(Queens, NY) In a clear sign of the times, indoor events greatly outnumber outdoor activities in the borough’s near future. Numerous plays are set to open at different Queens theaters, and there are many lectures, concerts and screenings. But those who love the Great Outdoors can take a guided tour around the city’s largest lake. Here’s the rundown.
Nov. 7, The Cottage (until Nov. 23, times vary). The Astoria Performing Arts Center presents a romantic comedy set in the English countryside in 1923. This tale of sex, betrayal and love unfolds when a main character admits her affair to her husband and her lover’s wife. $15-$18. Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 30-44 Crescent St., Astoria, www.apacny.org
Nov. 7, Romeo and Juliet (until Nov. 16, times vary). The Poetics Theatre Collective presents a unique staging of Shakespeare’s timeless love story in an intimate setting. $15/$18. The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd St., LIC, www.secrettheatre.com.
Nov. 7, Lincoln, Civil War and Emancipation, 6:30 pm. This discussion focuses on President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and wartime legislative developments dealing with slavery. Free, but reservations are recommended (718-206-0545 x13). Queens Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd, Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org.
Nov. 7, Book Signing, 7 pm. E.J. Simon reads from (and signs) his debut novel, fast-paced techno thriller Death Never Sleeps. The Astoria Bookshop, 31-29 31st St., Astoria, www.astoriabookshop.com.
Nov. 8, Trumpeters of Queens, 8 pm. A jazz concert featuring local residents only. $15. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, www.flushingtownhall.org.
Nov. 8, Raus! Get Outta Here!, 8 pm (and Nov. 10 at 3:30 pm). Six different characters from all walks of contemporary Greek society establish a fake cultural organization to get a grant from the European Union. Trouble and big laughs ensue when a German commissioner shows up to check the agency’s legitimacy. $20. The Stathakeion Cultural Center, 22-51 29th St., Astoria, www.egtny.com.
Nov. 9, Mickey Coleman Live in Concert, 7:30 pm. Folk singer/songwriter Mickey Coleman is the latest sensation on the Irish folk scene. $11 – $22. New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., LIC, www.newyorkirishcenter.org.
Nov. 9, The Dancing Bells of Rekha, 7:30 pm (and Nov. 10 at 5:30 pm). This musical touches on the plight of the first Indian immigrants on sugar plantations in Guyana. $20/$10 for children. PS 268, 175th Street and Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, 917-846-3899.
Nov. 9, Guys and Dolls, 8 pm (and Nov. 10 at 3 pm). A professional-like production by an amateur, intergenerational, all-inclusive group whose mission is to present high-quality, family-friendly theater. $18-$20. Theatre by the Bay, the Community Theatre Group of Bay Terrace Jewish Center, 13-00 209th St., Bayside, www.theatrebythebayny.com.
Nov. 9, Growing Up and Other Short Films, 2 pm; Rape, 4:30 pm. The Museum of the Moving Image is presenting a retrospective on feminist, politically aware Norwegian filmmaker Anja Breien. Growing Up is based on a medieval legend about a little girl who is the sole survivor of the bucolic plague. In Rape, a young road worker is accused of rape. During the process against him, his inarticulateness and general awkwardness make him a victim of character murder. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
Nov. 9, Hands-on History: Gather Around the Hearth, noon. Learn about the King family, play historic parlor games and make a family tree. Free. King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, www.kingmanor.org.
Nov. 9, Rio Lobo, 2 pm. The Museum of the Moving Image is hosting a 39-feature retrospective on Hollywood director Howard Hawks. Col. Cord McNally (John Wayne) teams up with other men to search for the traitor who caused the defeat of McNally’s unit in the Civil War. Their quest brings them to a small Texas town besieged by ruthless outlaws led by the traitor they were seeking. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
Nov. 10, ACSM Guerilla Ensemble: Embracing Musical Diversity, 2 pm. Virtuoso violinist/singer/songwriter Andrianna Mateohe performs with alumni and friends of the Aaron Copland School of Music. $5. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, www.flushingtownhall.org.
Nov. 10 Black and White, 2 pm; and The Big Bang, 5 pm. The Museum of the Moving Image presents films by director James Toback. In Black and White, Brooke Shields plays a documentary filmmaker shooting a film about why white kids are fascinated by hip-hop culture. Toback will introduce the film and participate in a discussion. The Big Bang follows an unlikely group, including a basketball star, an ex-mobster, a Holocaust survivor, a boxer and a movie producer. $25. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
Nov. 10, Book Discussion, 2:30 pm. Blair Seitz discusses Turn the World Around: A Photojournalist Discovers Paths to Peace Traveling a War-Torn Planet. The photographer/writer describes the transforming experiences he underwent while traveling in more than 20 countries throughout Africa and Asia to complete assignments.
Free, but RSVP to 718.939.0647. Kingsland Homestead, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, www.queenshistoricalsociety.org.
Nov. 10, Creative Writing Workshop, 11 am. Open to writers of all experience levels, this workshop’s theme is “memoir.” Instructor Emily Herzlin has taught at Columbia University and The New School. $5-10 suggested contribution. The Astoria Bookshop, 31-29 31st St., Astoria, www.astoriabookshop.com.
Nov. 10, Red Line 7000, 2 pm; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 4:30 pm; The Big Sky, 7 pm. These are the last films in the Museum of the Moving Image’s 39-feature retrospective on Hollywood director Howard Hawks. Red Line 7000 is an action-packed story about professional and sexual conflicts among young NASCAR drivers. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy (Jane Russell) are lounge singers on a transatlantic cruise, enjoying the company of eligible men. The Big Sky depicts an expedition of fur trappers up the Missouri River, while focusing on the rivalry between two men for a Native-American woman. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
Nov. 10, Nature Walk, 11 am. Willow Lake Preserve is home to water fowl and mammals. Free. Meet at Mauro Playground at Park Drive East and 73rd Terrace.
Nov. 11, Prewar Jewish Life in Europe, 1:30 pm. David Fishman, Professor of Modern Jewish History at The Jewish Theological Seminary, discusses Jewish life in Eastern Europe before World War II. $7 suggested donation. Central Queens Y, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org.
Nov. 11, From Venice With Love, 5 pm. Giada Valenti and her six-piece band take the audience on a spirited journey through American and Italian popular songs. Wearing a Venetian mask is encouraged. Little Theatre at St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy., Jamaica, www.giadavalenti.com.
Nov. 13, Book Lecture, Signing, 7 pm. Science journalist and local resident Lee Billings discusses Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars, which The Economist magazine calls “a definitive guide to astronomy’s hottest field.” The Astoria Bookshop, 31-29 31st St., Astoria, www.astoriabookshop.com.
Nov. 13, Seduced and Abandoned, 7 pm. This new film by director James Toback depicts the eternal and unholy struggle between art and commerce in filmmaking. The quest to make an impossible film leads to the creation of a very real documentary. $25. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us.
The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s wonderful attractions. More info at www.itsinqueens.com.
