Conferences and concerts. Eye Candy and Someone You Can X‑Ray. Vic Mensa and Valentine’s Day. A week of discovery in New Haven.
Monday, Feb. 9
Family Drama
“When Faith Divides a Family” is a special event at the Mitchell branch of New Haven Free Public Library. There’ll be a reading from Joshua Harmon’s play Bad Jews (which the Long Wharf will stage this month), followed by a discussion with New York Times religion columnist (and Westville resident) Mark Oppenheimer. 37 Harrison St. (203) 946‑8117.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Someone and Some Such and Sean
Intriguing trio of Connecticut-based bands at Cafe Nine tonight: the smooth jam/pop ensemble Someone You Can X‑Ray (with Bryan and Dana Newman), Sean Conlon of The Alehounds, and writer/artist mykl sivak’s music project Some Such Things. 9 p.m. $5. 250 State St. (203) 789‑8281.
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Die-In Dialectic
If they give out awards for best college lecture title, let’s nominate “Slain … in the Spirit: Toward a Radical Black Womanist Choreo-Pneumatology of the ‘Die-In.’” The talk — by Eboni Marshall Turman, Assistant Research Professor of Black Church Studies and Director of the Office of Black Church Studies at The Divinity School of Duke University — will be presented 5:25 p.m. at Yale’s Sterling Divinity Quadrangle, Niehbuhr Hall (409 Prospect St., 203 – 432-5358).
Thursday, Feb. 12
Bach to Basics
Harpsichordist Stephen Gamboa-Diaz plays Bach’s Clavierübung I (the second half) 7:30 p.m. at Morse Recital Hall in Yale’s Sprague Hall, 470 College St. Free. (805) 901‑3116.
Friday, Feb. 13
Eye Candy Before Valentine’s
A wild-eyed weekend-long conference, Eye Candy: Consuming Images at the Cinema and Beyond, begins today and continues through Sunday at the Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St.). There are screenings (including the mind-blowing 1966 opus Daisies), discussions, and discussions about screenings. Free.
Cheongsam Ball
The Yale-China Association’s annual Cheongsam Ball is tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. at New Haven Lawn Club (193 Whitney Ave., 203 – 432-0881). The special honoree is Nancy Yao Maasbach. Tickets are $114.
The Marrying Kind
Yale Opera performs a full production of Mozart’s entrancing Marriage of Figaro, with sets and lights and a full orchestra and everything, 8 p.m. tonight, 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Shubert, 247 College St. (203) 562‑5666.
Mensa Score
Chicago hip-hop star Vic Mensa, whose solo career is going very well following the break-up of his group Kids These Days in 2013, is at Toad’s Place tonight thanks to the Black Solidarity Conference at Yale. DJ Rell opens the 10 p.m. show. $35, $25 in advance. (203) 624-TOAD.
Saturday, Feb. 14
Hearts and Peanuts
It’s Valentine’s Day, and not only does New Haven Free Public Library have lots of romance novels on the shelves, there are special events for kids: “Valentine’s Day Storytime and Crafts” at the Mitchell branch (37 Harrison St., 203 – 946-8115) at 2 p.m. and a screening of the Peanuts cartoon Be My Valentine Charlie Brown at the Fair Haven Branch (182 Grand Ave., 203 – 946-8115) at 3 p.m.
’Twas the Lark. No, the Nightingale.
Yale Symphony Orchestra’s Valentine’s Day Concert features lush, smoochy works by Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Bernstein — all referencing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet! 8 p.m. Woolsey Hall, 500 College St. (203) 432‑4140.
Funny Kind of Love
The Valentine’s Day Show at the Joker’s Wild comedy club features Kevin Fitzgerald and Shawn Murray, and special date-friendly come-ons like free dessert and champagne. 232 Wooster St. $15. (203) 773‑0733.
Sunday, Feb. 15
EnHanced
Rock guitarist Daryl Hance forsakes his hometown of sunny Jacksonville, Fla. for snowswept Connecticut, plugging in at Stella Blues with his band Power Trio. 204 Crown St. (203) 752‑9764.
