Theater: Making an impressive debut is the new Island City Stage, which has arrived at Fort Lauderdale’s Empire Stage with the smart and twisty new play, The Twentieth Century Way by nimble wordsmith Tom Jacobson. The play is based on an actual incident from Long Beach, Calif., circa 1914, when out-of-work actors were employed in an elaborate sting operation to entrap local homosexuals. Jacobson uses that fact as the jumping-off point for a two-man evening of theatrical hijnks of many levels of reality and identity. Fortunately he (and director Michael Leeds) have the services of Clay Cartland and Michael Westrich, who are performance chameleons, as required. You may not always follow the transitions ― OK, I didn’t ― but it is always evident that something compelling is going on here. Continuing through Sunday, Sept. 9, at 1140 N. Flagler Drive, Fort Lauderdale. Call (954) 678-1496 for tickets.
Film: It’s going to be a challenge figuring out where to file first-time director Jake Schreier movie Robert & Frank in the video store. (What’s that, there are no video stores anymore?) It is a mixture of science fiction, a caper picture and a drama on the personal toll of dementia, though overall you would have to call it a comedy, and one with a very good cast for a low-budget independent film. Heading the cast is Frank Langella as an aging divorced dad who is growing a bit forgetful, so his grown son (James Marsden) buys him a caretaker robot. Langella is initially resistant and peeved by the automaton, until he realizes that it could assist him in returning to his old profession ― as a jewel thief. Susan Sarandon plays a librarian that Langella is sweet on, Liv Tyler is his daughter and Peter Sarsgaard provides the soothing voice of the robot. Opening this weekend in area theaters.
Music: The Miami Dolphins Voices are unusual in that they are the NFL’s only singing group, tasked with events such as singing The Star-Spangled Banner at home games. Its first alto is Olivia de la Garza, a Boca Raton native who went to Olympic Heights High School and Florida Atlantic University, and is working on developing her singing career. Tonight at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach, she presents a program called Songs of Love and Lust, featuring in particular a performance of Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs. It’s part of an active month at ArtsGarage, which will feature Bobby Ramirez, Paulette Dozier, Sammy Figueroa and Alice Day in concerts later this month. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $15-$25 in advance, $20-$30 at the door. Visit artsgarage.org.