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Through Saturday, December 13: The Seafarer

by Liza Weisstuch | November 14, 2008
The ragtag bunch of guys that gathers in a dingy Dublin home in Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer is there to celebrate Christmas Eve just like everyone else celebrates it: drinking. And that’s about as traditional as this crew gets. As the evening wears on and the scruffy lads sink deeper into a whisky-soaked haze, a poker game of epic proportions take place and one among the group reveals what we’ll call an otherworldly identity. The stakes go through the roof. With McPherson’s penchant for incisive language and psychological evisceration, this dark holiday from hell sparkles like tinsel. The Speakeasy Stage Company is presenting the Boston premiere at the Calderwood Pavilion (Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.933.8600.) For tickets ($14 to $50), call 617.933.8600 or visit www.speakeasystage.com....

Through Saturday, November 22: “Speaker Project” at MassArt

by Liza Weisstuch | November 03, 2008

Chicago-based artist Juan Angel Chavez is not only a visionary, he’s what we’d call a soundary, too. The “Speaker Project” he created at MassArt (621 Huntington Avenue, Boston. 617.879.7333) is a room-size installation. At the center is a colossal sculpture constructed of found objects including billboards, glass bottles, wood panels, and traffic cones. Look closely and it’s like a speaker of a scale that belongs on a pimp-mobile the size of Fenway Park. Listen closely and you’ll hear that it behaves like one, too. The sculpture can fit a five-person ensemble, and up to 250 people can fit in the room. Performers of all sorts — DJs, spoken-word artists, jazz musicians, rock bands, and others — are making appearances in the structure. It may be the coolest thing to happen to music since the iPod. Explore the soundscape; the trip is free. For more info and show listings, visit speakerproject.livejournal.com.

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Erin Go Bravo

by Shaula Clark | November 03, 2008

It’s a long way to tipperary, but not the Boston Irish film festival

When he first launched the Boston Irish Film Festival in 1999, fest director (and ex-Dubliner) Peter Flynn had no idea that his humble screening series would grow into an annual two-week extravaganza boasting a Magners sponsorship (it’s now called the Magners Irish Film Festival), world premieres, and such marquee celebrities as Aidan Quinn and Gabriel Byrne. Flynn gives us the lowdown on this year’s festival, taking place November 13 through 24 (see www.irishfilmfestival.com for details).

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Sunday, October 26 – Sunday, November 16: The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the New Repertory Theatre

by Liza Weisstuch | October 17, 2008

If Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, and Sean O’Casey teamed up to write a play, it might not be as gruesome and sidesplitting as The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Martin McDonagh’s award-winning bloodbath essentially chronicles the emotional roller coaster that is the daily grind of being a terrorist in a remote, rural Irish town. The troubles all start when two of the primary sadistic brute’s sidekicks find his pet kitty dead. The rage and frantic scheming it triggers will make any Halloween fright fest look like a stroll on the beach. And there’s Irish wit, too. Catch the New England premiere at the New Repertory Theatre (Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, 617.923.8487). Tickets ($35 to $55; $13 student rush) are available at www.newrep.org or 617.923.8487.

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Outtake: the Coolidge's 12-hour fright-flick marathon

by Shaula Clark | October 17, 2008

Stairway to hell

For acne-ridden high-school wallflowers, one word was enough to inspire terror: prom. Apparently, the folks at the Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617.734.2500) can commiserate, hence their decision to devote their annual 12hour frightflick marathon to the horrors of the annual soirée. The crown jewel in this gory tiara will be Prom Night, the 1980 classic starring Jamie Lee Curtis. On October 31 at 11 p.m., undead emcee extraordinaire J. Cannibal and his busty Black Cat Burlesque girls will kick off the evening with “awkward prom awesomeness” galore. We’ve got chills already.

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Through Sunday, November 2: British Advertising Films

by Liza Weisstuch | October 17, 2008

We feel no shame in telling you that, regardless of Tom Brady’s sorry condition, we cannot wait for the
Super Bowl. But there’s a long, bleak winter between now and February 1, and we have to get our clever
commercial fix before then. Thank goodness for the annual engagement of British Advertising Films at the
Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.369.3306). We hear David Beckham makes a
cameo in one, and a gorilla with a penchant for percussion shows up in another. (We should introduce him
to a little pink drumming bunny we know.) What are they trying to sell? Figuring it out is part of the fun of a
good advert. All we can tell you is that you’ll see a whole bunch of them for the low, low ticket price of $10
($8/students and seniors). Hurry! It’s an offer you can’t refuse! Check www.mfa.org/film for show times.

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What’s All The Buzz About?

by Stuff Boston | October 17, 2008

There’s nothing quite like the rush of scoring a truly great find — a piece of art, a fantastic brooch, a gem of a dress — at a price that won’t jeopardize your rent money. Val Fox, a self-described treasure hunter, thrives on it. “I’ve been known to scour flea markets, and I enjoy the hunt for unique, one-of-a-kind items,” says the Cambridge resident, who spent six months in New York City, where she found inspiration for her new Design Hive, a local-designers’ market where the prices are low (nothing over $200) and the talent quotient is high. Every Saturday from November 1 through December 20, the gym at the Maria L. Baldwin School (28 Sacramento Street, Cambridge) turns into the Cambridge version of an NYC street market, with jewelry from Glamourpuss creations, clothing from Trashy Treasures, art from Gigi Mederos Design, and more. While you shop, DJ Hyssop spins tracks from his upcoming album Modern Medicine. “These designers are on the threshold of getting big, and this is a great way to democratize the process of retail,” says Fox. Want to check out these talented worker bees? Design Hive is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m....

Saturday, October 18 – Saturday, November 8: Out on the Edge Festival

by Liza Weisstuch | October 07, 2008

Theater Offensive’s 17th annual Out on the Edge Festival puts the emphasis on “out.” Cast a queer eye on the Boston Center for the Arts (527 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.426.5003), where this year’s lineup is a colorful array of productions including dramas, political skewering a-plenty, comedy, camp, pathos, poetry, and, of course, a capella drag queens. You’ll find repeat offenders, like Nut/Cracked (think: Tchaikovsky in P-town), and New England premieres, like the sequin-encrusted Varla Jean Merman Loves a Foreign Tongue. As part of the new Festival Institute, there will also be workshops, installations, and artists and playwrights in town for discussions about their works — and their issues. Show your pride and support; after all, you never know where the next John Waters will turn up. For schedules and prices, visit www.thetheateroffensive.org . For tickets, visit www.bostontheaterscene.com or call 617.933.8600.

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Monday, October 13 – Wednesday, October 22: The Boston Muslim Film Festival

by Stuff Boston | October 07, 2008

Since ancient times, Muslim cultures have valued the arts in all their multimedia glory. So it’s little surprise that the Art Under Fire! The Boston Muslim Film Festival will showcase films about a variety of artists. Democracy in Dakar is about politically-minded Senegalese underground hip-hop artists, who will perform live at the screening on October 20, at Boston University’s George Sherman Union (755 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.353.2921). Iranian-American stand-up comedians are the focus in the documentary Stand Up; you can catch them live, too, on October 15, also at the George Sherman Union. The festival’s theme this year is “Art Under Fire,” so expect to find films that address issues of censorship and hostility toward Muslim creative types. Screenings take place at various theaters and universities around town. The festival kicks off with Operation Filmmaker with Liev Schreiber on October 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.876.6837). As expression should be everywhere, the events are free. Visit www.muslimfilm.org for the full schedule.

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Oct 12-18: Newtonville Books Anniversary

by Stuff Boston | October 03, 2008

The jury is still out on how long a book needs to be published before it can be considered a classic. A century? A few months? Whenever a few Hollywood producers pony up the dough for a blockbuster? Independent book stores, however, are a different story. As soon as we’re a regular customer, it’s a classic in our book. Newtonville Books (296 Walnut Street, Newton, 617.244.6619) is one of the few remaining bulwarks that can hold its own against the megalopolises. They’re marking a decade of drawing in voracious readers and story hounds. From noon to 6 p.m. today, they’re celebrating their anniversary with, what else? Readings, of course. Head over to hear stories from A-listers with local ties, including Tom Perrotta, Alice Hoffman, Anita Diamant, Sue Miller, and Richard Russo. Dizzy from all the muckraking around the presidential campaign? Nothing like a hefty dose of actual fiction to take as a bromide. Plus there’ll be food. And it’s free. For the full lineup of readers, visit www.newtonvillebooks.com....

DIY wine and dine

by Stuff Boston | October 03, 2008

Frank McClelland is one busy guy. He just recently moved his beloved L’Espalier a hop, skip, and a block from its original location to new digs at the Mandarin Oriental; opened another Sel de la Terre at the same hotel; and can now add “author” to his resume. Wine Mondays: Simple Wine Pairings with Seasonal Menus (Harvard Common Press, 2008; $24.95), penned with local food writer Christie Matheson, is McClelland’s first cookbook and arguably one of the first books to approach food and wine pairing in such a simple, straightforward way that even the biggest wine neophyte can understand it. Browse the 130 recipes — divided into four-course meals suited for each season — and try your hand at whipping up some L’Espalier dishes and choosing the perfect wine pairings. Pick up a copy at Porter Square Books (25 White Street, Cambridge, 617.491.2220) or L’Espalier (774 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.3023).

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