A DANCER’S STORY: Manich Chauhan speaks about his career at a screening of “Call Me Dancer,” part of the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival, which runs from November 7-21. Chauhan’s talk is on the final day of the series. (Photo by Sonam Dekar)

The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival’s milestone year will feature 14 films, discussions with filmmakers and special guests, and numerous New Jersey premieres on dance, music, the LGBTQ+ experience, American Jewish history, and Israeli society.

Twelve films will be screened at the Regal Cinema Commerce Center, North Brunswick (November 7–17), and five films will be available virtually (November 15–21). The festival is sponsored by Rutgers’ Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life. more

The Halloween Playfest at the West Windsor Branch of the Mercer County Library System will feature four original short plays written by librarian Michael Kerr: The Stay-Behinds; Words Will Never Hurt Me; The Life of the Party; and Backstage. Performances will be on Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, October 26 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 27 at 3 p.m.

All the plays will be performed by teens from the local area. All performances will take place at the West Windsor Branch of the Mercer County Library System, 333 North Post Road, West Windsor Township. Recommended for ages 10 and above. Admission is free. No registration required.

Doors open 20 minutes before showtime. Call (609) 799-0462 or email westprogs@mcl.org for more information.

MAGICAL MYSTERIES: Greg Frewin is one of the stars of “Masters of Illusion” at the State Theatre New Jersey on October 24.

State Theatre New Jersey presents award-winning magicians in “Masters of Illusion” on Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m.  The show features Greg Frewin, Alexandra Burgio, and shock illusionist Dan Sperry.

Frewin is currently ranked as the International Grand Champion of Magic, having won every major award offered within the magic community. Burgio is the only female Canadian magician to ever fool Penn and Teller on the hit show “Penn and Teller: Fool Us.” Sperry, known as “The Anti-Conjuror,” has performed at such venues as The Magic Castle, The Sydney Opera House, Radio City Music Hall, and live on tour with Masters of Illusion.

State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit stnj.org for tickets, which range from $29-$99.

NOEL COWARD CLASSIC: In the 1941 comedy “Blithe Spirit,” two wives — one dead, one alive — cause a ruckus.

Two wives, one dead and one alive, combine for a spooky, comedic experience when Theater to Go presents Noël Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit, October 31-November 3 at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor Campus. Kitty Getlik directs. more

The Larry Fuller Trio will appear at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 27, at Hillman Performance Hall located on Westminster Choir College campus at 101 Walnut Lane. Although a Princeton resident, Fuller rarely appears locally.

A pianist, Fuller learned his craft the “old school” way — on the bandstand, where he played with jazz greats including vocalist Ernestine Anderson, drummer Jeff Hamilton, guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, and bassist Ray Brown.

In his programming, Fuller includes the Great American Songbook, jazz, blues, pop standards, and originals, bringing his own take to a variety of music. At Hillman Performance Hall, expect to hear anything from Stevie Wonder to Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery to Ray Brown, George Gershwin to Joni Mitchell. more

LINDY HOP AND MORE: Joshua McLean has Rachel Pitner in the air at “SW!NG OUT” at McCarter Theatre Center on Friday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m.

On Friday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m., McCarter Theatre Center presents SW!NG OUT, a swing dance  performance choreographed and directed by Caleb Teicher. The show, which concludes with an on-stage jam session, is accompanied by live music from Eyal Vilner’s 10-piece Big Band.

“SW!NG OUT has been a dream project for me, bringing together 12 all-star swing dancers and  a live 10-piece big band to celebrate Lindy Hop in a way that resonates with audiences  everywhere,” said Teicher. “It’s thrilling to see the impact this show has had on so many, inspiring them to dance and engage with the swing dance community. We aim to share the joy and energy of Lindy Hop with a broader audience. Each night, the performance concludes with an on-stage jam session, welcoming attendees to join in and celebrate the dance with us.” more

JOURNEY TO FAME: “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” tells the story of the group’s rise from Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It will be performed October 25-27 at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick. (Photo by Johan Persson)

State Theatre New Jersey presents the Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations for five performances on Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m.; Saturday; October 26 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $40-$105.

Featuring Grammy-winning songs and Tony-winning moves, Ain’t Too Proud follows The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating 42 Top 10 Hits with 14 reaching No. 1, and were voted the greatest R&B group of all time by Billboard Magazine in 2017. The rest is history — how they met, the groundbreaking heights they hit, and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the U.S. fell into civil unrest.  more

The newest Princeton Triangle Club show, Pageant Pending, comes to the stage of McCarter Theatre on Friday and Saturday, November 15 and 16 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, November 17 at 2 p.m. The show is an annual tradition featuring undergraduates from Princeton University.

“Welcome to America’s Most Wanted, the biggest pageant event in all 50 states,” reads a release about the show. “The lights are blinding, the competition is cutthroat, and the interview questions must be answered in 20 seconds or less. Dreams, schemes, and ripped seams are all exposed under a merciless spotlight in this new musical comedy about a series of sash decisions!” more

SIGNATURE SOUNDS: The America: Ride On Tour mixes pop-rock with folk-jazz at State Theatre New Jersey on Friday, November 1.

Grammy Award-winning rock band America comes to the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick with its Ride On Tour on Friday, November 1 at 8 p.m.

The band’s best-known tunes — which include “A Horse with No Name,” “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Don’t Cross The River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” and “Sister Golden Hair” — were cornerstones of 1970’s Top 40 and FM rock radio. Their combination of melodic pop-rock and folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms, and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted with other more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics. more

“UNTITLED #1383 (SISTERS – TWO TREES)”: This large-scale work by Peta Coyne is on view in the Museum Building at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton through March 2.

Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton has announced that Petah Coyne’s Untitled #1383 (Sisters – Two Trees) is now on view in its Museum Building through March 2. The large-scale sculpture is on loan from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), which is sharing this work from its permanent collection through Art Bridges Foundation’s Partner Loan Network.

Created using unconventional materials such as apple trees and taxidermized peacocks, Untitled #1383 (Sisters – Two Trees) compares and contrasts elegantly with the garden landscape of GFS. The view from inside the gallery looks out upon the gardens, inviting opportunities for deeper discussions on nature, climate, temporality, and whimsy. more

ART TALK: Visual artist Cathy Dailey will be the featured speaker for the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” talk on Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m. at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center on North Harrison Street.

On Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m., visual artist Cathy Dailey will be the featured speaker for the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” series at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center. Dailey, a Princeton Makes cooperative member, creates vivid, whimsical images of cats, dogs, and birds, as well as abstract art, in a variety of media including colored pencil, oil pastel, and collage. In her talk, entitled “My Artist Road Trip,” she will share her 30-plus-year artistic journey.

“My plan is to quickly show and tell my life story, and then focus on my artistic life, which feels more like a road trip to me than a journey,” she said. “It will be fun to talk about how my work has evolved over the years.” more

“FUELING MIGRATION”: This watercolor by Joanne Amantea is featured in the “95th Juried Art Show” at Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa., which closes on October 27.

The “95th Juried Art Show”at Phillips’ Mill, which has welcomed over 1,200 visitors since it opened last month, closes this Sunday, October 27.

Among the over 200 artists exhibited in the historic 18th century gristmill are Princeton artists Joanne Amantea, Linda Bachert, Joanne Donnelly, Paul Giancola, Katarzyna Iwaniec, Lori Langsner, Helene Mazur, Meera Pradhan, Delphine Salzedo, and Melanie Teasley. more

The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton will host its annual Halloween Spooktacular on Sunday, October 27 from 12 to 4 p.m.

Guests can enjoy Halloween-themed games and crafts in the Museum’s Riverview Court. Children in costume may participate in trick-or-treating on the Museum’s front lawn at 1:30 p.m. Following the trick-or-treating, there will be a raffle for Museum-themed prizes. Event participants will receive one raffle ticket each when they check in for the event. Free planetarium shows will be offered at 1 and 2 p.m. Tickets for those shows will be available on a first-come, first served basis at check-in.

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; closed on all State holidays. General admission is free. For more information, visit  statemuseum.nj.go.

Join the Princeton Einstein Museum of Science on October 26 in Dohm Alley, next to 102 Nassau Street, from 2 to 5 p.m. to see its current exhibit, “Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism,” which has been extended through November 30. Kids can try experiments and get activity sheets and compasses at the free event.

Instructor Nancy Toolan receives flowers at the recent opening of “Learning Curves: Works from the Beginning Drawing Classes,” featuring works by residents of Princeton Windrows. The exhibition is on view in the Russell Marks Gallery on the Princeton Windrows campus, 2000 Windrow Drive, through the end of December.