WEDNESDAY
What: William Rothman
Where: Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 305/442-4408, booksandbooks.com
Book-length studies psychoanalyzing the art and artifice of Alfred Hitchcock are nothing new. I’m looking at several on my own bookshelf—like Peter Conrad’s The Hitchcock Murders and Thomas Leitch’s Find the Director and Other Hitchcock Games. If it’s possible to still find new avenues with which to explore the Master of Suspense’s nearly 70-film oeuvre, Dr. William Rothman has found one. The University of Miami cinema professor, who revisited his landmark study Hitchcock: The Murderous Gaze in 2012, returned with his latest, multi-pronged excavation of the director’s mind, Must We Kill the Thing We Love? It looks at Hitchcock’s movies through the prism of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writings, finding new correlatives between these seemingly disparate artists. Rothman will discuss some of his revelations, and sign books, at this free event.
THURSDAY
What: Opening night of “Graphic Advocacy: International Posters for the Digital Age”
Where: FAU’s Ritter Gallery, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Contact: 561/297-2661, fau.edu/galleries
Whether it’s a bandaged Haitian child welcoming a bird onto her palm or a snake mazing its way through the core of an apple, pictures can still speak considerably louder than words—especially when they arrive in the form of an advocacy poster. Combating the perception that young people are too apathetic to rise against corrupt or unjust systems, the touring exhibition “Graphic Advocacy” reveals the modern incarnation of this vintage form of visual protest, which has enjoyed a resurgence thanks to the democratization of digital media. Whether in Russia, third-world African nations or the Arab world, digital posters have become a potent form a protest, raising awareness about regional, national and global issues. This exhibit, curated by Elizabeth Resnick of Massachusetts College of Design, examines more than 120 posters from 2001-2012; Resnick will speak about the exhibition at Thursday night’s opening. The exhibit runs through Oct. 25.
THURSDAY TO SATURDAY
What: Anthony Jeselnik
Where: Palm Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach
When: Various show times
Cost: $25 plus two-drink minimum
Contact: 561/833-1812, palmbeachimprov.com
If you’ve ever seen Anthony Jeselnik perform standup comedy, you know to expect the unexpected—and to prepare for the most morbid conclusion to any setup. Case in point: “You don’t know anything about pain until you’ve seen your own baby drowned in a tub … and you definitely don’t know anything about how to wash a baby.” That’s the Jeselnik formula in a nutshell: Start at Point A with a universal statement and conclude with a 180 into the writer’s dark abyss of a mind. His second comedy album, 2013’s Caligula, includes tracks titled “Rape,” “Death” and “Shut the F**k Up.” Enough playwrights have explored the Theatre of Cruelty, but few funnymen have plumbed the Comedy of Cruelty with as much brilliance as Jeselnik. Look for a review of this performance Friday here at bocamag.com.
FRIDAY
What: Opening night of “The Discoverers”
Where: Regal Shadowood 16, 9889 Glades Road, Boca Raton
When: Show times pending
Cost: $7.50 to $11
Contact: 561/482-2638
The dysfunctional family dramedy “The Discoverers” enjoyed its premiere screening in a film festival in October 2012. And despite warm receptions at a number of other festivals, it’s taken two full years for the movie to receive a generous theatrical release—such are the vagaries of distributing truly independent movies. But it looks worth the wait, centering on a family whose elderly patriarch has an uncommon obsession with Lewis & Clark, and who insists on re-enacting the explorers’ famous treks, complete with early 19thcentury raiment and language. For his son and grandchildren, who are now tasked with caring for his needs, that means a most unusual road trip, one that travels to the past to help understand their present. The movie’s concept, written and directed by first-time filmmaker Justin Schwarz, is unique enough, but the element that has garnered the most praise is the lead performance by the great and under-used Griffin Dunne, as a washed-up professor who could use some exploration. “The Discoverers” also opens Friday at Movies of Lake Worth and Muvico Parisian 20 in West Palm Beach.
What: John Densmore
Where: Radio-Active Records, 845 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Book purchase of $14.95 or $24.95
Contact: 954/762-9488, radio-active-records.com
For anyone other than rock ‘n’ roll purists, the name John Densmore might not ring an immediate bell. As for his former band mates—guys like Robby Krieger and Jim Morrison—that’s another story. For eight heady and tumultuous years, Densmore drummed for the Doors, and today he’s the oldest surviving member. Having since reimagined himself as an actor, dancer, and film and theater producer, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer still keeps the Doors near the front of his consciousness, penning a best-selling autobiography, Riders on the Storm, in 1990, and returning with his most recent book, The Doors: Unhinged. Don’t expect a hagiographic account of rock gossip; instead, Densmore’s latest tome unveils some of the unspoken truths undergirding rock stardom. According to official book description, it looks at “the ‘greed gene,’ and how that part of the human psyche propels us toward the accumulation of more and more wealth, even at the expense of our principles and friendships and the wellbeing of society.” Densmore will sign both books and records and CDs at this rare appearance, as well as pose for photographs.
What: Opening reception for “Echoes Myron”
Where: Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, 1650 Harrison St., Hollywood
When: 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Cost: $10, or free for members
Contact: 954/921-3274, artandculturecenter.org
Any art exhibition that borrows its name from a song by indie-rock legends Guided by Voices has me at the proverbial “hello.” Such is this case with the Art and Culture Center’s latest group show in its main gallery, “Echoes Myron.” Curated by artists Beatriz Monteavaro and Priyadarsini Ray, the show captures the nexus of art and music, focusing on musicians who make visual art and vice versa. The broad range of mediums on display includes sculpture, painting, flyer art, photography and installations from nearly 40 visual and recording artists, ranging from Kevin Arrow to Viking Funeral. It’s only appropriate that Friday’s opening reception will include live music, from the likes of Snakehole and Bank of Christ. Expect a one-of-a-kind night at the Center.
SATURDAY
What: Steve Martin and Martin Short
Where: Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $59 to $129
Contact: 954/797-5531, hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com
Each of these “Martins” could fill a room the size of the Hard Rock on their own. But together? It’s a match made in comic heaven where anything goes, a joint appearance predicated on unpredictable lunacy. The subtitle of the duo’s tour is “A Very Stupid Conversation,” and while this belies each actor’s reservoirs of wit and wisdom, it speaks to off-the-cuff, friends-shooting-the-shit vibe of this cross-country jaunt. The conversation in question is expected to address the evolution of their creative influences and their respective careers, but every night is different—that’s what makes the tour so special. And, as is the norm for any Steve Martin tour, a banjo concert is part of the program too.
MONDAY, SEPT. 8
What: “Rough Patch” play reading
Where: Plaza Theatre, 262 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $10
Contact: 561/588-1820
There’s never anything to do on a Monday night, so why not enjoy an early peek at one of tomorrow’s potentially great plays? That’s the idea next Monday; most theaters remain on summer break, but Manalapan’s Plaza Theatre is opening its stage for a one-night only reading of Charles Gluck’s family drama “Rough Patch.” It’s about a medical crisis that fractures, and then rebuilds, a close-knit family, with unlikely heroes ultimately redefining terms such as “strength” and “weakness.” Avi Hoffman (pictured), who directed and starred in a reading of this play in New York last year, returns to the helm here, joined onstage by such stalwart South Florida actors as Patti Gardner, Scott Genn, Paul Louis, Mia Matthews, Margo Moreland and Mark Della Ventura.
