Dan's Papers - September 14, 2007 - Take Five 2007 with Jan Silver

We hope for beautiful weather to accompany the festivals and special events planned for this weekend: Sag HarborFest, Just Plane Fun Day at East Hampton Airport, and Chiarascuro Art & Music Day in Wainscott. The Picture Show at Bay Street Theatre returns with a weekend of John Steinbeck movies. Southampton's Parrish Art Museum starts its Friday film series of features on famous artists and the Pollock-Krasner House series of contemporary artists' films continues next Thursday. East Hampton Historical Society director Richard Barons presents a curator's tour of Gardiner's Island at Clinton Academy on Saturday morning, and architect Robert A.M. Stern talks about Guild Hall's John Drew Theater restoration on Saturday afternoon. Poet Rainer Maria Rilke will be celebrated in story and song on Sunday afternoon at the Southampton library.

There is a bike tour from Southampton to Montauk on Saturday and Sunday, a benefit for Multiple Sclerosis, so please drive carefully around the many cyclists expected on South Fork roads this weekend. If you would like to participate or sponsor a cyclist, please call (631) 864-8337 or (516) 740-7227.

Sag HarborFest weekend is a Friday-to-Sunday celebration, especially gala as the village celebrates its 300th anniversary this year. The Sag Harbor Charity Cup Challenge, a three-day race of 12-meter America's Cup yachts, goes on Friday through Sunday in the bays. There is a kick-off clambake party at the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, and an Art Festival walk on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. when all Sag Harbor art galleries will be open. Other weekend events include whaleboat races Saturday and Sunday afternoon, a clam-shucking contest and a Tug-o-War at Windmill Beach on Sunday at 1 p.m. Stacy Dermont's original play 300 Stories of Sag Harbor plays at the Old Whalers' Church this weekend (see Theater section, below). For more HarborFest information, call (631) 725-1700. The South Fork Breast Health Coalition is "borrowing" the big yacht Lord Jim on Sunday for a brunch party, starting at 8:30 a.m., to watch the Sag Harbor Charity Cup finals. Tickets are $250 each or $400 per couple for the sail, meal, gift bag and more. For reservations, call (631) 726-8606.

Just Plane Fun Day is Saturday at East Hampton Airport in Wainscott, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. (raindate Sunday). View vintage aircraft, collectibles and memorabilia while enjoying refreshments; there is no admission charge.

Just beyond East Hampton Airport at East Hampton Studios, on Industrial Rd., Saturday is Chiarascuro Art & Music Day from noon until 11 p.m. Local artists and musicians will showcase their talents to benefit the Kris Dalene Music Scholarship Fund. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for students.

Stacy Dermont's charming history play 300 Stories of Sag Harbor goes on Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., and Sunday, 4 p.m. at the Old Whalers' Church, Sag Harbor, as part of the HarborFest celebration. Directed by Toni Munna, the show stars Christopher Linn, Brittany Brown and radio personality Bonnie Grice. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for students at the door. Gateway Playhouse's production of the country/western musical Urban Cowboy, based on the popular movie starring John Travolta and Debra Winter, just opened at the Bellport barn theater. Tickets ($37-43) are sold online at www.gatewayplayhouse.com, or by calling (631) 286-1133 or 888-4TIX NOW.

Mel Mendelssohn wrote, directs and performs "Rilke on Rilke: A Celebration in Poem and Song" of the famous Czech poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) who traveled widely and befriended many artists. Actress Jere Jacob, soprano Maribeth Kavajuan and pianist Andrea Modugno join Mendelssohn in this hour-long program which starts at 3 p.m. Sunday, Rogers Memorial Library, Southampton. There is no admission charge but reservations are requested; call (631) 283-0774 ext. 523.

Recommended entertainers at local clubs and restaurants this week: Montauk - acoustic rock/folk with Michael Dann weekends at Surfside Inn, surf & rock with the Surf Dogs at 668 Gigshack on Sat; Amagansett - at the Stephen Talkhouse (631-267-3117) on Fri. - alt. rock with Little Head Thinks; Sat.- Caribbean beat with The Majestic Band; Estia Cantina (631-267-6320) - salsa Thurs. with Mambo Loco. East Hampton - jazz Fri. at Almondito; Fri. pop and jazz standards with Jane Hastay and Peter Martin Weiss at Coco Restaurant (Maidstone Arms), pianist Paul Gene at Babette's Sat.; Sagaponack - Twilight Thursdays (5-7:30 p.m.) at Wölffer Estate Vineyard with live music. Sag Harbor - Annie Morgan Band on Fri. at Mumbo Gumbo; Bridgehampton - World Pie jazz brunch Sun. with Stefanie Cardinali Group, Pierre's Restaurant-light jazz with Vanessa Trouble on Sun. and Jody Carlson next Tues., Monica sings at One Ocean on Thurs.; Water Mill - guitarist Steve Fredericks at Muse on Thurs; Westhampton Beach - musicians Fri. & Sat. at Annona; East Quogue - Annie Morgan Band on Sat. at Docker's.

Richard Barons presents a curator's tour of Gardiner's Island, 1639-1889, at the East Hampton Historical Society's Clinton Academy, 151 Main St. on Saturday, 10 a.m. The talk is included with admission to the Academy, and reservations are requested (631-324-6850). Award-winning architect Robert A.M. Stern is designing the John Drew Theater restoration at Guild Hall, East Hampton. He will talk about the historic undertaking in Guild Hall's Boots Lamb Education Center at 3 p.m. Saturday (free admission).

Canio's Books, Sag Harbor, presents several contributors reading excerpts from the anthology Voices of Sag Harbor: A Village Remembered on Saturday at 6 p.m. At 8 p.m. on Saturday, BookHampton in Sag Harbor has Stephen Longmire reading from Keeping Time in Sag Harbor. FILMS

The Picture Show at Bay Street Theatre begins its fall season with two films based on John Steinbeck bestselling novels. The Grapes of Wrath (1940), starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell and John Carradine, screens at 8 p.m. on Friday, and East of Eden with Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Burl Ives and James Dean, goes on Saturday at 8 p.m. All tickets are $5 at the Sag Harbor box office, which opens at 7 p.m.

The John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, shows Al Gore's award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth on Friday at 6:30 p.m. There is no admission charge but arrive by 6:15 p.m. to get a good seat.

Southampton's Parrish Art Museum starts its fall "Artists' Lives" film series on Friday, 7 p.m., with Artemisia (France, 1998), the story of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1652) a talented woman working in what was considered a man's field. Tickets are $5 for Museum members, $7 for guests, and refreshments are included.

Next Thursday, 7 p.m. in Chancellors Hall at Stony Brook Southampton, the "Artists on Film" series continues with Wassup Rockers (2005) written and directed by Larry Clark. He depicts the dark side of L.A. teen culture where a group of skaters "infiltrate" Beverly Hills and get into trouble. Tickets are $5 at the door (no charge for Pollock-Krasner House members).