East Hampton - Guild Hall is offering a dynamic summer schedule of exciting, inspirational and accessible events created to engage and resonate with its many audiences.

"We are honored to present the community with a rich and very diverse schedule of performances and exhibitions, such as the American Ballet Theater II, an exhibition of Larry Rivers focusing on his early works, and a film series featuring 20th century masters of cinema," said Ruth Appelhof, Executive Director of Guild Hall.

"The variety and breadth of programming is evidence of our commitment to provide education and entertainment that touches many with affordable ticket pricing and many free events," Appelhof added.

With the Theater currently in the last phase of restoration, events will be held in the Guild Hall Boots Lamb Education Center and off-site at private estates of friends and benefactors, as well as at local community venues including the Bridgehampton Community House, The Jewish Center of the Hamptons, and The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork.

July Events
On Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. - July 1, 8, 15, 22, and Aug. 5, 12, 19, and 26. (Re)Discovering World Cinema: Gems from the Janus Collection at Guild Hall Boots Lamb Education Center. Gavin Wiesen has selected a cinematic world tour of eight films by the great masters of the 20th century, whose work has been included in the renowned Janus Collection. Wiesen will introduce each film and moderate a post-film discussion with the audience.

The eight featured films include "Smiles of a Summer Night" (Bergman, Sweden/1955); "Viridiana" (Bunuel, Spain/1961); "Shoot the Piano Player" (Truffaut, France/1960); "Woman in the Dunes" (Teshigahara, Japan/1964); "A Nos Amours" (Pialat, France/1983); "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (Weir, Australia/1975); "Rules of the Game" (Renoir, France/1939); and "L'Eclisse" (Antonioni, Italian/1962).

On Saturday, July 12 at 8 p.m. - Comedienne Judy Gold at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. Gold won two Emmys for writing and producing "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." She was nominated twice for The American Comedy Award's funniest female stand-up. Gold will perform her electric stand-up.

On Saturday, July 26 at 8 p.m. - Playwrights' Theatre of East Hampton at the Bridgehampton Community House. This perennial favorite, featuring lively staged play readings performed by visiting and local artists, will not disappoint. Previous readings have starred Estelle Parsons, Judd Hirsh, and Mercedes Ruehl, among others.

On Sunday, July 27 at 7:30 p.m. - American Musical Theatre Salutes: "Kurt Weill: Sing Me No Love Songs" starring Melissa Errico and George Dvorsky at The Bridgehampton Community House. A celebration of composer Kurt Weill's memorable collaborations with Brecht includes songs from "The Threepenny Opera," "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany," "Happy End" and "The Seven Deadly Sins" performed by Broadway's Melissa Errico and George Dvorsky. Hosted by Lee Davis and produced by Patricia Watt.

August Events
On Saturday, Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. - Play Bill starring Roger Rees at The Bridgehampton Community House. Awarded both an Olivier and a Tony, Roger Rees ("Nicholas Nickleby," "Cheers," "Grey's Anatomy") stars in his new, comedic one-man show and asks audiences to learn to stop worrying and love the Bard.

On Sunday, Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m. - American Musical Theatre Salutes: "Jerome Kern in Hollywood" starring KT Sullivan and Lee Roy Reams at The Bridgehampton Community House. Broadway stars KT Sullivan and Lee Roy Reams join musical director Michael Lavine and host Lee Davis to bring Kern classics like "Ol' Man River" and "The Way You Look Tonight" to life. Produced by Patricia Watt.

Artist Larry Rivers

On Sunday, August 10 at 4 p.m. - Poetry Reading with Grace Schulman at the Guild Hall Boots Lamb Education Center. Honors for Schulman's poetry include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Aiken Taylor Award, the Delmore Schwartz Award, and a fellowship from the New York Foundation from the Arts. She will read new poems from her latest collection "The Broken String." Grace Schulman will be introduced by poet Philip Schultz.

On Saturday, Aug. 16 at 5 p.m. (Raindate: Aug. 17) - the Second Annual Outdoor Dance Performance "Twilight In The Garden of Hope" by Jennifer Muller/The Works. Performed at a private estate on Further Lane in East Hampton. Contemporary dance company Jennifer Muller/The Works is pleased to return to Guild Hall with a dynamic performance of dance al fresco. Taking cues from the radiance of nature, the program will delight including signature choreography "Speeds and Spores," set to the a cappella score of Bobby McFerrin.

On Saturday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. - Staged Play Reading of "Golda's Balcony" starring Barbara Rosenblat at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. William Gibson's award-winning play follows the trajectory of Meir's life—from Russian immigrant to American schoolteacher to a leader of international politics as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Actress Barbara Rosenblat is one of the most respected and popular narrators of Audiobooks in the country.

On Sunday, Aug. 24 and Monday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. - Staged Play Reading of "Chere Maitre: The Correspondence of Gustave Flaubert and George Sand," adapted by Peter Eyre, starring Kathleen Chalfant and Harris Yulin at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork. Flaubert first wrote to Sand in 1863 after she had championed his much criticized novel "Salammbo," beginning a friendship which ended with Sand's death in 1876. Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner Chalfant and film and stage star Harris Yulin, accompanied by a live cellist, shine in this play-in-letters passed between writers Flaubert and Sand.

On Saturday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. (Rain date Sunday, Aug. 31 at same time.) A special performance of American Ballet Theater II. At a Private East Hampton Waterfront Estate, ABT II is a classical company of 13 young professional dancers.

"Larry Rivers: Major Early Works" -- exhibition will focus on major early works from the late 1950s to the early 1960s when Rivers was at the forefront of the New York art world.

Major Exhibitions
The Guild Hall Museum will host two major exhibitions this summer. In addition, a variety of public programming will be held in the Guild Hall Boots Lamb Education Center.

On June 21 through July 27th - "Inspired by the Light: Landscapes by East End Masters" on Saturday, June 21. An exhibition featuring three renowned landscape painters Jane Wilson, Jane Freilicher, and April Gornik.

On Sunday, June 29 at 3:30 p.m. - Illustrated Lecture - Conserving the Landscapes of Long Island: A Peconic Land Trust Perspective John v. Halsey, President, Peconic Land Trust.

On Saturday, July 19 at 3:30 p.m. - Gallery Talk with Christina Mossaides Strassfield, Curator.

On Aug. 11 through Oct. 21 - "Larry Rivers: Major Early Works." This exhibition will focus on major early works from the late 1950s to the early 1960s when Rivers was at the forefront of the New York art world. At this time Rivers was one of a group of artists associated with the Pop Art movement, characterized by artwork that reproduced everyday objects of American popular culture. Rivers, however, was also known as one of the first artists to uniquely merge objective, narrative art with the non-objective and abstract. Rivers' main themes from the period of this exhibition are history, family and friends. Paintings will be on loan from key museums and include "History of the Russian Revolution" and "The Greatest Homosexual" from the Hirshhorn Museum, "Double Portrait of Berdie" from the Whitney, "Portrait of Berdie, Number II" from the Metropolitan Museum, "O'Hara Nude with Boots" from the Larry Rivers Foundation, "The Last Civil War Veteran" from the Louis Acorsi Collection and "Dutch Masters" and "Cigars III"

Summer 2008 Special Benefit Events
On Saturday, Aug. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. - the 62nd Annual Clothesline Sale - Held rain or shine at Guild Hall.

On Friday, Aug. 8 - The Ninth Annual Summer Gala, in conjunction with a special preview of "Larry Rivers: Major Early Works."

On Friday, Aug. 22 and Saturday, Aug. 23 - The Garden As Art Tour. This garden excursion offers a unique opportunity to see some of the finest private gardens in the Hamptons.

On Friday, Aug. 22 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. - Exclusive cocktail party at the beautiful East Hampton home of Dina Merrill and Ted Hartley.

On Saturday, Aug. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon - All Day Events: Breakfast and lecture at The Maidstone Club. Welcome and Introduction by Edwina Von Gal. Since establishing her landscape design firm in 1984, Edwina Von Gal has been responsible for numerous public and residential projects, within and outside the United States. She was selected by architect Frank Gehry to design the botanical park for Panama Bridge of Life. Garden Lecture by Mac Griswold "Everything New Under the Sun." Mac Griswold is a garden historian, author of Washington's Gardens at Mount Vernon: Landscape of the Inner Man, Pleasures of the Garden: Images from the Metropolitan Museum of Artand co-author of The Golden Age of American Gardens: Proud Owners, Private Estates. From 12 noon to 2 p.m. - Outdoor Private Luncheon for Benefactor ticket holders at the exquisite home of Cheryl Minikes, member, Guild Hall Board of Trustees, and her husband Michael. From 12 noon to 5 p.m. - Garden Tour of many never-before-seen, exclusive East Hampton gardens.

For tickets, information and directions, contact the Guild Hall box office at 631-324-4050 or go to www.guildhall.org. The Guild Hall Box Office is located at 158 Main Street in East Hampton.