An interview with author Edmund White

1 p.m. online

Catharine Stimpson, the former dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU, will interview award-winning author Edmund White as part of “Skirball Tapes,” a series of interviews at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. White’s works range from memoirs and biographies to plays and romances, and he is set to release a new novel titled “The Humble Lover” in May 2023. Attendance is free and registration is required.

A fundraiser for hurricane relief

3-5 p.m. at Washington Square Park

Join the Cuban American Student Association, the Caribbean Student Association, the Puerto Rican Student Association and Bella Quisqueya — which highlights Dominican culture on campus — in supporting relief funds for those affected by Hurricane Fiona. Individuals who donate $5 or more to the cause will receive a pastelito — a traditional Cuban pastry typically filled with guava and cheese.

A PowerPoint presentation-based comedy show

7 p.m. at 21A Clinton St. Must be aged 21 or older.

Watch the comedy show that was called “more entertaining than your last meeting” and recommended by The New York Times and Gothamist. Hosted at Caveat, a Lower East Side comedy club, “Next Slide Please” invites contributors including comedians, journalists and musicians to prepare a slide deck and share it with the class. Past presentations have detailed which numbers are sexy (and why) and what makes certain dinosaurs smarter than the average fifth grader. Tickets cost $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

A dance performance featuring international choreographers

7:30 p.m. at the Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave.

In its return to the Joyce Theater, the Malpaso Dance Company — a contemporary dance group based in Cuba — will perform pieces by Swedish ballet dancer Mats Ek, award-winning Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton and more. Four pieces will be shown throughout the night, including one with live musical accompaniment. Tickets to the show start at $56, with performances running through Oct. 9.

A night of iconic American ballet

7:30 p.m. at 20 Lincoln Center Plaza

New York City Ballet will perform its “Masters at Work: Balanchine & Robbins” program one last time this season, featuring the company’s most well-known ballets. The night’s programming includes two works by George Balanchine, the company’s co-founder, as well as a piece performed to piano accompaniment by award-winning choreographer Jerome Robbins. Tickets start at $38.

Listen to some of the world’s best pianists

8 p.m. at Carnegie Hall

The New York Franz Liszt International Piano Competition will host its final round at Carnegie Hall starting Wednesday. Four selected finalists will each perform works by Franz Liszt — a Hungarian composer and pianist — during a 30-minute repertoire on Wednesday and a concerto on Friday evening. Three judges will select a winner, who will then have the opportunity to perform a full concert at Carnegie on a later date. Tickets start at $59.

A discussion on climate change preparedness in cities 

7 p.m. at 200 Central Park West. Must be aged 21 or older.

Join Timon McPhearson, the director of the New School’s Urban Systems Lab and a professor of urban ecology, for a conversation on how urban spaces can best prepare for and adapt to climate change. Held in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History, the talk will explain the logic behind potential solutions that are currently being investigated by scientists and will address natural disasters like hurricanes and heatwaves. This event is free with an RSVP. 

Experience an absurd Taiwanese play

8 p.m. at 721 Broadway

See “BIG ZOO,” a play translated from Mandarin, which highlights life’s absurdity using dynamic visual effects and a surreal storyline. Featuring insurrectionist weasels and a mysterious zookeeper, Wei Yu-Chia’s story will appear on the Tisch Drama Stage for a limited time. Tickets are $7 for students and $14 for the general public. Proof of vaccination is required.

See an Emmy-nominated comedian on campus

9 p.m. at 566 LaGuardia Place

See India’s biggest stand-up comedian Vir Das in his “Wanted” tour, which will stop by NYU’s Skirball Center on Thursday. Through his comedy, Das confronts today’s social issues from a fresh perspective. He previously went viral for his “Two Indias” monologue at the Kennedy Center — a satirical piece bringing to light the country’s stark internal divisions. Tickets start at $29.50. Proof of vaccination is required.

A jazz birthday celebration 

8 p.m. at Lincoln Center

Join Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Valdés for a performance of his new composition, performed in honor of his 81st birthday. “The Creation” will be performed with the Yoruban Orchestra and will examine the story of the world’s creation as told by La Regla de Ocha, an Afro-Cuban religion. The show will include West African music, Santería ritual music and the blues. Arrive at 7 p.m. for a free pre-concert lecture. 

An afternoon of making jewelry 

12-3 p.m. at 1 Washington Place

Make some jewelry with NYU’s Future Fashion Group, a club that focuses on sustainability and human rights in fashion. The group is partnering with Science, Technology, Creativity & Arts at Gallatin, which will provide materials for the event. Attendance is free and registration is required.

A festival to celebrate the Little Red Lighthouse 

12-4 p.m. at Fort Washington Park, Harlem

Commemorate Manhattan’s last lighthouse at the Little Red Lighthouse Festival. The festival will include a reading of “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge,” live music, food and art vendors, fishing lessons, presentations by urban park rangers and more. This event is free and open to the public.

A garden volunteer session at the Mad Fun Farm

10 a.m.-1 p.m. at 1775 Third Ave.

Concrete Safaris — a nonprofit which works with young people in East Harlem to encourage healthy lifestyles through play, education and community support — is hosting a garden volunteer session at the Mad Fun Farm. Participants will complete gardening tasks, including planting food and flowers, picking up trash, repairing raised beds, shoveling topsoil and more. Organizers suggest dressing comfortably and bringing a water bottle. The event is free and open to the public.

Sip the day away at a coffee festival

9:30 a.m. at 125 W. 18th St. 

Celebrate New York’s coffee scene at the New York Coffee Festival, where visitors can enjoy workshops, barista demonstrations, live music, art and coffee. More than 75 vendors are participating in the festival, including Blank Street Coffee, Bluestone Lane and Oatly. Profits will be donated to Project Waterfall and “project: water,” a nonprofit that provides education, sanitation and resources to communities where coffee is grown. A standard ticket is $38, but VIP tickets are also available. 

Tap dance at Governors Island

12:30-3:30 p.m. at Nolan Park, Building 10B, on Governors Island

Learn to tap dance at Nolan Park on Governors Island with the West Harlem Art Fund, an organization that promotes art in open and public spaces around New York City. Participants will use their feet — as well as everyday items like silverware and boxes — to create sound while they dance. Prior dance experience or tap shoes are not required, and attendance is free. 

Contact Lauren Ashe at [email protected].