A shaggy dog play opens in Boca, art fills the Ave at the Delray Affair, and a Norton exhibition is full of distortion. Plus, Tortuga Music Festival and more in your week ahead. THURSDAY
When: 7:30 p.m. Cost: $46.50-$76.50 A nuanced meditation on modern Judaism in America, Jonathan Spector’s world-premiere play “Birthright” spans nearly 20 years of time. The story begins in the summer of 2006, when six young American Jews, having just graduated college, meet on a Birthright trip to Israel. Newly empowered by a pride in their heritage, they become friends and agree to keep in touch, even as the events of the next years and decades—especially the rise of the iPhone and the social media revolution—chip away at the idea of a shared reality. The action culminates after the events of Oct. 7, 2023, addressing issues of war and antisemitism that have found Jews in America, Israel and around the world at a crossroads. Teddy Bergman directs an all-star cast in the play’s debut production at Miami New Drama, including Dani Stoller, Irene Adjan, Krystal Millie Valdes, Arielle Goldman, Stephen Stocking, Danny Capote and Hale Appleman. “Birthright” runs through April 27.
FRIDAY
When: 7 p.m. A comedic love triangle that skirts the edges of bestiality, A.R. Gurney’s enduring off-Broadway hit “Sylvia” enjoys a great deal of fun and social commentary through its high-concept premise. Empty nester Greg, long married to Kate, brings home a new companion to help fill the space in their New York city home: Sylvia, a mongrel dog he found at a park. In Gurney’s eccentric vision, Sylvia is portrayed by an attractive young woman, who showers Greg with all the unconditional affection for which canines are known (Sarah Jessica Parker played this role in the show’s 1995 off-Broadway premiere). As Greg’s attention grows increasingly fixated on Sylvia, Kate begins to resent their new houseguest, causing a rift in their marriage and offering a critique of the extent to which we anthropomorphize our pets. Carla Zackson-Heller directs this production for Curtain Call Playhouse, which runs through April 13.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY
As is customary in the Delray Affair’s historic 63rd year, expect up to 400 artists and crafters from around the corner and around the world to attend the self-described “greatest art show under the sun.” And don’t just take the festival’s own verbiage as praise; it’s won 10 international awards, eight state awards, and has been ranked as one of the top 13 Best Art Festivals in America. The Affair offers everything from fine art to funky tchotchkes, from human-scaled sculptures to paintings the size of postage stamps. Sprawling across seven city blocks along Atlantic Avenue, it’s a place to buy wildlife photography, abstract prints, colorful beachwear and local honey all in the same place. The Delray Affair is a social occasion as much as an art sale; begun at last year’s event, the Old School Square Beer Garden returns with live music and adult beverages on the venue’s centrally located front lawn, encouraging shoppers and passersby to stay while. Downtown can be a hectic place during these two days, but special parking accommodations and public transportation options are plentiful; visit delrayaffair.com/maps for more. Now in its 12th year, this country-centered music fest has grown to become a cultural tent pole in the South Florida festival season, continually attracting the genre’s many sub-styles and eras, from legacy acts to emerging artists. This year’s headliners are Jelly Roll, the three-time CMT Music Award winner who combines hip-hop and country into his signature sound; Keith Urban, the Australian country-pop institution; and the talented traditionalist Luke Combs, whose “Beer Never Broke My Heart” may be the countriest song title of all-time. The undercard is even more eclectic than the top of the lineup, with performances from southern rap staple Ludacris; the Original Wailers, Bob Marley’s legendary backing band; and the heartland blue-eyed soul singer Gavin DeGraw. As always, when you buy a ticket for Tortuga, a portion of the proceeds supports ocean conservation efforts; promoters Rock the Ocean have raised more than $5 million for the cause since the festival’s inception.
SATURDAY
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone who’s accidentally snapped an iPhone image while, say, dropping their device has seen their share of distorted, out-of-focus shots. Most of them, of course, go straight to the digital garbage bin. But such “imperfections” are not always errors. Photographers dating back to the medium’s inception, in the 19th century, have deployed obscuring effects in their artistry. By disrupting our sense of time, space, place and scale, these photographers helped pave the way for the avant-garde—and continued its experimental lineage. Enjoy the exhibition of like-minded photographic renegades, which is taken largely from the Norton’s impressive permanent collection, through July 20.
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