The LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St. Free, 7 p.m. 212-620-7310.
FRI. SEP. 15
Refugee Camp
An estimated 33 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes and live in temporary shelter, with nearly two-thirds of them displaced within their own countries. The exhibit is made up of materials used by Doctors Without Borders in its emergency medical work around the world, including emergency refugee housing, a food distribution tent, water pump, health clinic, vaccination tent, therapeutic feeding center, and a cholera treatment center. It addresses questions such as, Will I be safe? What will I eat? How do I find water? Can I get medical care? And where will I live? Guided by Doctors Without Borders aid workers, visitors to this outdoor educational exhibit are asked to imagine that they are among the millions of people fleeing violence and persecution in, for example, Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Sudan. At Central Park through Sep. 17 and Prospect Park Sep. 20-24. 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. doctorswithoutborders.org. Free.
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