THEATER: The Summer Play Festival is at full blaze over at the Theater Row complex on 42nd Street. At $10 a ticket it’s your cheapest way to catch new work by playwrights whose heat index is rising. Tonight you have your pick of four plays; insider theater blogger Surplus recommends Cipher, which concerns two clerks stuck in a secret location monitoring the thoughts of suspected terrorists. “When their assignment gets tough, they begin to ask questions — which is a dangerous thing to do.” - John Del Signore more ›

MOVIE: The L Magazine kicks off their summer movie series, Summerscreen, tonight at McCarren Park Pool. We're pretty sure we'll be attending most of these this summer (even though we feel there is a lack of horror filcks on their schedule). So bring something soft to sit on and head over tonight for the cheerleading film that introduced us all to spirit fingers, Bring It On. In two weeks: Dazed and Confused! Alright, alright, alright. more ›

Those music know-it-alls over at The L Magazine have declared the Top 8 NYC Bands to watch for this year. Who's in the class of '07? Here's our Top 4 of their Top 8 (we sort of wish they'd put a rock show on with all of them): more ›

PARTY: The L Magazine celebrates their fourth year and 100th issue tonight at their Fourth-Annual Centennial Party. There will be complimentary tequila and goodies from Brooklyn Industries and Crumpler. Come, drink, celebrate and don't think about the hangover you'll have tomorrow. more ›

THEATER: A mysterious production is in previews at the DR2 theatre near Union Square. Dubbed “Esoterica”, it is described as a multi-media exploration of matters “philosophical, metaphysical and arcane” by actor, magician and mentalist Eric Walton. On his website, www.ericwalton.com, this description piqued our interest further: “Walton is sort of what you'd guess the devil would be like if he had his own nightclub act." It could be we’re just curious about what a “mentalist” does for ninety minutes or we’re already falling under his spell. But something tells us you’ll love it, that it’s much better than “Cats” and that you’re going to see it again and again. - John Del Signore more ›

READINGS: Brooklyn-based writer and publicist Jennifer Gilmore reads tonight at Coliseum from her buzzy debut novel, , which follows the intersecting lives of three Jewish American families from the 1920s through the 1960s. - Krissa Corbett Cavouras more ›

THEATER: The River to River Festival isn't just about outdoor concerts, and Canadians not only have great indie bands, they also have theatre troupes breaking into the experimental downtown scene. Bluemouth Inc.'s What the River Said, which is in both R2R and the Sitelines series, is a case in point; the play, which evokes "the struggle for acceptance in the calm before the family storm" is the third part of a trilogy originally performed along a creek near Toronto; you aren't likely to feel lost if you haven't seen the other parts, but you almost certainly will be eager for the full production to make it here. - Mallory Jensen more ›

Car Alarms on summer nights from the Gothamist Contribute stream-- mails yours to photos (at) gothamist. more ›

SummerScreen (you know, like sunscreen) is The L Magazine's addition to the already successful summer of McCarren Park Pool events. more ›

ART: Tonight Dreamland: Coney Island 1905-1925 opens. The exhibit is opened through August 19th and features "original drawings, blueprints, and vintage photographs of New York City’s favorite amusement park, Coney Island." more ›

Favorite Drink: Bourbon, straight up more ›

Rachel Korowitz, Improv Comedienne more ›

Jonny Diamond, The L Magazine more ›