Art exhibits, seed starting, an Easter egg hunt and more as a new season begins.
Ari Berman, author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America," speaks March 19 at the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck. Berman discusses the story of the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and the turbulent forces it unleashed. The talk begins at 8 p.m. There is a $10 suggested donation and reservations are recommended at tix@puffinfoundation.org. Located at 20 Puffin Way. Visit PuffinCulturalForum.org.
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For the three sons of the greatest tightrope walker, life is not always easy to balance -- this is the story of "Ropes," a production by Two River Theater in Red Bank, through March 20. Performances are March 16, at 7 p.m.; March 17 and 18, at 8 p.m.; March 19, at 3 and 8 p.m.; and March 20, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $45 to $65. Located at 21 Bridge Ave. Call (732) 345-1400 or visit tworivertheater.org.
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The talents of 55 Mercer County artists are on display through March 24 in the 2016 Mercer County Artists Exhibit. The free exhibit, featuring 69 works in a variety of mediums, is in the Gallery at Mercer County Community College. The gallery is in the college's Communications Building, on Mercer's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. Gallery hours are Mondays through Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with Wednesday hours extended until 7 p.m. (The gallery is closed during spring break, through March 18.) Visit mccc.edu/gallery.
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Ready to get the growing season started? So is the Greater Newark Conservancy. If you have seeds, but don't know what to do with them, get to the March 26 seminar on Seed Starting. From 10 to 11 a.m., learn about the conditions that seeds need to begin growing and how to weed out common complications. Cost is $5. Located at 32 Prince St., Newark. Pre-registration is required for all programs. Visit citybloom.org.
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Bring kids and their Easter baskets to the annual Easter Egg Hunt on March 26 at Liberty Hall Museum in Union. Holiday treats will be hidden across the landscape for children to find, followed by a visit from the Easter Bunny. There will be two sessions, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from noon to 1:30 p.m. Located at 1003 Morris Ave. Each $10 ticket admits one child and one adult; all additional adults are $5. Reservations are required; call (908) 527-0400 or email libertyhall@kean.edu. Visit kean.edu/libertyhall.
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Oh, the places you'll go ... when you visit "Location, Location, Location" through March 26 at Arts Unbound in Orange. The exhibit is a group show of artworks about geographic locations, some imagined and others remembered. Free. Gallery hours are Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Located at 542-544 Freeman St. Call (973) 675-2787 or visit artsunbound.org.
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As the snow falls around Monskwell Manor, the body count rises in Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap," being staged at McCarter Theatre in Princeton. The whodunnit in the Matthews Theatre plays through March 27. Special events include a Pride Night Party on March 17; post-show discussions on March 20 and 24; and dinner and theater also on March 24. Show times are Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 7: 30 p.m.; Fridays, at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sundays, at 2 p.m. Located at 91 University Place. Tickets start at $25. Call (609) 258-2787 or visit mccarter.org.
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Dancefest, an annual Centenary Stage Company event, kicks off March 31 with Moe-tion Dance Theater, a New Jersey-based contemporary modern dance company. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. on the Sitnik Theater stage, in the Lackland Center, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown. Tickets are $17.50 for adults and $15 for children younger than 12 in advance; ticket prices are an additional $5 on the day of the performance. Call (908) 979-0900 or visit centenarystageco.org.
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Two young drifters hanging out behind a Vermont coffee shop discussing art and the nature of the universe decide to teach a lonely high school student everything they know in "The Aliens." The show, presented by The Theater Project, will be staged at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, 10 Durant Road, Maplewood. Performances are March 31 through April 2, at 8 p.m.; and April 3, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults; $25 for seniors and $15 for students; there is a $7 discount for N.J. Education Association members. Visit TheTheaterProject.org.