Night of Ideas

Tuesday, March 31 | 6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Villa Albertine | 972 Fifth Avenue, New York

Marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this year’s Night of Ideas explores what remains of Enlightenment ideals—and what might come next.

The full schedule is now online. Explore the evening’s conversations, readings, salons, and performances and register to attend.

Program Highlights

Flash Talks: Conversation-starting talks by leading American and international thinkers and activists across generations, exploring the enduring ideas of the Enlightenment and their place in today’s world.

Readings and Performances: Readings at Albertine Books curated by Harper’s Magazine on the complexities of American democracy, and by New York Review of Books on French-American literary exchange, featuring celebrated writers and performers.

Writing Workshops and Salons: Intimate salons hosted by Interintellect and writing workshops led by members of Oulipo, the famed Paris literary collective.

Live Music: Live music and a festive closing session featuring a cocktail party and Peter Matson & Domenica of the celebrated New York dance band Underground System.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Register now

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tuesday

thru sun: socially relevant film festival: the 13th socially relevant film festival presents 44 films from 20 countries that deal with different aspects of social issues and human interest stories. lenfest center for the arts, cinema village, and mrhs. $15+. >>

tues 7pm: fab 5 freddy: everybody’s/ fly: hip hop pioneer fab 5 freddy takes the stage at the cooper union to celebrate his memoir, everybody’s fly, a street-level look at how nyc’s underground art and music scene transformed mainstream culture from the late ’70s to now. he will be joined in conversation by booker prize-winning author marlon james. the great hall at the cooper union (east village), free admission (rsvp required). >>

tues 7pm (rescheduled from 2/24): union pool’s fouth annual free tuesdays: union pool’s annual free tuesday concert series is back for another winter season, concluding tonight with six organs of admittance and mark morgan. >>

tues 7:30pm doors: park slop comedy: wally barram and lucas connolly present an intimate comedy show at two boots pizza in park slope, with stand-up by gus constantellis (comedy central), jenni zigrino (comedy central), ariel elias (kimmel), and james mwaura (jfl). bonus: free beer 7:30-8pm (one per person), and raffles for free pizza. free admission ($10 suggested donation). >>

tues 8pm: scientific controversies: quantum weirdness: theoretical physicist and author paul davies (quantum 2.0 ) and experimental quantum physicist natalia ares discuss the past, present, and future of quantum physics at the latest installment of pioneer works’ scientific controversies series. hosted by barnard physics and astronomy professor and pioneer works director of sciences janna levin. food will be available for purchase, and stargazing with the amateur astronomers association will precede and follow the event. pioneer works (red hook), free admission (donations welcome). >>

tues 8pm: silver linings comedy – tragic storytelling with a twist: four comedians share stories from the darkest times in their lives, and find the silver linings. empire stage (prospect lefferts garden), $10. >>

sponsored

This is Real brings Target Margin Theater’s transgressive spirit to life for America in 2026. Created by 2025 Obie Award-winning director David Herskovits and a cohort of artists, this new work is inspired by the obsessions of the great French writer Jean Genet: power, sex, and revolution. This is a patriotic play.

A theater. A brothel. A business. In This is Real, performers enact fantasies of American power while an insurrection rages just outside. As the dust settles, who among us will be left wearing the crown? And what sacrifices must be made?

“Every time you see one of [Herskovits]’ meticulously created shows, you leave more confused than ever, and you’re better for it” (2025 Obie Awards). For This is Real, Herskovits and company ask audiences to consider the beauty and wisdom of the outsider. Aren’t we, all of us, outsiders in our own ways?

Tickets starting from $30: TargetMargin.org/ThisIsReal

wednesday

weds thru 5/31: keith haring exhibition: the brant foundation tracks keith haring’s rise from subway artist to pop-art icon in a major exhibition focused on his works from 1980–1983. the brant foundation (east village), $20 general, $18 seniors, $15 students, $15 east village residents. >>

weds 12:30pm: ice theatre of new york: 2025-26 city skate pop-up performances: ice theatre of new york’s annual ice dance performance series returns to public outdoor skating rinks for the fall-winter season. today: the rink at rockefeller center (midtown). free admission. >>

weds 6:30pm: 2026 science + literature ceremony: the national book foundation, alfred p. sloan foundation, and the cooper union celebrate the three 2026 science + literature selected titles in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with a night of readings and conversation with kimberly blaeser (ancient light), patricia ononiwu kaishian (forest euphoria: the abounding queerness of nature), and anna north (bog queen). hosted by since friday’s flora lichtman at the cooper union’s frederick p. rose auditorium (east village). free (rsvp). >>

weds 7pm: the twisted spine + mise en scènt present: candlelit silent reading night: part quiet reading, part community gathering, all cozy. bring what you’re reading and spend the evening surrounded by candlelight, books, and fellow story lovers. bonus: $1 off select beer and wine, plus save 20% on all candles. the twisted spine (williamsburg), free admission. >>

weds 7pm (monthly): fantastic fiction at kgb: this monthly speculative-fiction reading series, hosted by editor ellen datlow and writer matthew kressel at kgb bar (east village), welcomes writers c.s.e. cooney (saint death’s herald) and kristina ten (tell me yours, i’ll tell you mine) for a night of readings and discussion. free admission. >>

weds 7pm: peer revue: ted talks with a twist. peer revue returns with real experts giving real talks on big ideas—like quarks or the fall of rome—while comedians wing it while trying to make sense of slides they’ve never seen before. hosted by ben lillie, with talks by lizabanks campagna, sam kebede, kaitlin schmidt, and moiya mctier, and comedy by shyaporn theerakulstit, brielle demirjian, andy vega, and josh nasser. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘skintrevue’ (reg. $18.76-20). >>

weds 7:30pm: motion picture pop quiz: screening party meets trivia competition at motion picture pop quiz, where you’ll watch short clips from movies, tv shows, and news reports while entertainers craft questions on the spot. answers are judged on correctness or creativity, with winners chosen by a random drawing. lo-res bar at nitehawk williamsburg, free admission. >>

weds 8pm: sinners comedy: sinners comedy: comics perform stand-up sets, then dig into a bucket of anonymously submitted audience sins, turning bad decisions, questionable choices, and other moral misdemeanors into comedy. featuring hanna dickinson (comedy central), jay jurden (fallon), sean patton (english teacher), and victor tran (sxsw). hosted by dan davies and caitlin peluffo. saint restaurant bar + speakeasy (east village), save $5 with promo code ‘skint’ >>

weds 8pm: loser’s lounge singalong: elton john and lady gaga: celebrate elton john and lady gaga’s shared birthday month with a piano bar sing-along featuring anna roisman, paige siegwardt, alex petrullo, joe mcginty, and singers from the loser’s lounge. piano karaoke follows. free admission (bring tips for the performers). >>

weds 9pm: my kinda night! a queer variety show: billie bullock and sarah creamin’ onion host an evening filled with drag, cabaret, comedy, and more at medusa bar brooklyn (east williamsburg). free admission (bring $ to tip the performers). >>

thursday

thurs thru 3/25: marilyn monroe: celluloid dream: the museum of modern art presents a 13-film series exploring marilyn monroe’s complexity, including bus stop, don’t bother to knock, gentlemen prefer blondes, some like it hot, the misfits, and more, along with david lynch’s mulholland dr., included for its take on the hollywood dream. museum of modern art (midtown), $14 general, $12 seniors, $10 students. >>

thurs 7-11pm: pancakes + booze art show: a feast for your eyes and belly, the pancakes + booze pop-up art show takes over brooklyn monarch with works by more than 150 local artists, music, and all-you-can-eat pancakes. brooklyn monarch (east williamsburg), $19.05 adv, $ 20 door. >>

thurs 7:30pm: julia + friends: comedian and actor julia shiplett (hbo, netflix, showtime) works on her half hour while some of her favorite comedians stop by and do their thing. with special guests: george civeris, sydnee washington, petey deabreu, and bridget foley. union hall (park slope), $12 adv, $15 door. >>

thurs 8pm: jo firestone presents: the ‘199th’ international pretzel stackers competition: snack stack match! teams of 1–4 people get one hour to build the tallest and/or most beautiful structure out of hard pretzels and edible adhesive (mustard, jam, marshmallow fluff, pimento cheese, etc.). judging favors height, but creativity and execution may sway the panel. byo pretzels + edible glue to compete, or just come watch the carb-based architecture rise. comedian jo firestone (after midnight, fallon). proceeds will benefit the midwest immigration bond fund. littlefield (gowanus), $11.79 with promo code ‘letspretz’ (reg. $14.86). >>

thurs 8pm (monthly): savage! comedy show: savage comedy returns to logan’s run in park slope. hosted by lizzie martinez, melissa rocha, nonye brown-west, and chloé cunha, tonight’s show includes standup by kate willett (colbert), stephon hightower (amazon), cheyenne boozer (ucb), andrew tavin (tbs rooftop comedy), and josh day. bonus: rsvp for a chance to win a free drink. free admission. >>

thurs 8pm (monthly): tip top tits comedy show: it’s comedy or bust at janet hyde and mary cella’s stand-up show, featuring april boddie (buzzfeed), ja-ron young (one-liner madness champion), tony zaret (chris gethard presents), and more. bonus: $3 pbrs. tip-top bar + grill (bed-stuy), free admission. >>

thurs 9pm (monthly): comedy ugly: a comedy strip show: comedians reveal more than just punchlines at comedy ugly, a standup show where performers remove an article of clothing between jokes. featuring: peter liu, danny suggs, lauren hope krass, and marito lopez. hosted by alysia hush and kim dinaro. easy lover (east williamsburg), free admission. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 30+ ongoing events: claudia bitrán: titanic, a deep emotion, art of noise at cooper hewitt, the jim irsay collection at christie’s, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint

friday

sponsored: thru 3/1: myrtle avenue restaurant week: myrtle avenue restaurant week invites diners to savor the diverse flavors of fort greene and clinton hill! during this 10-day celebration, participating myrtle avenue restaurants are offering special three-course prix-fixe dine-in dinner menus at $25, $35, or $45, with options for every appetite and budget. explore a global mix of cuisines – from comforting classics to bold, international favorites – while supporting local, independently owned businesses. discover the restaurants, menus, and more here! >>

thru sun: adiff black history month film series: the african diaspora international film festival’s annual black history month film series presents three days of screenings at teachers college, columbia university (morningside heights). $15 general, $13 seniors/students. >>

sponsored: fri + sat: flop house comedy club: nyc’s friendliest indie comedy club—with great comics, a cozy atmosphere, and no drink minimums—has some incredible lineups this weekend! save 50% with promo code ‘skint’ on tickets to these shows at 362 grand street in williamsburg. friday 8pm + 9:30pm: dan toomey, zahid dewji, winston hodges, maddy kelly, maggie lalley, lisa lenis; saturday 8pm + 9:30pm: jake velazquez, daniela mora, sam evans, gastor almonte, molly brenner. >>

fri 7pm: tale storytelling show: harmon leon (this american life, the new yorker) hosts an evening of performances by some of the city’s best storytellers, including rob cantrell, christine walters, fabiana mattedi, and aida zilelian. the red room at kgb bar (east village), save $8 online with promo code ‘discountskint’ or if you mention the skint at the door (reg. $15). two-drink minimum. >>

fri 7pm: facebook marketplace live!: inspired by facebook marketplace, craigslist, and buy nothing groups, this game show pits comedians in a series of marketplace-themed games to win the title of ‘king of sh*t.’ hosted by amanda melhuish (reductress) and virginia dickens (the onion). caveat (les), $16.70 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $22-23). >>

fri 8pm: awkward sex… and the city storytelling show: from cocaine-infused one-night stands to ibs flare-ups during cunnilingus, comedian natalie wall and guest storytellers share the humor of dating and sexual encounters at the awkward sex… and the city storytelling show. friends and lovers (crown heights), $10 adv, $15 door. >>

fri 8pm: laugh it off comedy show: laugh your troubles away as comedians attempt to ‘fix’ audience-submitted problems. byob permitted. melrose podcasts (east village), $16. >>

fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: this women-produced and-hosted comedy show conjures up big laughs in the back room of halyards (gowanus). tonight’s performers include savannah desormeaux, gastor almonte, olivia stadler, blair dawson, naomi karavani, and maggie lalley. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>

fri 9pm: johnny cash 94th birthday bash: cash bash! fall into a burning ring of fire at the annual johnny cash birthday bash, featuring alex battles + the whisky rebellion and guests performing the music of the man in black. littlefield (gowanus), $15+ >>

fri 9:30pm: model majority: year of the horse comedy show: asian american pacific islander sketch comedy team model majority horse around and deliver laughs (and red envelopes) at their annual lunar new year show. recommended attire: festive, especially red and gold. $18.76 with promo code ‘skinthorse’ (reg. $31.21). >>

sponsored

Heels On. Gloves Off.

Time Out London’s Top 10 Cabaret Star Le Gateau Chocolat joins NYC’s notorious feminist provocateur Adrienne Truscott in GREY ARIAS – a virtuosic riot of music, comedy, drag, and debate coming to The Flea for three nights only, March 5–7, 2026.

This award-winning duo brings rhetorical traps, musical interludes, and outsized personalities onstage as they unravel identity as lived, perceived, and projected. When their comical banter turns personal, they toss petty politeness aside and grey areas give way to a hilarious crescendo of operatic proportions.

Book tickets to GREY ARIAS with code SKINT20 for 20% off!

saturday

sponsored: sat thru 4/12: join us at the rodeo!: primary stages in association with jamie deroy presents: calf scramble at 59e59 theaters. deep in a dusty east texas barn, five teenage girls raise calves and wrestle with what it means to be good – at school, at god, at girlhood. calf scramble is a fiercely original, darkly funny coming-of-age tale soaked in sweat, scripture, and competition, where faith is tangled with survival, and tenderness bucks like a wild animal. use code ‘skint’ to snag $26 tickets (reg. $66-86). >>

sat thru 3/8: regina opera: suor angelica: brooklyn’s regina opera presents a fully-staged performance of puccini’s one-act suor angelica at our lady of perpetual help auditorium (sunset park). the performance, sung in italian with english supertitles, will be presented with sets, lights, costumes, and live orchestral accompaniment. $25 general, $20 seniors/students. >>

sat 11am: ‘chase away the winter blues’ tour of brooklyn botanic garden: tune into the subtle beauty of winter’s deciduous trees on this hour-long nature walk at brooklyn botanic garden, led by licensed psychotherapist lynne spevack. free with garden admission ($22 general, $16 seniors/students, free community tickets). >>

sat 12-6pm: second annual comics + caffeine fest: indie comics, zines, and art-making percolate at the comics + caffeine fest, returning to bushwick’s caffeine underground for a second year. coffee, tea, and eats will be available for purchase. free admission. >>

sat 1pm: brooklyn’s black trailblazers: cemetery trolley tour: visit the memorials of artist jean-michel basquiat, civil rights activists grace nail johnson and james weldon johnson, mathematician charles l. reason (the first black college professor in the united states), and others on this guided tour of green-wood cemetery examining the life and accomplishments of prominent black brooklynites. $15. >>

sat 1-6pm: returning to self: a black history month culmination: gov­er­nors island’s third annu­al black his­to­ry month cul­mi­na­tion, a free indoor gath­er­ing cen­ter­ing heal­ing, cre­ativ­i­ty, and col­lec­tive care, bring­s togeth­er artists, heal­ers, and edu­ca­tors for an afternoon of restora­tive expe­ri­ences. the low­er man­hat­tan cul­tur­al coun­cil (lmcc) arts cen­ter at gov­er­nors island, free admission. >>

sat 5pm: relationsh*t storytelling show: stories about all kinds of relationships meet on-stage advice from actual therapists at lynn bixenspan and morgan pielli’s relationsh*t show. q.e.d. (astoria), $12. >>

sat 7:30pm: nasty stuff with naomi karavani: comedian and writer naomi karavani (redacted tonight) tackles darkly twisted subjects in her latest stand-up show. with guests winston hodges, rachel mccartney, and lizabanks compagna. unon hall, $15 >>

sunday

sun 11:30am-3:30pm (festival + booths), 1pm (parade): 28th chinatown lunar new year parade and festival: dancers, performers, floats, vendors, and more take over the streets of chinatown to celebrate the new year. >>

sun 12pm: the 27th st. pat’s for all parade: the annual st. pat’s for all parade returns to sunnyside and woodside, queens, led by grand marshals kate mulgrew (star trek: voyager, orange is the new black) and irish repertory theater co-founders charlotte moore and ciarán o’reilly. the festivities kick off with music, traditional dancing, and remarks at 12pm, followed by the parade at 1pm. free admission. >>

sun 1pm: national boston terrier day celebrations: terrier two-fer! the annual national boston terrier day meetup returns to the washington square park dog run (greenwich village) for two days. free. >>

sun 1pm: brooklyn chili takedown 2026: amateur chefs ladle out their best chili recipes in a simmering showdown of beans and spices. taste your way through the lineup, and vote for the ultimate bowl. royal palms shuffleboard (gowanus), $30. >>

sun 1pm (rescheduled from 2/22): movies at the palace: season of courage: superman ’78 and batman ’89 double-feature: united palace’s movies at the palace screening series returns with a lineup celebrating bold heroes, big dreams, and unforgettable stories. the season kicks off with a double-feature showdown of richard donner’s superman (1978) and tim burton’s batman (1989). united palace (washington heights), $20. >>

sun 3pm: matt koff does new material (and then everybody goes home): catch some laughs before sundown as comedian and writer matt koff (the daily show, the onion) tries out some new standup material at young ethel’s (south slope). featuring guest sets by comedian ophira eisenberg (wnyc) and musician emily frembgen. free admission. >>

sun 5-7pm: booze + build: let your inner kid run wild (with a drink in hand) at booze + build, a playful night of building brick fun for grown-ups where you use a set of freestyle bricks to bring your ideas to life. plus, enjoy games, challenges, and prizes along the way. come solo or team up. building sets will be available for purchase if you would like to take your creation home. q.e.d. (astoria), $15 admission. >>

sun 7pm: scott pilgrim vs. the shadow cast: level up with a live shadowcast screening of 2010 cult classic scott pilgrim vs. the world, featuring plastic baby jesus band opening with tunes from the movie and dj leftfoot finishing out the night with a ddr competition. wonderville (bushwick), free admission. >>

monday

mon thru 3/8: knockouts women’s comedy festival: kicking off women’s history month, the third annual knockouts women’s comedy festival showcases female and non-binary comedians across stand-up, sketch, and solo work. various venues and prices (note: some events have a food/drink minimum). >>

mon 7pm (monthly): biology on tap: bio and beer blend at the biology on tap speaker series, featuring talks, trivia, and prizes. tonight, come learn about our wonderful, spineless friends: the cuttlefish and dragonfly. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission ($5 suggested donation). >>

mon 7:30pm (monthly): miss manhattan non-fiction reading series: elyssa goodman and r.c. gstaad iii’s monthly showcase returns with an evening of readings from writers sabrina imbler (how far the light reaches: a life in ten sea creatures), jonny porkpie (the corpse wore pasties), and devan díaz (vogue). niagara bar (east village), free admission. >>

mon 7:30pm (rescheduled from 2/23): dirty little secrets improv show: see your secrets turned into comedy gold at the dirty little secrets show, where your anonymously-submitted secrets serve as inspiration for improv performers. the wara theatre (east village), $14.64 with promo code ‘skintsecrets’ (reg. $23.18). >>

mon 7:30pm: not a boy, not a girl comedy show: will morrison hosts an lgbtq+ comedy/variety show at crystal lake (williamsburg). tonight’s lineup features comedians shenuque tissera, paris adkins, ryan montesi, chang, and drag performer reina nobuena. $10. >>

mon 7:30pm (rescheduled from 2/23): belt: a musical theatre karaoke experience – mamma mia! edition: belt musical theatre karaoke night is back in nyc for a full sing-through of mamma mia!. grab the mic solo, as a duet, or in a group while everyone sings-along. once mamma mia! ends, the night continues with open musical theatre karaoke. madame x (greenwich village), save $5 with promo code ‘mamax’ >>

ongoing

our roundup of 30+ ongoing events: 2-for-1 off-broadway week tickets, ice skating, art shows, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint