Poetry in Windsor; Halloween Treat in West Hartford; Free Concert in Simsbury

Poetry on the Line at Windsor Art Center

Poets Elizabeth Kincaid-Ehlers and Sherri Bedingfield read from their work on October 23 when the Windsor Art Center in Windsor hosts another round of Poetry on the Line. Also featured on October 23 is tea, served at 3 p.m., and a musical interlude with fiddler Gan Gardella and banjo player Fran Block.

Starting time is 2 p.m. Admission is free. The Windsor Art Center is at the corner of Central and Mechanic streets in Windsor. For more information, visitwww.windsorartcenter.org or call 860-688-2528.

Spookley the Square Pumpkin at Children's Museum

West Hartford's Children's Museum has a Halloween treat in store for youngsters, a planetarium show called Spookley the Square Pumpkin. In a world where "the only good pumpkins are round" ones, Spookley gets teased because of his square shape. Enter three spiders, Edgar, Allan and Poe, who teach Spookley that, square or not, he has a right to be the pick of the patch on Halloween.

Showings run October 21 through 23 and October 28 through 30 at 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $5; $4 members. To register, call 860-231-2830 ext. 44, or sign up online at www.thechildrensmuseumct.org. The Children's Museum is at 950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford.  

1934's The Thin Man Screens Free at West Hartford's Noah Webster Library

The 1934 film comedy The Thin Man features William Powell and Myrna Loy as a married couple with a penchant for detective work. The delightful film spawned a series of sequels and was nominated for four Oscars, including best picture.

Screening time is 2 p.m. sharp. No late entry. The library is at 20 South Main Street, West Hartford. For more information, phone 860-561-6990 or visit www.westhartfordlibrary.org. 

Fright Nights at Noah Webster House 

It's Halloween season, and that means it's time for West Hartford Hauntings, the theatrical, nighttime tours of West Hartford's North Cemetery. Produced by the Noah Webster House in West Hartford, the tours are back for a seventh year, and reservations are highly recommended. Among this year's cemetery stories are tales of a husband and wife who are victims of a train accident, a Revolutionary War prisoner, and a runaway apprentice.

The lantern-lit tours depart from North Cemetery, Main Street, West Hartford. Dates are October 21 and 22, and 28 and 29. Tours step off every 15 minutes between 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.  Tickets cost $9, children 17 and under; $13, adults. Call 860-521-5362 ext. 21 or visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org.

Book Buzz at West Hartford's JCC

Roxanne Coady, president of RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, returns to West Hartford's Mandell Jewish Community Center for an evening of insight into books. The October 27 event features Coady and some of her friends from the publishing industry. Coady and company will discuss their favorite new titles,tips for making book club get-togethers more exciting, and more.

Starting time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person in advance; $10 at the door. For more information, phone 860-236-4571 or email aboutcart@mandelljcc.org.

Faculty Exhibition at West Hartford's Joseloff Gallery

Faculty members who teach and work in a variety of mediums are featured when West Hartford's Joseloff Gallery presents its 2011 Hartford Art School Faculty Exhibition. Participating in the show are faculty members who work in ceramics, drawing, illustration, media arts, sculpture, painting, photography, printmaking, visual communication design, and foundation studies. 

The exhibition runs October 20 through December 18 at the Joseloff Gallery, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford. An opening reception is scheduled for October 20 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.joseloffgallery.org or call 860-768-4090.

Stanley-Whitman Presents Witchcraft Drama

A Farmington woman accused of witchcraft is the subject of The Witchcraft Trial of Mary Barnes; A Play. The production is to be staged October 28 at Hartford's historic Old State House. Featured in the drama are Stanley-Whitman's Roundabout Players.

Curtain time is 6 p.m. Admission is free. Reservations are not required but seating is limited. For more information, visit www.stanleywhitman.org or call860-677-9222. Hartford's Old State House is at 800 Main St., Hartford.

Golden Bowl Featured at Hill-Stead Movie Night

A potluck supper and a movie in the Makeshift Theater at Farmington's Hill-Stead Museum are slated for October 21. The feature film is The Golden Bowl, directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant. Based on Henry James' 1904 novel of the same title, The Golden Bowl stars Nick Nolte, Uma Thurman, Angelica Huston, and Kate Beckinsale. The screening marks the conclusion of the museum's book club series devoted to the works of Henry James. Attendees are encouraged to bring a dish to share. A short discussion on James and The Golden Bowl precedes the screening.

The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission costs $8; $5, members. Pre-registration is required. Phone 860-677-4787 ext. 142 or emailcharestm@hillstead.org. The Hill-Stead is at 35 Mountain Road, Farmington. For more information, visit www.hillstead.org.

Singer/Songwriter Terry Kitchen at Simsbury Library

The songs of singer/songwriter Terry Kitchen have won the Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests and been runner-up in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. The Boston-based troubadour performs a free concert October 26 at the Simsbury Public Library in Simsbury. Kitchen is known for songs that create portraits of ordinary people and emotions, for expert guitar playing and offbeat humor.

Concert time is 8 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on Kitchen, visit www.terrykitchen.com. The Simsbury Public Library is at 725 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury. For more information, visit www.simsburylibrary.info or call 860-658-7663. 

Grammy-Nominated Singer/Songwriter at Roaring Brook 

Eliza Gilkyson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame alongside legends Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith, and Townes Van Zandt. Her songs have been recorded by Roseanne Cash, Tom Rush, and Joan Baez. On October 22, Gilkyson performs at the Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. 

Doors open at 7 p.m. Concert time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Roaring Brook Nature Center is at 70 Gracey Road, Canton. Visit www.roaringbrookconcerts.org.

Patti Smith: Camera Solo at Wadsworth Atheneum

Works by pioneering artist, musician and poet Patti Smith are presented when Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum unveils Patti Smith: Camera Solo. The show is the first large-scale presentation of artist Smith's visual work in the United States in nearly ten years.  It includes approximately 60 black-and-white photographs and two multi-media installations.

The exhibition runs October 21, 2011, through February 19, 2012. The Wadsworth Atheneum is at 600 Main St., Hartford. For more information, visit www.wadsworthatheneum.org or call 860-278-2670.

Ain't Misbehavin' at Long Wharf

Director Richard Maltby reassembles his 1978 Tony Award-winning team for the Long Wharf Theatre production of the musical Ain't Misbehavin', which begins performances October 26 at the New Haven theater. On board are co-director/choreographer Arthur Faria, musical director Phillip Hall,  set designer John Lee Beatty, costume designer Gail Baldoni, lighting designer Pat Collins, and sound designer Tom Morse. The cast features Eugene Barry-Hill, Doug Eskew, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Cynthia Thomas and Debra Walton, all of whom have previously appeared in productions of the show.  Ain’t Misbehavin’ is based on the music of the legendary jazz great Fats Waller. The list of hits includes Ain’t Misbehavin’, Honeysuckle Rose, The Joint Is Jumpin’, and I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter. The New York Times praised the show: “This musical re-creation of Fats Waller, the jazz singer and pianist, is a whole cluster of marvels … heart-stopping.”

The Long Wharf production runs October 26 through November 20. Tickets range from $40 to $70. Call 203-787-4282 or visit www.longwharf.org. Long Wharf Theatre is at 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven. For tickets or more information, visit www.longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.