New York is the city that never sleeps, and with so many events and activities each week across all five boroughs, it can be hard to know what’s actually worthwhile. Here are the events New York City actors should have on their radars this week.
The Atlantic brings the Middle East to NYC.
Ongoing through Aug. 16, Atlantic Theater Company presents its Middle Eastern MixFest, a slate of full-length play readings exclusively from Middle Eastern playwrights. Featuring works by Kareem Fahmy, Mona Mansour, Stav Palti-Negev, Melis Aker, and others, all readings will be held at the Chelsea enclave and will be free to attend, but reservations in advance are required. (Free)
Introduce your love of film to your love of books.
Cinephile-bookworm hybrids can get the best of both worlds at the Metrograph Film Book Fair, the first-ever taking place Aug. 10–12. Head to the downtown movie house for words on all your favorite movies, makers, and stars, including biographies, scripts, oral histories, and other unique memorabilia. There will, of course, be concurrent screenings taking place of films by auteurs Roald Dahl, and classics spanning “Sunset Boulevard” and “You Only Live Twice.” (Free)
Resist with celebration.
Because it certainly doesn’t just mean marches, “We Rise: A Celebration of Resistance” is a one-night-only jubilee of resistance past, present, and future, including performances, speeches, and more. Featuring Tony Award–winning “Hamilton” star Renée Elise Goldsberry, Shakina Nayfack, Shaina Taub, and others, the Aug. 13 event will be held at the Delacorte in Central Park, presented by the Public Theater. (Free)
Artists unite to help underage refugees.
In response to the current humanitarian and refugee crisis, ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty) will present ASTEP + Broadway Sing for Children in Need, a benefit concert on Aug. 13. Led by music director extraordinaire Mary-Mitchell Campbell (“Mean Girls”), the evening will include performances from Alex Brightman, Greg Hildreth, Kara Lindsay, and others, with proceeds going towards the many students affected by a refugee, asylee, or unaccompanied minor status. (Tickets start at $35)
Celebrate radical women with “Radical Creativity.”
In tribute to the often overlooked effect that women have had on both the cultural and political landscapes, BAM will present “Women at Work: Radical Creativity,” a series of curated screenings Aug. 10–16. Featuring documentary and narrative pieces, highlighted figures will include Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, Marsha P. Johnson, Ana Mendieta, and other works by and about “visionary women who refused to be second-guessed or silenced.” (Tickets: $15/screening)
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