On an old steam-propelled, decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard vessel docked at Pier 40 on the Hudson, 2009’s most exhilarating theatrical achievement (thus far) can still be experienced, and it doesn’t cost a dime. Called The Confidence Man and inspired by Herman Melville’s 1857 novel of the same name, this enthralling production is the work of Woodshed Collective, a company that specializes in immersive, site-specific performance. Last year they filled the vast, empty McCarren Park pool with their acclaimed play-with-music Twelve Ophelias, and their new venture is even more ambitious: The show's comprised of multiple, intertwined narratives performed simultaneously on all four levels of the rusty, labyrinthine vessel, named the Lilac. Like life, it’s impossible to see the whole story from every angle, and what you see is up to you. more ›

Did you know New York is #4 of America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities? It's no surprise there are so many famous and not-so-famous veggies living here. Focusing on the former, PETA is holding another poll asking who the Sexiest Vegetarian worldwide is. This is their sixth annual sexy veggie contest, and has a list of 233 celebs competing for the title, including our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Tobey McGuire. While the poll only includes Hollywood herbivores, AMNY notes that celebs aren't the only high profile folk with a taste for tofu. If Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich were to win the 2008 presidential election, he'd be the first vegetarian in the White House. more ›

Many look at Woodlawn Cemetery as more than just a graveyard. The NY Times reports this will be true on another level soon as the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, who took title of the cemetery archives a year ago, is now receiving "the family correspondence that illuminates the backgrounds of the dead and their mourners." more ›

THEATER: Len Jenkin's Kraken imagines the details of an actual 1856 encounter between Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Melville, his Moby-Dick long since met with a critical “meh”, was in the midst of a spiritual journey to Jerusalem – a trip that would, two decades later, yield the back-breaking, 2 Volume, 18,000 line Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land. En route he stopped to visit his old Berkshire homey Hawthorne, now the American consul in Liverpool. In Jenkin’s dramatization, the two literary legends – neither one legendary in their day – spend the evening together confronting their “fears, failures, things of this world and the next”, etc. According to Hawthorne’s diary, ol’ Hermy may have droned on a bit: “Melville, as he always does, began to reason of Providence and futurity, and of everything that lies beyond human ken, and informed me that he had pretty much made up his mind to be annihilated; but still he does not seem to rest in that anticipation; and, I think, will never rest until he gets hold of a definite belief.” Garrett Eisler, who reviewed Kraken for the Voice, writes that the voyage does “dock at a satisfying port.” - John Del Signore more ›

Craig Ferguson, host of CBS's The Late Late Show, is coming to Comix to perform stand up and, while he's in town, will make a Letterman appearance and will promote the paperback edition of his book, Between the Bridge and the River. Gothamist sat down to discuss his Scottish upbringing, his take on comedy, and why bullies seem to ruin everything. more ›

It's opening day on Coney Island's boardwalk and there's still time to hop on a D,F,N, or Q train to Stillwell Avenue before things get started. 11 a.m. marks the Blessing of the Rides at Deno's Wonder Wheel with a ribbon cutting and live music. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will break the ceremonial egg cream at 11:30 a.m. to open the rides and the first 100 people on the Cyclone get to ride free. The Coney Island Polar Bears will serve as a chorus at 2:30 p.m. in a live performance of an original piece of music titled "Save Coney Island." Theater lovers may want to drop by the Coney Island Museum at 5 p.m. for an adaptation of Herman Melville's "The Confidence Man" (tickets $10). And 12th St. and Surf Ave. is the place to be at 6 p.m. for the 2nd Annual Band Organ Rally. Full details are available at ConeyIsland.com. more ›

Before we get to the weekly events which are sure to dazzle and amaze, Gothamist would like to note the passing of one of the great science fiction writers, Octavia Butler. Butler died after falling down the stairs outside her home this weekend, and will be sorely missed. She's the only science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur grant, and in a field dominated by men, Butler was a woman notable not only for her strong writing but also for the strong ideas behind it. Some fans of her work and life are gathering this Friday (3/3) at KGB Bar (85 E. 4th St.) at 7PM to raise a glass in her name and read from her work, and celebrate it. All are welcome. more ›