Spare Times - For Children, for July 6-12 - NYTimes.com Image Studio Many parents will probably lament how much time their children spend in front of screens - video and otherwise - this summer. But at least one place will allow young people to see what's behind those beguiling pictures, literally and figuratively. That's the Museum of the Moving Image, which will welcome visitors 7 and older to its new Drop-In Moving Image Studio this Saturday to "play, hack, make, create and just do fun things that are also engaging learning activities," said Chris Wisniewski, the museum's deputy director for education. That means not only producing film, animation and video games but also taking apart and examining the equipment involved. "The idea is that we'll always have something, whether it's a strip of film or a projector or a video camera, that young people can look at, and by looking at it understand better how the technology works," Mr. Wisniewski said. The museum has never invited workshop participants to dissect components before, nor has it offered a program so open-ended. The studio will run from noon to 5 p.m. every Saturday, allowing someone "to come for 10 minutes or a few hours," Mr. Wisniewski said. But each afternoon will also center on specific "design challenges," and some will feature guest artists. This Saturday, for instance, casual visitors can quickly use paper to make flip books or thaumatropes, simple 19th-century-style optical toys that created the earliest forms of animation. Aspiring movie directors, above, will get materials like screws, ribbons and cutout pictures to make found-object films. The museum will supply themes: "It might be something like "lost and found," or "something fell from the sky," " Mr. Wisniewski said. Participants can then share the results on the museum's YouTube channel. The final option will be working on laptops to modify or reimagine video games that previous students devised. The ambitious can invent their own. One favorite is Cheeseman, which grew out of a summer media camp a few years ago. "Kids respond to the actual character, who is a block of cheese," Mr. Wisniewski said. He's trying to capture a flag at the end of the level. An animated cheese wedge? Maybe SpongeBob SquarePants should worry about competition. (At 35th Avenue at 37th Street, Astoria, Queens, 718-777-6800, movingimage.us. Free with museum admission: $12; $9 for 65+ and students; $6 for ages 3 to 17; free for members. Adults must accompany participants under 12.) For Children "A-Maze-Ing Water" (Friday through Thursday) It's easy to take water for granted, but this new exhibition at the New York Aquarium shows how easily this vital resource can be wasted or polluted. "Water's Extreme Journey," the show's centerpiece, consists of a 1,500-square-foot interactive maze in which children can investigate a model of a watershed and see how contaminants affect the drinking supply; put together puzzles about the water cycle; ride a zipline through pollutants; and discover the diversity of marine life. (Through Sept. Hours through Sept. 3: daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays; Surf Avenue and West Eighth Street, Coney Island, Brooklyn, (718) 265-3474, nyaquarium.com. Free with admission: $14.95; $11.95 for 65+; $10.95 for ages 3 to 12; free for under 3; pay what you wish on Fridays after 3 p.m. "Angelina Ballerina the Musical" (Sunday) That winsome white mouse who does all her scurrying in toeshoes is returning to the stage at a new theater. Vital Theater Company's musical adaptation draws on the books by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig and the PBS series "Angelina Ballerina the Next Steps." The show, by Susan DiLallo and Ben Morss, features Angelina and her fellow students doing modern dance, the Irish jig and hip-hop, as well as ballet. At 1 p.m., Riverside Theater, 91 Claremont Avenue, at 120th Street, Morningside Heights, (212) 579-0528, vitaltheatre.org; $29.50; $49.50 for premium seats. "Animation" (Friday through Thursday) There's a lot of science in the creation of cartoons, as young visitors will see in this exhibition. Comprising a cartoon museum, a screening room, a studio and several thematic sections, the 6,000-square-foot show, at the New York Hall of Science, allows children to explore animation techniques while learning how math and physics help foster visual effects. Characters and series from Cartoon Network illustrate the principles investigated. Museum hours: Weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 47-01 111th Street, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, (718) 699-0005, nysci.org. Free with museum admission: $11; $8 for ages 2 through 17, college students and 62+; free for under 2 and members. "Archaeology Zone: Discovering Treasures From Playgrounds to Palaces" (Sunday through Tuesday, and Thursday) Children will step into the shoes of an explorer like Indiana Jones in this permanent exhibition at the Jewish Museum, but the adventures will be purely scholarly. Still, there is plenty of excitement in analyzing artifacts like a jar handle, a clay jug and a bangle and figuring out the purpose behind ancient pieces like a Greek helmet and a bull-shaped vessel. This interactive show, for ages 3 to 10, also includes a recreated room from the Ottoman period (about 1900), where young archaeologists can dress in costume. From 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; until 8 p.m. on Thursdays; 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, (212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org. Free with admission: $12; $10 for 65+; $7.50 for students; free for under 12 and members. "Art Forms: 75 Years of Arts Education" (Friday through Monday, and Wednesday and Thursday) Few children's museums have permanent collections, and even fewer have holdings like those of the Children's Museum of the Arts: young people's own creations, dating back to the 1930s. This new exhibition showcases 30 examples of art made in previous eras by students of noted educators like Leon Bibel, a painter in the Works Progress Administration; the theorist Henry Schaefer-Simmern; and Sona Kludjian, who taught at a performing and visual arts school in Harlem. Their pupils" art is shown along with works by contemporary students in 18 public schools who have participated in the museum's programs. Museum hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 5 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 6 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 103 Charlton Street, between Hudson and Greenwich Streets, South Village, (212) 274-0986, cmany.org. Free with museum admission: $10; free for 65+ and under 1. Backstage Tours at "The Fantasticks" (Monday through Wednesday, and Friday through Sunday) The producers of "The Fantasticks" think it's time to introduce the next generation of theatergoers to their show, the longest-running musical in the world. They have initiated a program for young audiences that will take them behind the scenes after performances, where they can tour the backstage area, meet cast members (Aaron Carter has a starring role), learn how the show is put on and take pictures. And, of course, have their first experience with Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's fable about love. Performances are Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Wednesday at 2 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 and 7:30 p.m.; Jerry Orbach Theater, Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, Manhattan, (212) 921-7862, fantasticksonbroadway.com. Free with the purchase of tickets: $51.50 to $76.50; $160 for a family four-pack. Tour reservations are required and should be made through the box office. The Berenstain Bears Live! In Family Matters, the Musical" (Saturday and Sunday) The most famous bears since the three in the Goldilocks story are now onstage in an open-ended run of this adaptation of three of the titles in the long-running children's book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The show, by Michael Borton and Michael Slade, offers a pleasant hour for small theatergoers, with a pop-flavored score and actors who inhabit their fuzzy roles enthusiastically. But like the books, it's rather tame and tidy; after this many years of a formula, even the Berenstain cubs are starting to show their age. At 2 p.m., Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, 10 West 64th Street, Manhattan, (866) 811-4111, berenstainbearslive.com; $34.95 to $59.95. The most expensive tickets include wearable bear ears and foot-of-the-stage seating. Bike Bonanza (Sunday) Driver education is important for bike riders too, and the organization Bike New York will provide it at this festival, with a Learn to Ride class for beginning cyclists and a skills clinic for children who already know how to balance and pedal. The event will also include a bike registration drive, a bicycle swap from Recycle-A-Bicycle (exchange an outgrown bike for a refurbished one of the right size) and a helmet giveaway while supplies last. Children should bring their own bikes and helmets for the classes and be accompanied by an adult. From noon to 4 p.m., at the Unisphere, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, bikenewyork.org/learn/kids/bike-bonanza; free; registration for the class and the clinic is advised but not required. Children's Theater Company (Saturday) In New York you're never too little for the stage, and this company welcomes actors as young as 5. Its latest showcase features two short musicals. ""Yertle & Myrtle, the Tyrant Turtles" is a Dr. Seuss adaptation, by Lory Lazarus and Mehr Mansuri, dealing with power and its exploitation. "Rescue Me: A Musical History of Women," by Dorothy Marcic, uses popular song and an adolescent ensemble to deal with another aspect of power: how America's female citizens acquired it. Through July 14. Saturday at 4:30 p.m., 53 East 11th Street, East Village, (212) 633-6629, childrenstheatercompany.org; $12; reservations required. Children's Museum of the Arts Free Art Island Outpost (Saturday and Sunday) This island fun doesn't require a flight to distant shores. The Children's Museum of the Arts has started another summer of weekend workshops on Governors Island, which explore a variety of crafts and materials. Each weekend includes organic art making, using resources children find on the island itself, in Building 14; and media lab arts, with activities like filmmaking, sound-music production, animation and puppetry, in Building 11. More workshops will also take place on Saturday and Sunday in the museum itself; details are on the Web site. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nolan Park, Governors Island, (212) 274-0986, cmany.org, govisland.com; free. Field Station: Dinosaurs (Friday through Thursday) It's not unusual to go see giants in the Meadowlands, but those attracting visitors to that area of New Jersey this summer don't wear helmets or play football. Field Station: Dinosaurs is a 20-acre park filled with more than 30 animatronic prehistoric creatures, including a Tyrannosaurus rex, a stegosaurus and a 90-foot-long argentinosaurus. The dinosaurs move when approached, and the three-quarter-mile trail also offers other paleontology exhibits and a mock fossil dig site. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., One Dinosaur Way (off Exit 15X of the New Jersey Turnpike), Laurel Hill Park, Secaucus, N.J., (855) 999-9010, fieldstationdinosaurs.com. In advance, $20; $17.50 for 65+ and ages 3 to 12. At the box office, $25 and $20. Free for 2 and under. "Flying Monsters 3D" (Friday through Thursday) This sounds like the perfect contemporary scary film, except that these monsters didn't come from a folk tale or a horror writer's imagination: They were living, breathing realities millions of years ago. Written and narrated by David Attenborough, this new giant-screen 3-D film from National Geographic explores the world of pterosaurs: flying reptiles like the quetzalcoatlus, which was the size of a jumbo jetliner, and the tapejara, which had a sailboat-shaped head. Scientists will discuss their fossils, while the 3-D re-creations swoop at you from the screen. Hourly, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5200, amnh.org. Included in Museum Plus One admission (general admission and one IMAX film or special exhibition): $25; $19 for students and 65+; $14.50 for ages 2 to 12. "Gazillion Bubble Show: The Next Generation" (Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday) Children love bubbles, and this interactive show promises not just a gazillion but also some of the largest ever blown, along with light effects and lasers. The stars are the members of the Yang family: Fan and Ana Yang and their son Deni and others, who rotate as M.C."s for the production. Audience members may even find themselves in bubbles of their own. The run is open-ended. Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 and 4:30 p.m.; Sunday at noon and 3 p.m.; Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200, gazillionbubbleshow.com; $44.50 to $89.50; lap seats for ages 2 and under are $20, at the box office only. Golden Dragon Acrobats (Friday through Sunday) Don't expect ordinary handsprings and somersaults. This troupe from China specializes in the extreme, like balancing on one hand on a stack of chairs or doing ballet moves while perched on another person's shoulders. The show, in Queens through Aug. 4, also offers music, dance and traditional costumes. Friday and Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.; Queens Theater in the Park, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, (718) 760-0064, queenstheatre.org; $32; $100 for a family four-pack. Hands-On Nano Demos (Saturday) Forget about thinking big; this event is all about thinking small, as Sony Wonder Technology Lab offers experiments and workshops exploring the properties, structures and materials involved in nanotechnology. Recommended for ages 7 and older, these demonstrations are enhanced by the lab's exhibit on nanotechnology's applications in fields like medicine, transportation and fashion. From 1 to 3 p.m., 550 Madison Avenue, at 56th Street, (212) 833-8100, sonywondertechlab.com; free. "The Jungle Book" (Saturday and Sunday) This Mowgli shouldn't have any trouble swinging through the jungle; he's on strings anyway. Nicolas Coppola, artistic director of Puppetworks, and Adam Kilgour have adapted Rudyard Kipling's tales into a marionette production that features an original score and traditional Indian motifs. Through Aug. 19. At 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Puppetworks, 338 Sixth Avenue, at Fourth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-3391, puppetworks.org; $8; $7 for children. Reservations advised. Ezra Jack Keats Family Concert (Sunday) Evocative words and images were the stock in trade of the children's author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, and this annual event with readings, part of the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival, adds another element: music. The headlining performers will be Sweet Honey in the Rock, the all-female a cappella group known for its songs for young people as well as for a repertory that spans gospel to hip-hop. At 4 p.m.; gates open at 3; Prospect Park Bandshell, Prospect Park West and Ninth Street, Park Slope, (718) 683-5600, bricartsmedia.org/cb; free, but a $3 donation is suggested. Kids Cruise (Saturday) The best cruises are like the one in Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," in which young adventurers can have a great rumpus and still be safely home for dinner. That's what Circle Line is offering in this series of children's sails, departing the first Saturday of each summer month. Each trip includes a 75-minute voyage to the Statue of Liberty (with a chance to take a photo there), as well as entertainment including a juggler, a magician and a balloon artist. A musician - this time it's Danna Banana - also performs. Boarding at 9:30 a.m.; sailing at 10 a.m.; Pier 83, West 42nd Street and 12th Avenue, Clinton, (212) 563-3200, circleline42.com; $28; $20 for ages 3 to 12; free for 2 and under. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (Saturday) If the children of the Pevensie family could travel to the magical land of Narnia through something as simple as a wardrobe, why shouldn't two hard-working actors be able to play them and all the characters found there? That's what Catherine Fowles and Robert Gilbert are attempting in Off Broadway Family Theater's first production, le Clanché du Rand's adaptation of C.S. Lewis's classic novel. Saturdays at 11 a.m., St. Luke's Theater, 308 West 46th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200, narniaoffbroadway.com; $35. "Little Miss Muffet's Monster-Sitting Service" (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) This Little Miss Muffet, Molly, a descendant of the original, is certainly a lot braver: not only does she not fear spiders, but she's also willing to go into business with the very one that sat down beside her ancestor. In this production from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater in Central Park, by Doug Strich and Emily Fellner, Molly and Al, the spider, start a baby-sitting service for infant monsters just as a huge winter storm is heading their way. Fridays, and Tuesdays through Thursdays, at 10:30 a.m. and noon, with an additional show on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m.; some shows are sold out. 79th Street and the West Drive, Central Park, (212) 988-9093, cityparksfoundation.org/arts/swedish-cottage-marionette-theatre; $8, or $5 for under 12. Reservations required. Material Lab at the Museum of Modern Art (Friday through Monday, and Wednesday and Thursday) No matter how much talent artists have, they need the right materials to create their work. This interactive space at MoMA invites families to explore a wide range of mediums that are reflected in the museum's collection. The stations in the Material Lab include a drawing table; a collage table; Discovery Boxes, with surprise materials within; Cornell Boxes, filled with found objects, in the spirit of the work of Joseph Cornell; and a digital painting experience using new technology from Microsoft. Through Aug. 31. Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month); Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building, (212) 708-9400, moma.org. Free with museum admission: $25; $18 for 65+; $14 for students; free for members and for ages 16 and under; also free on Friday evenings from 4 to 8. "Monkey King: A Story From China" (Friday through Thursday) The Children's Museum of Manhattan has welcomed back a mischievous hero: Monkey King, the star of this exhibition, which has traveled many miles for years, just like the character it centers on. The interactive show, inspired by the Chinese epic "The Journey to the West," recreates many of the Monkey's adventures, like fighting the Bull Demon at a station that resembles a video game. Much of the fun teaches Chinese values: cooperation, perseverance, bravery and self-sacrifice. Through May. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, (212) 721-1223, cmom.org. Free with admission: $11; $7 for 65+; free for under 1 and members. "NYC Design Studio" (Friday through Thursday) Make a hat, build a set, envision a skyscraper, imagine patterns for wallpaper - this new exhibition at the Children's Museum of Manhattan lets children explore the creative achievements of New York experts in fields like architecture, decorating, fashion and theater. They can work with museum educators to make their own designs, and some of the participating artists will lead workshops this summer. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; to 7 p.m. on Saturdays; Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 721-1223, cmom.org. Free with museum admission: $11; $7 for 65+; free for under 1 and members. "Pinkalicious, the Musical" (Saturday and Sunday) A new theater is welcoming this long-running production of Elizabeth and Victoria Kann's adaptation of their children's book, in which the pink-obsessed title character, a little girl, finds out that sometimes being in the pink can be too much of a good thing - especially when eating too many pink cupcakes has turned her pink from head to toe. John Gregor wrote the score and some of the lyrics. At 1 p.m., 45 Bleecker, 45 Bleecker Street, between Lafayette and Mott Streets, East Village, (212) 579-0528, pinkaliciousthemusical.com; $29.50; $49.50 for premium tickets. "Preservation Detectives" (Sunday) The Museum at Eldridge Street, the 1887 landmark synagogue where many Jewish immigrants worshiped, offers "Preservation Detectives" tours in which children 5 to 10 can view artifacts, investigate neighborhood lore and sleuth their way into the past, using the clues the building reveals. This month the theme is "Hidden Spaces," giving young participants a chance to explore nooks and crannies and even, the museum says, a few "creepy places." At 11 a.m., 12 Eldridge Street, between Canal and Division Streets, Lower East Side, (212) 219-0302, eldridgestreet.org; $15 a family. "Sarazad and the Monster-King" (Saturday and Sunday) The original Scheherazade was an alluring woman literally telling stories to save her life. For Sarazad, the protagonist of E.J.C. Calvert's children's play, the circumstances are different: She's only 9, and her tales work to improve the mood of the irascible Monster-King she meets in Storyland. But both heroines learn the redemptive power of their own imaginations; for Sarazad, her art can help her triumph over school bullies. Through July 15. At 1 and 4 p.m., Canal Park Playhouse, 508 Canal Street, near Greenwich Street, TriBeCa, (866) 811-4111, canalparkplayhouse.com; $18. "Sleeping Beauty" (Saturday and Sunday) If you're going to have a party for your young daughter, don't forget to invite all the fairies. Of course, if the princess's parents in this tale had been that careful, there wouldn't be much of a plot. Here Galli's Fairytale Theater presents its adaptation of the story, with a heroine named Rose and a very miffed 13th Fairy. The Saturday show will be followed by an acting workshop in which children dress up as fairy tale characters. Through July 29. At 2 p.m., Galli Theater, 347 West 36th Street, Manhattan, (212) 352-3101, gallitheaterny.com; $20; $15 for ages 2 through 17; $5 discount available online and at the box office with the code "sweetdreams." Workshop is $15; $10 when more than one child from a family attends. State Fair Meadowlands (Friday through Sunday) It's that time of year again. The fair has returned to the Meadowlands in New Jersey with all the familiar summer fun, like carnival games, high-flying rides, a circus under a tent and a racetrack for pigs. New attractions include a live shark encounter, children's karaoke and geocaching, an activity in which young visitors can use GPS-enabled devices to go on a treasure hunt. Friday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. to midnight; East Rutherford, (973) 450-1073, njfair.com; $9; $7 for 65+ and 12 and under; free for any child under 34 inches tall. Sunday is Patron Appreciation Day, when admission and unlimited rides go for a combined price of $25. Parking, $4. "StinkyKids, the Musical" (Saturday) Britt Menzies, author of the StinkyKids book series, based the stories" characters on her own children - not because they smelled bad but because, like a lot of little stinkers around the world, they tended to be mischievous. Now Vital Theater Company has revived Sammy Buck and Daniel S. Acquisto's musical adaptation, which centers on a wad of gum in the hair and a lot of other tangles. Saturday at 1 p.m., Riverside Theater, 91 Claremont Avenue, at 120th Street, Morningside Heights, (212) 579-0528, vitaltheatre.org; $29.50; $49.50 for premium seats. Stories at the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen (Saturday) Not everything that blooms perennially in Central Park is a flower or a tree. Storytelling also returns there each summer, as the city's Parks and Recreation Department, the Central Park Conservancy and the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center bring narrative performers to Andersen's statue every Saturday. The series, for ages 5 and older, continues this week with two Andersen tales, "The Swineherd" and "The Nightingale." At 11 a.m., inside the park at 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue, hcastorycenter.org, dianewolkstein.com; free. SummerStage Kids" Family Day (Sunday) Rocking and rolling, along with tumbling and somersaulting, will be on the bill when Central Park SummerStage offers its annual Family Day. Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players will offer tunes from their latest album, "Jungle Gym," and Sharky and Bones of the Never Land Pirate Band, from the Disney Junior TV series "Jake and the Never Land Pirates," will walk the stage planks as well. Other performers at the event, which is presented by Disney, will include the dance company Illstyle & Peace Productions, the New York Chinese Cultural Center (with a lion dance) and the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. Audience members can join the fun in instrument-making and other workshops. From 3 to 6 p.m., Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, midpark at 70th Street, summerstage.org; free. Sunset Eco-Cruises to Harbor Heron Islands (Sunday) Herons, egrets and ibises are New Yorkers too, and about 3,000 reside on the islands around the city harbor. This cruise from New York City Audubon visits the birds" lairs and provides binoculars for close-up viewing. Gabriel Willow, a naturalist and storyteller, narrates the adventure, conducted via New York Water Taxi. This Sunday's destination: the Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. From 7 to 8:30 p.m., Pier 17, South Street Seaport, Fulton and South Streets, Lower Manhattan, (212) 742-1969, nywatertaxi. com, nycaudubon.org; $35; $25 for ages 3 through 12; free for under 3. "A Voyage Through Jewish History" (Sunday through Thursday) This journey involves not just miles, but years. In this new permanent interactive exhibition at the Jewish Children's Museum, young visitors can travel from Abraham and Sarah's tent to the Western Wall in contemporary Jerusalem and beyond. Activities along the way include giving water to Rebecca's camels, playing the strings on David's harp (a high-tech version with beams of light that emit sounds when struck) and taking part in the exodus from Egypt. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (until 6 p.m. on Sundays), 792 Eastern Parkway, at Kingston Avenue, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, (718) 907-8833, jcm.museum; $10; free for under 2. Word for Word Kids (Saturday) The words come from books, stories, music and occasionally magic, which are celebrated in this summer series on Saturdays at noon in the Bryant Park Reading Room. This week's installment offers a Fourth of July celebration with the characters Flaubert Frog and Cali Co Cat. Those seeking more entertainment can head over to the park's Carrousel at 1 p.m. for Le Carrousel Kids, a storytelling session with Flaubert & Friends. Through Aug. 18. Avenue of the Americas, at 40th Street, (212) 768-4242, bryantpark.org; free. Rain location for Word for Word Kids is the Children's Center at the New York Public Library. "Xanadu" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau" (Friday and Saturday) A pastoral patch of Brooklyn will double as Venice Beach in California and as a strange tropical island in this pair of outdoor productions from Piper Theater. "Xanadu," a revival of the 2007 Broadway musical comedy, combines a touch of ancient Greece and 1970s pop in a story of a Venice street artist who longs to open a roller disco and the Greek muse who arrives to help him. "The Island of Dr. Moreau," a spookier concoction, is an adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel about a mad scientist and the island on which he carries out his peculiar experiments. Through July 21. "Xanadu," Fridays at 8 p.m.; "Dr. Moreau," Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Old Stone House, Washington Park, Third Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, Park Slope, Brooklyn, pipertheatre.org; free.