Planet Weekend Picks, March 30-April 1

Author Carl Hiaasen

Friday, March 30

What’s Up Princeton Open Mic Night – Music, poetry and more by area high school students. At the Arts Council of Princeton, 7-10 p.m. Free.

Composers Ensemble One-Act Opera Project – Premiere of three short operas. `Lear on the Second Floor’, `Weakness’, and `Off Court’. The Composers Ensemble at Princeton is devoted to providing a laboratory/workshop for Princeton composers to find life for their musical vision on stage, not merely on their teachers’ desks. McCarter Theatre (Berlind), Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets $15.

Travesties, McCarter Theatre – Tom Stoppard’s comedy set in Zurich, 1917, directed by Sam Buntrock. Matthews Theatre, Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m. & 8 pm., Sunday 2 p.m. Pre-show talk 45 minutes before each performance. Tickets $20-$60.

Saturday, March 31

Annual Book Sale, Princeton Theological Seminary – Thousands of titles on subjects including religion, theology, fiction, travel, the arts, and children’s literature. Proceeds benefit theological institutions around the world.  At Whiteley Gymnasium, 36 Hibben Road at Stockton Street. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $10 entry fee.

Spring Family Festival, Historical Society of Princeton – Celebrate the one-year anniversary of the farmstead with watercolor painting, a scavenger hunt, and Zumba classes. Science Seeds presents a Lego windmill building workshop with a $1 materials fee. Bring a picnic lunch. Rain or shine. Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, noon-4 p.m. $4 fee includes museum admission.

NanoDays, Princeton Public Library –  The minuscule world of atoms, molecules, and nanoscale forces will be explored by children, teens, and adults through hands-on activities. Princeton University faculty and graduate students present programs and demonstrations and invite discussion of technology and society. 1-4 p.m. Free.

Puzzles of the Brain: An Artist’s Journey Through Amnesia – Discussion explores how art and science inform our understanding of memory and creativity. Researchers and Lonni Sue Johnson’s family will shed light on the dramatic transformations in her art and the early scientific research results on her case of amnesia. Presented in conjunction with Morven’s current exhibit. McCosh 50, Princeton University, 2 p.m. Doors open at 1:30. Free. After the discussion, visit Morven Museum & Garden for light refreshments and to view the exhibition.

On My Honor: Real Life Lessons from America’s First Girl Scout – Author Shannon Henry Kleiber celebrates the 100th birthday of the Girl Scouts with women of all ages and and discusses her book at the Barnes & Noble at MarketFair, 2 p.m. Free.

Animal Architects: Building and the Evolution of Intelligence – Authors James Gould and Carol Grant Gould speak at Labyrinth Books at 3 p.m. Free.

Carl Hiaasen Visits Barnes & Noble – Hiaasen, whose most recent book is `Chomp’ speaks and signs books at the MarketFair store. Priority seating with book purchase. Line pass distribution begins at 4 p.m. with seating at 5 p.m. Event starts at 6 p.m. Free.

Sunday, April 1

Easter Egg Hunt, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart – Easter egg hunt for ages 3 to 6. Prizes, refreshments, siblings welcome. Rain or shine. Bring your own basket.  1128 Great Road, Princeton, 1:30 p.m. Free.

Community Family Dance, Princeton Country Dancers – Old-fashioned dance for all ages with all dances taught, no experience needed, live music. At the Suzanne Patterson Center, Monument Drive, 3-5 p.m. Admission $5.

Joe R. Engle Organ Concert, Princeton Theological Seminary -Features composer Paul Mealor of the University of Aberdeen and organist Ken Cowan of Westminster Choir College. Mealor, a Welsh composer whose work Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton chose for their 2011 wedding, conducts the seminary choir at a liturgical service in two of his own compositions including `Ubi Caritas et Amor’, the motet he composed for the royal wedding. At the Seminary’s  Miller Chapel, 7 p.m. Free.