This week in New York begins the best season in New York, festivals, street fairs, and sunshine. Shakespeare in the Park begins with “Measure for Measure,” Literary Trivia Night at KGB Bar, Singing writers at WORD, a summer-camp-themed book party for Jane Roper, Spontaneous Society’s walk through the West Village, SketchFest NYC at Upright Citizens Brigade, and Gen Arts’ Film Festival.
MONDAY 6/06: Tonight is opening night of Shakespeare in the Park with “Measure for Measure.” Tickets are free (limit 2) and are given out beginning at 1 p.m. Get there early, but if you don’t get a ticket for tonight, the series runs until July 30. The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. 8 p.m.
TUESDAY 6/07: Trivia geeks meet literary geeks at Literary Trivia Night. Do you know what two literary characters sport deerstalker hats? There’ll be cheap drinks and prizes. KGB Bar. 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY 6/08: Largehearted Lit presents “Singers Who Write, Writers Who Sing” with two singer-songwriter-authors Alina Simone, You Must Go and Win, and Wesley Stace, Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer, will read from their books and play songs related to the readings. Refreshments from The Brooklyn Baker. WORD. 7 p.m. Free.
THURSDAY 6/09: Take a trip back to the days of summer camp at a book party launch for Jane Roper’s debut novel Eden Lake, set at a summer camp in Maine. She’ll be joined by Diana Spechler, Skinny, and our own funny woman Elissa Bassist, editor of Rumpus Women, Volume I. Singer Alastair Moock will sing campfire songs while you eat your s’mores. Housing Works Bookstore Café. 7 p.m. Free.
FRIDAY 6/10: Up for a spontaneous walk talking to strangers? Please join the “Spontaneous Society” with poet Jon Cotner, co-author of Ten Walks/Two Talks, who will lead participants on a walk through the West Village. He’ll give each participant two sentences to say to strangers on the street, such as “That carriage looks pretty cozy” or “That’s a good-looking dog.” Each walk is 60 minutes. Spontaneous Society begins on June 9 and runs through June 17 with each walk happening in a different neighborhood. Tonight’s walk meets at 7 p.m. at 410 Sixth Avenue and is 90 minutes long. $20.
SATURDAY 6/11: It’s the last day of the Sketchfest NYC (it began on June 8) and there are a full day of events, including panels and sketches from 1 p.m. to 12 a.m. Each of the day’s events is $10. The closing event features The Rejection Show, the Closing Night Craptacular, with the most outrageous sketches of the festival. Upright Citizens Brigade. 12 a.m. $10.
SUNDAY 6/12: Gen Arts is back with its film festival, running from June 8 through 14, with seven exclusive film premieres. Tonight’s movie, The Pill, is about what happens when boy meets girl in a bar, has a one-night stand, and finds out that girl is not on birth control. The short film, Excuse Me, will also be shown. A cocktail reception precedes the movie at 6:30 p.m. Visual Arts Theatre. 7:30 p.m. $30.
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