Movie lovers were treated tonight to screening of five award-winning Tribeca Film Festival short films at the Short Cuts film series held at the Garden Cinemas in Norwalk. Among them was the seven-minute comedy “Merry Xmas” featuring Dick van Dyke, co-produced by Adam Rackoff. Rackoff participated in the talkback afterwards with Short Cuts producer Nancy Diamond of Westport. Short Cuts is a program of JIB Productions, Westport’s presenters of the popular lunchtime theater series, Play With Your Food. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Inge Maki for WestportNow.com

Actors who performed in tonight’s Script in Hand reading of “Dracula” at the Westport Country Playhouse make their curtain call. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

The cast of tonight’s Westport Country Playhouse Script in Hand reading of “Dracula” posed during a rehearsal with director Anne Keefe, Playhouse associate artist and curator of the playreading series. “Long before our latest obsession with vampires and zombies, there was Bram Stoker’s terrifying novel,” she said. “This version was done in 1927, and it is by far the least hokey and most scary. What makes it scary is that it in no way begs a laugh. Prepared to be scared.” Pictured (l-r, first row) are Boyd Gaines; Bethany Jillard; Mark Shanahan; Kristin Hahn and Jack Gilpin; (back row) Martha Stout; Aaron Krohn; Ryan Garbayo; Mathew Amendt and Anne Keefe. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

The Westport Arts Center today presented at the Pequot Library in Southport the chamber ensemble Decoda. Comprised of virtuoso musicians, entrepreneurs, and passionate advocates of the arts, the group is based in New York City, The artists of Decoda first collaborated with one another in the renowned Ensemble ACJW fellowship program, created by Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute; and they now extend that relationship as an Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

The Westport Arts Advisory Committee today held a TEA Talk (Thinkers, Educators, Artists) symposium at Westport Town Hall discussing “Where Are the Arts in Connecticut Education?”  Panelists in three moderated conversations discussed ways to improve arts education in the state. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

A 1969 mural by Westport artist Robert Lambdin depicting Saugatuck in the 19th century was cited today by Julie Droller (l), director of elementary education in the Westport Public Schools, as an important teaching aid for Westport elementary students. She spoke in a discussion with Jody Carlson (c), a Westport elementary teacher, and Robbin Zella, executive director of the Housatonic Museum of Art in Bridgeport, at today’s TEA (Thinkers, Educators, Artists) Talk sponsored by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee in the Westport Town Hall auditorium. The mural is on display at Town Hall. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Scenes from today’s TEA (Teachers, Educators, Artists) Talk sponsored by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee on “Where are the Arts in Connecticut Education” at the Westport Town Hall auditorium. Participants included arts advocate Kristin McKinney of Westport, state Commissioner of Education Dianna R. Wentzell, Robbin Zella, executive director of the Housatonic Museum of Art in Bridgeport, Julie Droller, director of elementary education for the Westport Public Schools, Westport art teacher Jody Carlson, piano impresario and music teacher Frederic Chiu of Westport,  Frank Derico, executive director of Bridgeport’s Neighborhood Studios, and Misty Beyer, executive program director of Music for Youth. WestportNow.com photos

Installation was completed today of the Westport Arts Center’s annual group members’ exhibition, “DREAMscapes,” which opens Friday with a 6 to 8 p.m. reception. It was juried by Alexandra Munroe (r), Samsung senior curator of Asian art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Joining her was Helen Klisser During, the Center’s artistic director. They are pictured with “Zebra” by Fairfield artist Rick Shaefer. Munroe selected the 45 featured works of art from more than 260 entries. The exhibit runs until Jan. 9. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo