Compiled by Scott Stiffler, scott@thevillager.com
Book Talk
Paul Bacon’s tell-all memoir
BAD COP:
NEW YORK’S LEAST LIKELY POLICE OFFICER TELLS ALL
Like many of today’s recently minted firemen and policemen, Paul Bacon took his instincts for post-9/11 rage and channeled them into public service. Too bad his well-meaning stint as a NYC cop was complicated by a too-friendly disposition and the painfully obvious fact that he just didn’t have the right cop chops. Good thing for readers everywhere (and the citizens of NYC in particular) that Bacon went back to writing after just three years in blue. Tonight, he reads excerpts, signs books, and reminds us why we should all be grateful that he no longer carries a gun. At Partners & Crime bookstore, Thursday, March 19, 7pm. Free. 212-243-0440 or www.crimepays.com.
THEATER
Photo: Maria Luisa Gambale
David Levine in a scene from “Venice Saved”
VENICE SAVED
Theater auteur David Levine filters his inquiry into the nature of democracy and the relevance of political theater through a unique format in which the audience sits at a seminar table amongst cast members who “may or may not be acting.” The seminar topic? Simone Weil’s unfinished 1943 allegorical play “Venise Sauvée.” Show up and ruminate, along with the cast, on how the lessons learned from Weil’s take on the overthrow of democracy nicely parallels what the artists and audience are doing by sitting down at the same table. From March 19 through April 5. 7:30p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; 6p.m. Sundays. At P.S. 122, 150 First Avenue. $20. For tickets, 212-352-3101 or www.ps122.org.
“End Scene” from “Motor Skills”
MOTOR SKILLS
Looking to get the most bang for your theater buck? Stage Left Studio gives you three one-act plays for the price of one — in an evening that tackles sex, love, memory, manipulation and. . .more. Cheryl King’s “Art/Sex” has a rich woman posing naked. William LoCosta’s “The Suitcase,” when opened, reveals more than a married couple bargained for. LoCosta’s “End Scene” sets off unexpected fireworks between an acting coach and his two pupils. 8p.m., March 19 & 26. Stage Left Studio, 438 W 37th Street, Suite 5A. $18 at the door, $15 with advance purchase using discount code 3OFF at www.smarttix.com. 212-868-4444.
Talk
From “I of the Storm: Michael Hafftka, Recent Works”
MICHAEL HAFFTKA
After over thirty years of contemplating the human figure through a neo-expressionist style, artist Michael Hafftka tapped into his Jewish heritage — and found new takes on favored themes. Working in watercolors and oils, his latest works use mystical images, biblical references and the Hebrew alphabet to explore humanity. A special gallery talk with the artist promises to shine a revealing light on lessons learned from his stylistic transformation. Tuesday, March 24, 4:00p.m; Yeshiva University Museum, 15 West 16th Street. $8 for Adults and $6 for Senior/Students gets you admission to the museum and access to the gallery talk. Busy Tuesday? The exhibit runs through August 30, 2009. 212-294-8330.
EXHIBITS
SEEING GOD IN PRINT Seeking a connection to the divine? Perhaps you’ll find it in the twenty-five historically significant lithographs to be found in this unique, rare exhibition. These forward facing icons were widely distributed to merchants and households across India from the late 19th century through the 1940s. “Seeing God in Print” marks the first formal U.S. presentation of this type of Indian art. Through April 11. IPCNY Gallery, 526 West 26th Street, Room 824. www.ipcny.org.
