Guild Hall’s new theater is going full steam ahead with drama, jazz piano, comedy, and immersive documentary coming up with, starting at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, performances of “An Evening of Short Plays,” directed by Bob Balaban.
“Star-studded” should have been added to the title, as Blythe Danner, Edie Falco, Richard Kind, and Harris Yulin are all on board. Mr. Balaban’s selections include “Inner Baby” and “Rash” from Eric Bogosian’s “Pounding Nails in the Floor With My Forehead”; “Seeking Wild” from “Laughing Wild” by Christopher Durang; “Doctor Kheal” by Maria Irene Fornes; selections from Neil LaBute’s “10 X 10 Monologues,” and David Mamet’s “Mr. Happiness.”
Mr. Balaban’s directing credits include HBO’s “Bernard and Doris” with Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes, Lifetime’s “Georgie O’Keeffe” with Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons, and the award-winning Off Broadway play “The Exonerated.”
A longtime Bridgehampton resident, Mr. Balaban created, produced, and co-starred in Robert Altman’s “Gosford Park,” which was nominated for seven Oscars. He has appeared in over 100 other films, including “Midnight Cowboy,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Waiting for Guffman,” and “Moonrise Kingdom.”
Tickets each night range from $70 to $100, $63 to $90 for members. Doors will open at 6:30.
Robert Glasper, a pianist and producer, has won four Grammy Awards and an Emmy. Known for his 2012 album “Black Radio,” which featured guest performances by Lupe Fiasco, Bilal, Lalah Hathaway, and Yasiin Bey, his music blends intricate mellow compositions with hip-hop undertones.
Mr. Glasper will bring his musical fusions to Guild Hall on Monday at 7 p.m. He recently served as producer, composer, and arranger for the film “Miles Ahead,” a biopic about the life of Miles Davis, whom he cites as a major musical influence. His album “Everything’s Beautiful” is a tribute to Davis with contributions from Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Phonte, Ledisi, and others.
Tickets are $65 to $165, $58.50 to $148.50 for members.
Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer who has performed on HBO’s “All Def Comedy,” and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and “Late Night With Seth Myers,” will take the stage on Wednesday evening at 7.
Ms. Johnson’s comedy is based on her unusual point of view, shaped growing up in Harlem as one of 13 siblings in a Black Muslim family. After earning a degree in education and math, she worked as a teacher before turning to comedy. She is now a regular on Amazon’s series “Upload,” a host of Netflix’s “100 Humans,” and has her own Amazon Prime comedy special, “Hijabs Off.”
Tickets are $40 to $60, $36 to $54 for Guild Hall members.
“32 Sounds,” an immersive documentary by Sam Green, will be the attraction next Thursday at 7 p.m. The film is a meditation on “the power of sound to bend time, cross borders, and shape our perception of the world around us.” Billed on its trailer as “a live cinema sonic experience,” it features live narration by Mr. Green and live music performed by J.D. Samson and Michael O’Neill.
Mr. Green’s performance work has been screened at Lincoln Center, the Kitchen, the Barbican, and many other festivals and venues. Tickets are $55 to $95, $49.50 to $85.50 for members.
