Dan's Papers - June 6, 2008 - Take Five 2008 with Jan Silver

There is a good variety of theater, music and literary talks in the area this week. In Sag Harbor, playwright/actor Charles Busch's spoof Shanghai Moon begins its run at Bay Street Theatre and Susie Essman opens Bay Street Theatre's Comedy Club season on Monday night. East Hampton's Guild Hall hosts the socio-political performance piece The Prophecy of Isaiah this weekend and next, and singer/songwriter Dan Zanes is at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday afternoon with his family show.

The Shelter Island library presents four notable married writers discussing whether marriage can survive a book contract at its annual book & author luncheon today at the Pridwin Hotel. International affairs expert Ralph Buultjens speaks at Temple Adas Israel tonight at 8 p.m. (free admission, open to the public).

The Southampton Fresh Air Home holds its popular Decorators-Designers-Dealers sale of furniture and accessories on Saturday at the Barkers Island Road location. There is a patrons' preview party and early-bird sale starting at 5 p.m. tonight ($150, call 631-283-5847). The East Hampton Historical Society has a benefit cocktail party at the famous Grey Gardens, now owned by Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn. Broadway performer Bob Stillman and others from Grey Gardens: The Musical will entertain (6 to 8 p.m.; tickets $85 for members, $150 for non-members; call 631-324-6850).

Charles Busch, Julie Halston and friends are back onstage at Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, with Busch's send-up of 1930s films, Shanghai Moon. The show plays Tuesdays through Sundays; tickets are $50-65 at the box office, 631-725-9500, or online at baystreet.org. Comedienne Susie Essman is the opening performer Monday at 8 p.m. in this season's Comedy Club series ($50).

Manhattan's experimental MUDasMAN Productions comes to the Boots Lamb Education Center at Guild Hall, East Hampton, with its socio-political performance piece "The Prophecy of Isaiah." Based on Art Klein's writings, the troupe dramatizes current news events. Showtime is 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday. Tickets are $10 at the door ($8 for Guild Hall members); call 631-324-0806 for more information.

The comedy Moon Over Buffalo continues performances Thursday through Sunday at the Quogue Village Theater (tickets $10-22; call 631-653-8955). The musical The Will Rogers Follies is onstage at Gateway Playhouse, Bellport, through June 14 . Tickets are $39-43 and can be ordered online at www.gatewayplayhouse.com or call 888-4TIX-NOW.

Singer/songwriter Dan Zanes and friends will perform a "Woodstock for Kids" show at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center at 1 p.m. Saturday. Songs include American classics, dance tunes, rock and original tunes; tickets are $20-50 (call 631-288-1500 or go online to www.whbpac.org).

Pianist Katherine Addleman plays and discusses the music of Robert Schumann at noon today in the Morris Meeting Room of Southampton's Rogers Memorial Library (free admission but reservations are requested 631-283-0774 ext. 523). Three string quartets give a concert on Saturday, 4 p.m., in the Duke Lecture Hall at Stony Brook Southampton (free admission). On Sunday at 3 p.m., classical guitarist William Feasley will perform music by French composers in the Morris Meeting Room (no admission charge but call 631-283-0774 to reserve seats).

Recommended music at local clubs and restaurants: Amagansett - live music weekends at Surf Shack, at the Stephen Talkhouse on Fri. rock with Dana Fuchs Band then disco/rock with Booga Sugar, on Sat. Stella Maris School benefit dinner show with Mary McBride followed by 1980s rock with Rubix Kube; East Hampton - Mambo Loco on Sat. at Fiddler's Cove, Mamalee Rose & friends at Turtle Crossing on Thurs.; Sagaponack - 5:30 p.m. wine & jazz Thurs. at Wolffer Estate; Bridgehampton - light jazz Sun. & Tues. at Pierre's, singer Monica Hughes at One Ocean on Thurs.; Water Mill - singer/guitarist Steve Fredericks on Thurs. at Muse; Southampton - live music weekends at 75 Main and Regulars (new café on North Sea Rd.), Sunnyland Jazz Band at Le Chef on Thurs., Hampton Bays - live bands Fri. at Buckley's; Westhampton Beach - live music Fri. at Annona, live music Thurs. to Sat. at The Patio, live music weekends at Westhampton Steakhouse (Swingset Quartet on Thurs.), live music weekends at Artful Dodger, live music Thurs. to Sun. at Starr Boggs; Riverhead - live music weekends at Eastenders Coffee House.

"Can Marriage Survive A Book Contract?" will be discussed by best-selling authors Lois Morris, Robert Lipsyte, Susan Yager and Bob Berkowitz at noon today for the annual Shelter Island Library book & author benefit lunch ($50, Pridwin Hotel; reservations at the library 631-749-0042). At 7:30 p.m. tonight in Chancellors Hall, Stony Brook Southampton campus, Dr. Michael Frisk will discuss the declining flounder fishery in local waters and possible causes. At 8 p.m. this evening, NYU and New School Prof. Ralph Buultjens will talk about current international problems at Temple Adas Israel, Sag Harbor.

Dan's Papers founder Dan Rattiner reads from his memoir In the Hamptons on Saturday, 11 a.m., at Mulford Farm, just off the village green in East Hampton. Mystery writer Chris Knopf reads from his latest Hamptons thriller Head Wounds on Saturday, 6 p.m. at Canio's Books, Sag Harbor. Garth Stein reads from his new novel The Art of Racing in the Rain on Saturday, 7 p.m., at BookHampton, Sag Harbor. Next Thursday, Buddhist scholar Robert A.F. Thurman (Uma's dad) talks about his new book Why the Dalai Lama Matters at a Walk Tall Gallery reception, East Hampton, 5 to 8 p.m.

Southampton's Parrish Art Museum concludes its "Identity and Survival" series tonight with the acclaimed Hotel Rwanda starring Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte, Sophia Okonedo (7 p.m., $5 museum members, $7 non-members).