Ongoing

Identity, Brennan Gallery, 583 Newark Ave., Jersey City, N.J. 07306, (201) 459-2070. Hudson County's annual statewide juried show. Barrier free. Open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Sept 26 through Nov. 11.

Masters of American Comics, Newark Museum, 49 Washington St., Newark, N.J. 07102, (973) 596-6550, www.newarkmuseum.com. Nearly 600 original drawings, rare proofs, printed newspaper pages, comic books and graphic novels in the first major museum examination of one of America's great art forms. Wednesdays through Sundays, from noon to 5 p.m. Runs from Sept. 15 through the end of the year.

A Day in the Life of a Firefighter in the South Bronx, American Labor Museum, 83 Norwood St., Haledon, N.J. 07508, (973) 595-7953, www.labormuseum.org. Photographs by New Jersey photographer John Jordan documenting the daily experience of firefighters. On view through Dec. 31. Visiting hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Suggested donation is $5.

September

8

JC Fridays, Throughout Jersey City, (201) 915-9911, www.jcfridays.com. A citywide day of free events celebrating art and culture in Jersey City. Look online for a complete list of events, locations and times.

8-30

The Birthday Party, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton N.J. 08540, (609) 258-ARTS, www.mccarter.org. A wildly menacing comedy by Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter, directed by Emily Mann. Appropriate for ages 12 and up. Tickets range from $33 to $48.

15-17

Hudson County One Act Festival, The Center for the Performing Arts at DeBaun Auditorium, Fifth and Hudson streets, Hoboken, N.J. 07030, (201) 216-8937, www.debaun.org. A festival of one-act plays joining The Theater Company, Hudson Exploited Theatre Company and The Attic Ensemble. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, $5 for children under 12. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.

16

Multiple Personality Disorder, Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, The Baird, 5 Mead St., South Orange, N.J. 07079, (973) 378-7754 ext. 2228, www.dreamcatcherrep.org. Dreamcatcher's improvisational comedy troupe brings scenes and sketches to life on the spot using the audience's input. Begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

19

Another Evening: I Bow Down, New Theater, 85 George St., New Brunswick, N.J. 0890, (732) 932-7511, www.masongross.rutgers.edu. Known for taking risks on stage, choreographer Bill T. Jones continues to push the boundaries of modern dance through unconventional collaborations. Performance followed by free audience discussion with the artists. Begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

22-24

STOMP, State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901, (732) 246-7469, www.statetheatrenj.org. Fun for everyone, this eight-member troupe drums on everything but drums. Anything is fair game, including wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, and hubcaps-to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. Tickets range from $30 to $55.

28

Introducing... Series, Jersey City Museum, 350 Montgomery St., Jersey City, N.J. 07302, (201) 413-0303, www.jerseycitymuseum.org. Want to know the latest buzz about the emerging art scene? Join a conversation between invited emerging artists and curators/critics about the art and culture of our times. Free at 6 p.m.

28-30

Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, Waterloo Village, 525 Waterloo Road, Stanhope, N.J. 07874, (973) 540-8442, www.dodgepoetryfestival.org. To mark its 20th year, the largest poetry event in North America will return to its birthplace. Nearly 20,000 people are expected. Free parking.

29-30

Frankenstein, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark, N.J. 07102, (888) GO-NJPAC, www.njpac.org. An exciting, new musical boldly adapted from the classic Mary Shelley novel by a trio of New Jersey authors. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25. Runs through Oct. 1.

Proof, Philip J. Levin Theater, 85 George St., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901, (732) 932-7511, www.masongross.rutgers.edu. An intense, intelligent and deeply-felt Pulitzer Prize-winning play from David Auburn. Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through Oct. 7. Tickets are $25.

October

1

Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, See listing on Sept. 28-30.

Frankenstein, See listing on Sept. 29-30.

1-7

Proof, See listing on Sept. 29-30.

1-15

The Birthday Party, See listing on Sept. 8-30.

3-29

The Things You Least Expect, George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901, (732) 246-7717, www.georgestplayhouse.org. World premiere of the play by Joan Vail Thorne, directed by David Saint. Tickets range from $28 to $62.

5-29

Second Line, Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 E. Front St., Trenton, N.J. 08611, (609) 392-0766, www.passagetheatre.org. Passage Theatre presents the world premiere of Seret Scott's play, which follows two middle class, African-American college students whose lives were shaped by the stormy events between 1962 and 1982. Tickets are $25, with discount for students, seniors and groups.

8-29

Translations, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton N.J. 08540, (609) 258-ARTS, www.mccarter.org. An impossible love develops between a soldier and a village girl in this powerful Irish masterpiece by Brian Friel, directed by Garry Hines. Tickets range from $28 - $48. Appropriate for ages 12 and up.

15

Hoboken Artists Studio Tour, Hoboken, N.J. 07030, (201) 420-2207, www.hobokennj.org. The 25th annual free city-wide self-guided walking tour featuring over 100 artists. Visit artists, photographers, sculptors and artisans in their studios. Tour maps, guides and shuttle bus will be available. Monroe Center for the Arts will be the largest stop on the tour, and will host some of the original artists from the first tour. Runs from noon to 6 p.m.

Urban Image, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., Hoboken, N.J. 07030, (201) 656.2240, www.urbanimageshowcase.org. A showcase of short films and video works. "Memoir" will feature personal stories, portraits and biographical sketches. Begins at 4 p.m. Suggested donation: $5. Free parking available.

20-22

Dreamgirls, The Center for the Performing Arts at DeBaun Auditorium, Fifth and Hudson streets, Hoboken, N.J. 07030, (201) 216-8937, www.debaun.org. Follow the rise of the promising girl group, The Dreamettes, as they seek fame at the Apollo Theatre, land work as backup singers for James "Thunder" Early, then break out as stars in their own right. Admission is $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, $15 for children under 12. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Also on Oct. 27-29.

21

Yo-Yo Ma with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark, N.J. 07102, (888) GO-NJPAC, www.njpac.org. Yo-Yo Ma joins the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and its new music director, Neeme Järvi, for a dynamic performance of Dvorak's Cello Concerto. Begins at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to $112.

21-22

Jersey City Artists Studio Tour, Throughout Jersey City, N.J., (201) 547-4333. A weekend of art, presented by the Jersey City Division of Cultural Affairs and Pro Arts from noon to 6 p.m. This self-guided walking tour features hundreds of artists, studios, galleries, performances and exhibitions.

26-29

Country Folk Art Craft Show, New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison, N.J. 08837, www.njexpocenter.com. Today's favorites for home accents and gifts. "The ultimate craft show!" Hours vary.

27

Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark, N.J. 07102, (888) GO-NJPAC, www.njpac.org. Founded in the 18th century at St. Petersburg's famed Mariinsky Theatre, the Kirov has long been one of Russia's most revered music institutions. Begins at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $24 to $88.

27-29

Dreamgirls, See listing on Oct. 20-22.

27-31

Expecting Isabel, Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, The Baird, 5 Mead St., South Orange, N.J. 07079, (973) 378-7754, ext. 2228, www.dreamcatcherrep.org. A comic odyssey by Lisa Loomer that winds through the fertility trade and the adoption industry. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students. Runs through Nov. 12

November

1-12

Expecting Isabel, See listing on Oct. 27-31.

2

Creating Art: Conversations with African American Artists, Montclair Art Museum, 3 S. Mountain Ave., Montclair, N.J. 07042, (973) 746-5555, www.montclairartmuseum.org. Artists from different ethnic backgrounds will discuss how their cultures have influenced their art, from subject matter to media they work in. Begins at 7 p.m. Free.

3-18

Cloud 9, New Theater, George St., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901, (732) 932-7511, www.masongross.rutgers.edu. Caryl Churchill's breakthrough - and groundbreaking - comedy of gender bending and time travel catapults us on a breathless journey to the edge of the British Empire and the edge of our own sexual identities. Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25.

4

The Sounds of the Big Bands, The Center for the Performing Arts at DeBaun Auditorium, Fifth and Hudson streets, Hoboken, N.J. 07030, (201) 216-8937, www.debaun.org. Let the Jersey Swing Jazz Orchestra bring you back to an era when big band jazz was America's pop music. Concert begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, $10 for children under 12.

7-20

Stained Glass Exhibit, Cafe Gallery at Old Church, 561 Piermont Road, Demarest, N.J. 07627, (201) 767-7160, www.tasoc.org. Stained-glass artwork exhibited by students of Gerda Quoohs from The Art School at Old Church. Free. Handicapped accessible.

9

Rene Harris - Pure Movement, Park Performing Arts Center, 560 32nd St., Union City, N.J. 07087, (201) 865-6980, www.parkpac.org. The hottest of hot hip-hop (and beyond) dance companies. Handicapped accessible.

14-30

The Value of Names, George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901, (732) 246-7717, www.georgestplayhouse.org. Starring Emmy Award Winner Jack Klugman from TV's The Odd Couple and Tony Award Winner John Cullum from TV's Northern Exposure. Runs through Dec. 10. Tickets range from $28 to $64.

15

Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton N.J. 08540, (609) 258-ARTS, www.mccarter.org. This band is devoted to re-creating vintage arrangements written for the legendary Gillespie big bands of the forties and fifties. The roster of participating musicians includes New Jersey's own Paquito D'Rivera and trumpet superstar Roy Hargrove. Tickets range from $45 to $50. Begins at 8 p.m.

16

Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, State Theatre, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, N.J. 08901, (732) 246-7469, www.statetheatrenj.org. Prokofiev, Suite from Romeo and Juliet; Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 with Alisa Weilerstein; Dvorák, Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95. Tickets range from $45 to $75.

24

The Ten Tenors, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark, N.J. 07102, (888) GO-NJPAC, www.njpac.org. These ten Australian charmers have charisma to burn. Begins at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $68.

28-30

Rick Najera's Latinologues, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark, N.J. 07102, (888) GO-NJPAC, www.njpac.org. This collection of razor-sharp monologues - alternately hilarious and poignant - paints a vivid portrait of the Latino experience in America. All seats are $38. Call for showtimes. Runs through Dec. 3.

30

Introducing... Series, See listing on Sept. 28.