Arts Fuse critics select the best in film, theater, dance, music, visual arts, and author events for the coming week.

By The Arts Fuse Staff

Film

Boston Area Film Schedules—What is Playing Today, Where, and When

Turkish Film Festival
Through April 3
Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

This year’s program continues with films from emerging and established filmmakers. Most of these movies are award-winners from international festivals — many are receiving their North America or US premiere. Schedule

Strangers on a Train
March 28 at 7 p.m.
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA

Big Screen Classics presents one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most engaging thrillers. The master director said the difference between surprise and suspense was that former is sudden and unexpected whereas the latter involves the audience in a white-knuckle anticipation of unknown outcomes. Strangers mingles surprise and suspense to maximum effect, mixing in undercurrents of ’50s repressed homosexual attraction and doppelgangers galore. It also contains some brilliantly edited sequences: the meeting of the protagonists, and the whirl-a-gig climax. A must see.

The Treasure
March 28, 7:30 p.m. (The BWC Series continues through May 15.)
Belmont Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Road, Belmont, MA

The Belmont World Film is now in its “quinceanara” or 15th year. A full 1/3 of the films to be screened this time around are directed by women. This week’s offering is The Treasure from Rumania; it is helmed by Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective and 12:08 East Of Bucharest). The film humorously explores the history of Romania’s last 200 years through a black comic yarn in which two men seek a fortune that is reportedly buried somewhere on the grounds of a country home temporarily appropriated by the Soviets after World War II. “Porumboiu, whose style of comic deadpan is as diligent and specialized as watch repair, offers up another parable of mores in The Treasure . . . its left turns and sense of humor shouldn’t seem alien to anyone who appreciates, say, early Louie, even if the style is a heck of a lot more minimalist” (The A.V. Club).

Cheatin’
March 29 at 7 p.m.
Bright Lights Screening Room, 4th Floor, 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA

This free screening offer a great opportunity to talk with director and innovative animator Bill Plympton. It is his 7th feature film, made in 2014. The plot: “In a fateful bumper car collision, Jake and Ella meet and become the most loving couple in the long history of romance. But when a scheming “other” woman drives a wedge of jealousy into their perfect courtship, insecurity and hatred lead to an untimely fate.” Then a disgraced magician and his forbidden “soul machine” somehow come to the rescue.

The Forbidden Room
March 31 at 7 p.m.
Bright Lights Screening Room, 4th Floor, 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA

Guy Maddin’s films are always innovative, dense, and wonderful. They are also inscrutable, stuffed with stories-within-stories. This film gives us a woodsman who mysteriously appears aboard a submarine that’s been trapped deep under water for months with an unstable cargo. Worse, the captain who has hidden himself away. The terrified crew members make their way through the corridors of the doomed vessel and find themselves on a voyage that takes them to the center of their darkest fears. I’m sure that is only the beginning. Perhaps the discussion with Maddin that follows will illuminate the surreal darkness.

Wicked Queer: The Boston LGBT Film Festival
March 31 – April 10
Various Local Venues

Rebranded “Wicked Queer,” the annual LGBT film festival comes to various theaters in Boston and Cambridge after a kick-off screening at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Some 120 films from over 20 countries will be shown.

Highlights of the Narrative Program:

The opening night attraction proffers Viva, a film set in contemporary Havana that deals with a gay hairdresser who wants to become a drag performer at the same time he is attempting to reconcile with his hostile dad. The next night’s film is That’s Not Us, a romantic comedy that follows three twenty-something couples as they travel to a beach house to enjoy the last days of summer. Their lives are not as serene as they seem to be. Spa Night is a Sundance hit about a young Asian-American man who discovers his sexuality and cultural identity at a LA spa. Paris 05:59 is a provocative French drama that revolves around what happens after two men hook up at a Paris sex club. S&M Sally, which is receiving its New England premiere, is a comedy about sex, love, and the most important question of all — who’s on top? Arianna from Italy explores a teenage girl’s quest to understand her sexual identity. Desire Will Set You Free is a freewheeling, nocturnal journey through Berlin’s underground and queer scene. I Promise You Anarchy from Mexico is a dark story that looks at the volatile relationship between two young skateboarders who become involved in a criminal scheme. First Girl I Loved is a Sundance success about a lesbian Latina high-schooler in Los Angeles who falls in love with a young woman who is even deeper in the closet than she is. Summertime from France looks to be a contemporary ‘period drama’ about a young lesbian in Paris who becomes active in feminist politics during the 1970s. Hunky Døry tells the story of a glam-rocker whose life is up-ended when he’s forced to take custody of his 11 year old son.

Documentary films include:

Major explores the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a formerly incarcerated Black transgender elder and activist who has been fighting for the rights of trans women of color for over 40 years. In Uncle Howard, Aaron Brookner reclaims the legacy of his late uncle and discovers a memorable archive of New York cultural life in the process. Fursonas looks at the cultural phenomenon known as “Furries,” in which people dress in anthropomorphic full-body costumes and role-play – many of these scenerios turn out to be gay. Reel in the Closet is Stu Maddox’s latest documentary; here LGBTs reconnect with their cultural past through archival footage. Danny Says chronicles the life of rock music publicist Danny Fields and his crucial role in shaping the careers of such talents as The Doors, Cream, Lou Reed, Nico, Judy Collins and the Ramones. Full Schedule and Venue Link

PLEASE NOTE: Due to technical issues, the previously scheduled Laugh, Clown, Laugh has been cancelled.
The Blackbird will screen in its place
Live Musical Accompaniment by Bertrand Laurence
April 3 at 5 p.m.

Not familiar with this silent film, which features the team of director Tod Browning and Lon Chaney, but the year after they made this yarn about a thief (The Blackbird) who falls for Mademoiselle Fifi, the duo released The Unknown, one of the most bizarre movies ever made by a mainstream studio, so this film should be well worth checking out. Still, I doubt it will be as good as Chaney’s Laugh, Clown, Laugh.

— Tim Jackson

Intolerance, directed by D.W. Griffith.
April 3 at 2 p.m.
At the Somerville Theatre, Davis Square, Somerville, MA

An opportunity to see one of the most ambitious, eye-filling silent films ever made. Stung by criticism that Birth of a Nation was racist, Griffith trumpets his moral good intensions in a massive narrative that cuts across the centuries: the epic intercuts “four separate stories about man’s inhumanity to man. In Babylon, pacifist Prince Belshazzar is brought down by warring religious factions. In Judea, the last days of Christ (Howard Gaye) are depicted in the style of a Passion play. In France, Catherine de Medici presides over the slaughter of the Huguenots. And in California, a woman (Mae Marsh) pleads for the life of her husband (Robert Harron) when he is sentenced to hang for a murder he did not commit.” Live music by Jeff Rapsis — who will be getting quite a workout accompanying this epic installment in the Silents Please series.

— Bill Marx

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Dance

Rakshasi – An Exploration of the Demoness
April 1 at 8 p.m., April 2 at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Boston University Dance Theater
Boston, MA

Triveni Ensemble’s annual April fundraiser returns, this time showcasing three modern takes on ancient myths, told through classical Indian dance. Triveni Ensemble is directed by Neena Gulati, who was just announced as this year’s Dr. Michael Shannon Dance Champion through the Boston Dance Alliance. All proceeds from this performance will go to the American Nepal Medical Foundation, which is sending disaster relief after the recent earthquakes.

Student/Faculty Showcase
April 1 & 2 at 8 p.m., April 3 at 7 p.m.
Dance Complex, Cambridge, MA

Featuring styles that range from bhangra to Afro-beat, and modern to flamenco, The Dance Complex’s Student/Faculty Showcase offers something for every dance lover.

Hearts Disguised
April 1-17
Sanctuary Theatre, Cambridge, MA

José Mateo Ballet Theatre presents three ballets — Schubert Adagio, Courtly Lovers, and Timeless Attractions — dedicated to the theme of love.

Forty Steps Spring Dance Concert
April 2 at 8 p.m.
Natant Town Hall, Nahant, MA

Now in its 23rd season, Forty Steps Dance presents an evening of new and past works, along with a tribute to David Bowie.

— Merli V. Guerra

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Jazz

Joe Hunt Group
March 27 at 8:30 p.m.
Lily Pad, Cambridge, MA.

This Easter edition of esteemed drummer Joe Hunt’s residency at the Lily Pad looks especially tasty: trumpeter Greg Hopkins, saxophonist Andy Voelker, pianist Isaac Wilson, and bassist Bob Nieske — with Hunt, of course, playing the tubs.

Michel Camilo Trio
April 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Regattabar, Cambridge, MA.

The Dominican dynamo, pianist Michel Camilo, brings his trio the Regattabar for four shows. And see if he doesn’t fill them all. Is it appropriate to compare a “Latin-jazz” pianist to Chopin? Curious to see if he’s still got that delicacy to go with his rumble.

Joey Alexander
April 2 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA.

The boy wonder, Balinese jazz pianist Joey Alexander, now 13 (he released his first CD at 11, you’ll recall), comes into Scullers to freak out the grownups for two shows.

Danny Green
April 3 at 5 p.m.
Lily Pad, Cambridge, MA.

San Diego pianist and composer Danny Green has a really nice feeling for blues-swing on his new Altered Narratives, and it informs the relaxed virtuosity of everything he does, including Brazilian and classical. He celebrates the new CD as part of a 10-city tour with his fine trio comprising bassist Justin Grinnell and drummer Julien Cantelm.

Alfredo Rodriguez Trio
April 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Regattabar, Cambridge, MA.

Cuban expat Alfredo Rodriguez has a broad-ranging style — a jazz pianist with a soulful flair for son and other rootsy vocal song forms. He joined by bassist Peter Slavov and drummer Henry Cole.

— Jon Garelick

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Theater

Fast Company by Carla Ching. Directed M. Bevin O’Gara. Staged by the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Copley Square, Boston, through March 27.

“Wait till you meet Blue and HER family … Blue’s mom, Mable Kwan, is a tough cookie and the best grifter who ever lived . . . and she raised her kids to be just like her. Son Francis is the top roper around and H is the number one fixer. But it’s Blue — the outcast of the family — who surprises everyone by putting together the score of the decade.” Billed as “a fast, funny, and dangerous theatrical crime caper that will keep you guessing about who’s on top and who’s getting conned.” Arts Fuse review

How I Learned What I Learned, co-conceived and directed by Todd Kreidler. Staged by the Huntington Theatre Company at the Avenue of the Arts/Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, through April 12.

A one-man show featuring Eugene Lee in which the “late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson shares stories about his first few jobs, a stint in jail, his lifelong friends, and his encounters with racism, music, and love as a young poet in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. This theatrical memoir charts one man’s journey of self-discovery through adversity, and what it means to be a black artist in America.” Arts Fuse review

Hanna Azoulay-Hasfari: In Residence at Israeli Stage. At various stages, through April 3.

“Hanna Azoulay-Hasfari is one of Israel’s leading playwrights and filmmakers and she is Israeli Stage’s first Sephardic (Moroccan-Israeli) playwright in residence.” The line-up of activities include “a workshop of a brand new play called Dina that will culminate in two World Premiere performances April 1 & 3 featuring Boston performers Maureen Keiller, Jeremiah Kissel, Dale Place and Pat Shea and Shanae Burch (Milk Like Sugar). While in residence, Azulay-Hasfari will be lecturing at Emerson College (March 29), Northeastern University, and Wellesley College, and will lead dialogue reflections at Brandeis University (April 1) and Boston University (April 3).”

The Realness: a break beat play by Idris Goodwin. Directed by Wendy Goldberg. Staged by the Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA, through April 12.

“The love story at the center of The Realness lets us view the seismic events of the mid-90’s hip-hop scene insightfully, through a compassionate human lens. Audiences will see this world through the eyes of T.O., who immerses himself in the hip-hop culture he’s only observed from the safety of the suburbs, and falls hard for a captivating MC.”

Blues for Mister Charlie by James Baldwin. Directed by Brian McEleney. Staged by the Trinity Repertory Company at The Chace Theater, Providence, RI, through April 1.

I refuse to highlight the Trinity Repertory Company’s current production of the weary warhorse To Kill a Mockingbird. I wrote a column about the absurdity of producing an adaptation of the Harper Lee novel, especially in a season supposedly dedicated to “Rebels, Renegades, and Pioneers.” Perhaps embarrassed by the choice once it was publicly announced, the theater decided to schedule a production of the Baldwin play as a “companion piece.” It is receiving a limited run (3 performances), but it is good to have another perspective in an age of Black Lives Matter.

Bootycandy by Robert O’Hara. Directed by Summer L. Williams. Staged by the SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, through April 9.

“Named one of the Top Ten Plays of 2014 by The New York Times, Bootycandy “is a shockingly funny and saucy spin on race, sex, and sexuality. Based on the author’s own experiences growing up black and gay, the play unfolds in a series of loosely linked vignettes that take no prisoners when confronting racial, sexual, and cultural stereotypes.” Arts Fuse review.

Can You Forgive Her? by Gina Gionfriddo. Directed by Peter DuBois. Staged by the Huntington Theatre Company at the South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA, through April 24.

This dark comedy by Gionfriddo, a two-time Pulitzer finalist, “takes place on Halloween night, and its central character Miranda is desperate for a way out. She’s up to her neck in debt, she might be falling for the man who pays her bills, and now her date has threatened to kill her. A charismatic stranger offers shelter and a drink; where will the night take them?” A play inspired by one of the issues driving the campaign of Bernie Sanders? The script “riffs on ideas from personal security to student debt and income inequality, striking a balance between character-driven drama and larger social issues.” Must we be oh-so-careful about maintaining that conventional balance between the personal and the political? Just asking …

Blackberry Winter by Steve Yockey. Directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary. Staged by New Rep at the Charles Mosesian Theater, the Arsenal Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA, through April 17.

A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere: “Success, meticulous planning, and an eye for detail have in no way prepared Vivienne for the news inside that little white envelope. Even with the aid of a creation myth of her own imagination and her insomnia-driven baking, apprehension takes hold as she grapples with the frightening thought of her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.” The impressive cast includes Adrianne Krstansky, Paula Langton, and Ken Cheeseman.

Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass adapted by Andre Gregory. Directed by Matthew Wood. Staged by imaginary beasts at the Plaza Black Box Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston MA, April 1 through 23.

“Originally created by The Manhattan Project under the direction of André Gregory, this is an Alice for an anxious age – where unsettling shadows linger around every bend, and madness waits at the end of every path. Carroll’s Alice novels are combined into a delightful yet startling tale that brings Alice face-to-face with the likes of the temperamental Red Queen, the eccentric Humpty Dumpty, the enigmatic White Knight, and a host of other unusual characters.”

Cymbeline by William Shakespeare. Directed by Evan Yionoulis. Staged by the Yale Rep at the University Theatre, 222 York Street, New Haven, CT, through April 16.

OBIE Award-winning director Yionoulis “brings Shakespeare’s dizzying romance to Yale Rep for the first time.” “Dizzying” is the right word for this magnificent but shelter-skelter play, one of the Bard’s wilder excursions in genre-busting. George Bernard Shaw found the complicated ending so confusing he wrote his own ‘improvement.’

Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam. Directed by Rebecca Bradshaw. Staged by Bad Habit Productions at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, Boston, MA, through April 10.

Kids to the rescue: “Three teenage misfits in Salem, Oregon, discover they are linked by a sex scandal that’s rocked their town. When one of them sets out to expose the truth, secrets become currency, the stakes get higher, and the trio’s connection grows deeper in this searching, fiercely funny dark comedy with music.”

Body & Sold by Deborah Lake Fortson. Directed by Judy Braha. At Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA on April 3 at 2 p.m. ($10 Suggested Donation).

This production of Fortson’s award-winning play, based on interviews with young survivors of sex trafficking in Boston and four other American cities, will be directed by Judy Braha, Head of the MFA Directing Program at Boston University’s School of Theatre. The staging features Boston University students. This performance is part of the yearlong city-wide initiative THE BODY & SOLD PROJECT, which aims to raise awareness of the sex trafficking epidemic by presenting readings of the play around town. Arts Fuse interview with Fortson.

Birth of the American Baroness, written and performed by Stella Starsky. Directed by Maria Silvaggi. Presented by the American Repertory Theater at Oberon, Cambridge, MA, April 1 at 7:30 p.m.

“Stella Starsky shines in her at turns moving and side-splitting solo play (with guest star Brian King) that explores both the mundane and the mystical implications of modern womandom free from motherhood, whether by choice or cast of the die.”

— Bill Marx

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Classical Music

Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 8
Presented by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
March 29 at 8 p.m.
Symphony Hall, Boston, MA

Andris Nelsons continues his Shostakovich cycle with the Eighth Symphony, possibly, the greatest and most heartbreaking “war symphony” anyone’s yet penned. Nikolai Lugansky joins the orchestra for Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Giya Kancheli’s Dixi receives its U.S. premiere.

Haitink conducts Mahler
Presented by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
March 31-April 2
Symphony Hall, Boston, MA

Bernard Haitink returns to Boston, conducting Mahler’s Symphony no. 1. Murray Perahia joins him for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 4.

— Jonathan Blumhofer

Pianist Jonathan Bass and violinist Markus Placci
March 31 at 8 p.m.
Boston Conservatory/Seully Hall, 8 The Fenway, Boston, MA

Conservatory faculty members perform Brahms’ complete violin sonatas.

Cantata Singers
April 1 at 8 p.m.
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA

On the program: “Brahms’ emotional German Requiem is paired with J.S. Bach’s Cantata BWV 60 (“O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort”) and Ricercar, and Anton Webern’s Five Movements for String Orchestra. Webern’s refracted take on Bach, and one of Bach’s most emotionally affecting cantatas beautifully paves the way for Brahms’ radiant music.”

Chameleon Arts Ensemble presents A Voice of Love and Twilight
April 2 at 8 p.m. and April 3 at 4 p.m.
At the First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough Street, Boston, MA

“At the heart of the Romantic ideal is expression of the universal reflected through individual emotions – from Goethe’s tale of unrequited love, to Jake Heggie’s poignant meditation on the intersections of love and faith, to the young Brahms, so torn between despair at Robert Schumann’s illness and infatuation with Robert’s wife Clara that it took him two decades to complete the turbulent c minor Piano Quartet.” On the program: Robert Kahn’s Serenade in f minor for oboe, French horn & piano, Op. 73; Judith Shatin’s Werther for flute, clarinet, violin, cello & piano; Jake Heggie’s The Deepest Desire: Four Meditations on Love for soprano, flute & piano; Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Romance for viola & piano; Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 3 in c minor, Op. 60.

— Susan Miron

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Rock, Pop, and Folk

The California Honeydrops and The Intrinsics
Monday, March 28 (doors 7 p.m.)
Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA

The Bay Area quintet The California Honeydrops is supporting Bonnie Raitt at her Orpheum Theatre gig on Tuesday. Before doing so, however, they will splash into the Middle East Downstairs with a support act of their own. Among the instruments that the band uses to craft its unique sound are trumpet, washboard, clarinet, and melodica.

Eli “Paperboy” Reed and Ruby Rose Fox
Wednesday, March 30 (doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m.)
Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA

Clean-cut, well-dressed, and impeccably coiffed, Eli “Paperboy” Reed will soak Brighton Music Hall with his soulful sounds this Wednesday. Attendees will surely be left eagerly anticipating the Brookline native’s new album My Way Home, which Yep Roc Records will release on June 10. And fear not, if only one multi-Boston Music Awards honoree/longtime Brookline resident is not enough for you. Last year’s BMA Pop Vocalist of the Year and Female Artist of the Year Ruby Rose Fox will also perform for your listening pleasure. (Her new album Domestic will be available on May 24.)

Young Fathers and HXLT
Friday, April 1 (doors 10 p.m.)
Great Scott, Allston, MA

The Scottish trio Young Fathers won the 2014 Mercury Prize — the UK’s Album of the Year award — for its second LP Dead. 2015’s White Men are Black Men Too was not similarly honored, but overall acclaim for it was at least equally great. Not really rock, pop, and/or folk but rather hip-hop, R&B, and electronic, the band will be at Great Scott on April 1. No one could rightly call you a fool for being there.

The Smithereens
Saturday, April 2 (doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.)
Larcom Theatre, Beverly, MA

It may have been a while since the band had played in the area, but The Smithereens (Arts Fuse interview) didn’t miss a beat when they triumphantly returned last spring for shows at Johnny D’s and Larcom Theatre (click for my review). On Saturday night, the New Jersey quartet returns to the latter venue to do it all over again. With a back catalog like theirs, who needs new material to promote?

An Evening with Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton
Saturday, April 2 (doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.)
The Cabot, Beverly, MA

If The Smithereens are not your thing but you live or happen to be on the North Shore, then Lisa Fischer’s appearance at The Cabot will surely slake your thirst for invigorating live music. For all that you need to know, refer to Glenn Rifkin’s recent Arts Fuse interview with the 20 Feet From Stardom star.

Upcoming and on sale:

Yuck (April 11, The Sinclair); Iggy Pop (April 11, Orpheum Theatre); Buddy Guy (April 14, The Cabot); Belinda Carlisle (April 15, The Cabot); Parquet Courts (April 15, Paradise Rock Club); Loudon Wainwright III (April 22, Me & Thee Coffeehouse); Bob Mould with Ted Leo (May 1, Paradise Rock Club); Super Furry Animals (The Sinclair, May 3); The Brian Jonestown Massacre (May 7, Paradise Rock Club); Peter Wolf (May 12, Somerville Theatre); Barry & The Remains (May 13, Once Ballroom); Eagles of Death Metal (June 1, House of Blues); The Sonics, The Woggles, Barrence Whitfield & The Savages (June 3, Brighton Music Hall); Nada Surf (June 4, Paradise Rock Club); Diiv (June 7, The Sinclair); Modern English (June 7, Middle East Downstairs); Dungen (June 16, The Sinclair); Joe Jackson (July 12, Wilbur Theatre; Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples (July 14, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion); Bryan Ferry (July 31, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion); An Evening with Little Feat (September 8, Wilbur Theatre); The Specials (September 12, House of Blues)

— Blake Maddux

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Author Events

Kurt Gray
The Mind Club: Who Thinks, What Feels, and Why It Matters
In Conversation with Daniel Gilbert
March 29 at 7 p.m.
Harvard Book Store, Cambridge MA
Free

Two psychology professors will discuss what may be the most mysterious substance in the universe: other people’s minds. Gray discusses how we understand the thought processes of another, from your friends and co-workers to the mental processes of animals and computers.

John Hadden
Conversations with a Masked Man: My Father, The C.I.A., and Me
March 30 at 7 p.m.
Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA
Free

For decades, John Hadden and his father argued about everything — politics, art, history. Hadden’s father was haunted by his experiences in high-stakes espionage, from Beirut to Berlin; his son was all about directing productions of Shakespeare in the Vermont woods. But one day, in an effort to understand his dad’s perspective, he sat down and properly recorded his father’s hair-raising life story.

Linda Colley
Publishing the Word: Constitutions, Print, and War in the Age of Revolutions
March 30 at 7 p.m.
Gasson Hall, Room 100, Boston College, Boston, MA

As part of the Lowell Humanities Series, British Empire scholar Linda Colley comes to Boston College to read from her latest book about the role of printers as social subversives throughout England’s turbulent history.

Rania Matar
L’Enfant Femme
March 31 at 7 p.m.
Brookline Booksmith, Coolidge Corner, MA
Free

We are trapped in a world of non-stop photography. Social media and Iphones have made endless  ‘selfies” an irritating fact of modern life. Brookline native Rania Matar’s new collection of photographs are image of adolescents, but she  is artful enough to play down their media-drenched self-obsession in order to address serious issues , such as identity, anxiety, and maturity.

Marilynne Robinson
“The Divine”
April 4 at 7 p.m. (Doors open at 6:15)
Memorial Church, Cambridge, MA
Free

Marilynne Robinson is one of the most well-regarded and highly-influential writers working today: her invitation to sit down with President Obama took up two long parts in the New York Review of Books. She will give the 2016 Noble Lecture at Harvard University, with an introduction by Matthew Potts, Assistant Professor of Ministry Studies, Harvard Divinity School.

— Matt Hanson

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Visual Arts

Carol Barsha: On the Cool Flowery Lap of Earth
April 1 – May 6
Nesto Gallery at Milton Academy, MA

Taken from a Matthew Arnold poem memorializing the English Romantics, the subtitle of this show suggests a particular way of looking at Carol Barsha’s work. Her “highly distilled” visuals, typically stolen from summers’ past, often have titles pulled from the poems of such “soul mates” as William Wordsworth, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Seamus Heaney. Her images are drawn from direct observations of nature but, like William Blake, Barsha also mixes in Old Testament angels, fire, and the pulsing borders of heaven and earth.

R. Luke DuBois— Now
March 31 – September 4
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, ME

Luke DuBois is a New York-based composer, computer programmer, filmmaker, and installation artist. Organized by Sarasota’s Ringling Museum of Art, this show surveys the last twenty-years or so of his work in video, sound, and print-based work that comments on life in a globalized, data-saturated world.

Lotte Jacobi, Listette Model: Urban Camera
April 1 – September 11
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA

In a bit of a departure from recent DeCordova shows, this exhibition presents work by two twentieth-century European modernists, Lotte Jacobi (1896-1990) and Lisette Model (1901-1983), photographers who both worked in Berlin, Paris, and New York. Both also focused on urban subjects, from the pampered elite to street people and the poor. The exhibition includes innovative and experimental work, from studio portraits to cool abstractions inspired by city landscapes.

— Peter Walsh