Five things to do in Brooklyn this week!

Friday

Aug. 16

Parasite city

The rip-roaring traveling musical show “No Brainer, or the Solution to Parasites,” settles in Coney Island this evening. The political play from Theater for a New City tosses subtlety out the window to deliver the story of a brave social worker battling a powerful Trump-alike who has been poisoned with evil brain parasites.

6:30 p.m. at Coney Island Boardwalk [Boardwalk at W. 10th Street in Coney Island, (212) 254–1109], www.theaterforthenewcity.net. Free.

Saturday

Aug. 17

Canoe hear it?

Spend your summer afternoon on the water, on the fragrant Gowanus Canal! The Dredgers Club will offer free canoe rides along the waterway from 1–4 p.m.; then the Club will host a free concert from local act Pointers Revenge, who will sing about unions, murder, and toxic waste along the canal, followed by Americana band Stillhouse Serenade.

5–8 p.m. at Gowanus Canal Dredgers boathouse [165 Second St. at Bond Street in Gowanus, (718) 243–0849, www.gowanuscanal.org]. Free.

Sunday

Aug. 18

Read alert

Bars are too loud and crowded to read in, and librarians get very huffy if you try drinking beer in the stacks. The Center for Fiction provides the perfect balance with BYOBook, a happy hour for literature fans, where you can get a drink from the Center’s bar, settle in for an hour of silent reading, and then socialize with your fellow bookworms.

5–7 p.m. on Center for Fiction [15 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland Place in Fort Greene, (212) 755–6710], www.centerforfiction.org. Free.

They’ve got balls: The Beer and Bocce festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Aug. 22 will feature plenty of beer, food, and an outdoor band, along with lawn games.

Eilon Paz

Wednesday

Aug. 21

Consume!

Check out one of the greatest cult classic conspiracy films, “They Live,” starring pro wrestling legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, playing a man who dons a pair of sunglasses, discovers what is really going on, and runs all outta bubble gum. Presented with an introduction, trivia questions, and commentary from film critic Rafer Guzman.

6:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Historical Society [128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 222–4111, www.brooklynhistory.org]. $5.

Thursday

Aug. 22

Green beer

Have some booze and then toss heavy wooden balls around! What could go wrong? Tonight’s Beer and Bocce Event will raise cash for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and you can enjoy brews from Strong Rope, Sixpoint, and Brooklyn Brewery (among others), live music by the Strung Out String Band, lawn games, a silent auction, a photo booth, and more.

6–9 pm at Brooklyn Botanic Garden [1000 Washington Ave., at Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, (718) 623–7220, www.bbg.org]. $75 ($150 VIP).

Political theater: In the new musical “No Brainer, or the Solution to Parasites,” a social worker faces off against a Trumpian villain who tells people of color to “go back where you came from!”

Jonathan Slaff