THEATER: Over the summer the Belarusian Free Theater was arrested, along with their audience, during a performance of their play Being Harold Pinter, which uses Pinter’s magnificent Nobel Prize acceptance speech as a springboard for theatrical dissent, something the Belarus police state isn't really so into. (For that reason, the company’s performances are normally held secretly in alternating private apartments.) Unable to bring the entire production to New York for his Under the Radar festival, Artistic Director Mark Russell instead invited journalist/playwright Nikolai Khalezin (pictured) to present Generation Jeans, his solo show with DJ; it’s a semi-autobiographical account of a freedom fighter and the beginning of the “Jeans Revolution.” – John Del Signore more ›

THEATER: As Steve On Broadway notes, Chicago’s stellar Steppenwolf Theater Company, which launched the careers of Gary Sinise and Little Johnny Malkapee, is back on Broadway for the first time since 2001, when their production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won the Tony for Best Revival. This time they’ve delivered playwright Tracy Letts’s August: Osage County, and after reading today’s rave reviews, you can count on more Tonys flying back to the Windy... more ›

ART: Duke Riley brings his latest exhibit, After the Battle of Brooklyn: East River Incognita II, to Magnan Projects. Starting tonight and showing through December 22nd, the works imagine New York during the Revolutionary War and "interweave historical and contemporary events with elements of fiction and myth to create allegorical histories. His re-imagined narratives comment on a range of issues from the cultural impact of overdevelopment and gentrification of waterfront communities to contradictions within political ideologies as well as commerce and the role of the artist in society and at war." more ›

SHOPPING: Everyone needs a little Betsey Johnson flair in their closet, and this week you can get some designer dresses without dropping too much dough. There's a two day Betsey Johnson warehouse sale starting now, 80% off! more ›

EXHIBIT: Great Halls of Science Photographs and Holograms bring technology and art together. At last! more ›

ART: Projecting on the outdoor walls of MoMA through February 12th will be Doug Aitken's first large-scale outdoor installation in the US. The installation consists of eight large moving projections in which five characters' lives are played out during one night in New York. Actors include: Tilda Swinton, Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Seu Jorge, Ryan Donowho, and Donald Sutherland. more ›

THEATER: The Pearl Theatre Company, known for their deft handling of classic plays, has revived Molière's satire School for Wives. The play deliciously skewers the aristocrat Arnolphe, who so fears he’ll marry an unfaithful woman that he locks a little girl in a convent for 13 years, keeping her utterly isolated until she comes of age. The hi-jinks begin when he’s finally ready to fulfill his master marriage plan and finds himself outmaneuvered by a cunning young rival, bumbling servants and the bride-to-be herself. The Times says it’s “quite funny.” - John Del Signore more ›

READINGS: A handful of good readings on the slate for you tonight - Claire Messud reads from the highly anticipated . Too bad you've got to pick just one. - Krissa Corbett Cavouras more ›

Grouse? Yes, grouse. It's grouse season, which is quite brief, running from August 12 through the end of the month. To celebrate, Orsay will present Scottish grouse dinners as the first in a series of special dinners focusing on game and specialty products from Scotland (menus dedicated to partridge, pheasant and wood pigeon are in the works). The five-course grouse dinners include wine pairings with each savory course for $150 per person; call 212-517-6400 for reservations. 1057 Lexington Avenue at 75th Street. more ›

But not together (no need to start any wild rumors here). We heard yesterday that Mr. Bruni's review would be hitting today's Dining section. But what would he think? Would he lean towards Steve Cuozzo's take? Adam Platt's? Both of them seemed to think that although some of the food was predictably good, if not overpriced, the decor and sheer vastness of the place combined with some misses on the menu threw the whole experience out of whack. And we'd have to agree for the most part. more ›

through October 29: Aureole Fights Breast Cancer more ›

Amanda Hesser chronicles the time she spent with the folks at Tía Pol in yesterday's NYT magazine. Although it was interesting to hear the Craig's List story of how the place got started and hear a bit more about the history of the restaurant, we would have been satisfied just to have their recipe for fried chickpeas. Topped with smoked paprika (also a key ingredient in some of the pickled ramps we made with Rick of Rick's Picks), they are absolutely irresistable -- we can't wait to make them at home. Between those and the blistered green peppers, we won't be quite as annoyed if the wait is over an hour the next time we go -- our second option will be grabbing a bottle of Spanish wine, a few key ingredients, and bringing Tía Pol home with us. more ›