Friday, Nov. 17

The State of Housing Design 2023 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. A book launch in which the book’s editors and authors join panels with practitioners, journalists, academics and others to ask “How are architects of new single- and multifamily housing responding to the warming climate, the affordability crisis, increasing regulations and construction costs, and the demand for new unit types that better reflect today’s demographic realities?” Information is here.

Small Million, Gold Casio and Ruby Grove perform from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. Three bands – from Portland, Oregon; Boston; and New York – walk into a bar. This is Lilypad, so we’re talking synth pop, trip-hop and alien disco. Information is here.

Candlelight: Favorite Anime Themes concert at 7 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. $40 to $59 and 8-plus. The Rasa String Quartet, illuminated by glowing candles, plays selections from the themes of more than 15 anime series and closes with a Studio Ghibli medley. Information is here.

Pleasure Pie Presents: Sex Salon at 7 p.m. at the Café at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Suggested donation: $15 to $50. A night of very short, very fun presentations about sex, bodies, consent, pleasure and more for sex-positive individuals of all persuasions. Information is here.

Poets Martine Bellen, Peter Gizzi and Cole Swensen read from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10, but register. With an introduction by Marc Vincenz. Information is here.

“Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights” at 7:30 p.m. at MIT Theater Arts, 345 Vassar St., in the MIT/Area II neighborhood, Cambridge (and repeating Saturday). Free. Renowned writer Gertrude Stein wrote the libretto “Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights” in 1938 in Paris amid the time’s chaos, division and loss. This adaptation combines music from Mozart’s last opera “The Magic Flute” and is set in the super-charged, reimagined laboratory of MIT inventor Harold (Doc) Edgerton. Information is here.

“Web of Murder” performance at 8 p.m. at Theatre@First, Unity Somerville, 6 William St., Somerville (and continuing tomorrow). $20 and $25. Agatha Christie meets “Arsenic & Old Lace” in this murder mystery play by Jonathan Troy. When the cruel Minerva Osterman invites her nieces to her remote, crumbling mansion for the weekend, who will survive? Information is here.

“Something Strange,” a live music and dance tribute to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square (and continuing Saturday). $18. The band Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys returns with their holiday theater experience – open to all ages with a warning that it comes with “partial nudity and suggestive situations.” Information is here.

MIT Concert Choir: Longing for Unity performance at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $5. Repertoire includes Lili Boulanger’s “Longing for Unity,” Mendelssohn’s “Psalm 42” and contemporary composer Reena Esmail’s “This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity” which joins special guests Rajib Karmakar on sitar and Giri Subramaniam on tabla with a modern western orchestra. Information is here.

Detention: Stand-Up in a Speakeasy at 8 and 10 p.m. at the Cambridge Community Center, 5 Callender St., Riverside (and every Friday and Saturday). $20 to $24. Head to the basement, grab a $4 beer or seltzer and enjoy this comedy show. Information is here.

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Saturday, Nov. 18

Activist Jodie Patterson Talks About Raising a Trans Child from noon to 2 p.m. at the Community Art Center, 119 Windsor St., The Port, Cambridge. Free. A discussion of radical parenting, identity and gender by the Brooklyn-based entrepreneur and author of “The Bold World: A Memoir of Family and Transformation” (hailed by Alice Walker as “marvelous”) and the children’s book “Born Ready: The True Story Of A Boy Named Penelope.” Information is here.

Annual Open Studios from noon to 5 p.m. at Brickbottom Gallery, 1 Fitchburg St., Somerville, and at Joy St. Studios, 86 Joy St., Somerville (and continuing Sunday). Free. Browse and buy the work of more than 60 artists and artisans in a variety of media and formats displayed in their studios, housed in two buildings one block apart. The event includes live performances. Information is here.

Yard Sale from noon to 5 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. At this first-ever yard sale for the brewery, browse goodies from glassware to sound equipment, brewing knickknacks to vintage tees and more. Funds raised benefit The Elizabeth Peabody House Food Bank in Somerville. Information is here.

“Tackling Disinformation and Misinformation” with authors and academics Lee McIntyre and Adam Berinsky from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, Gambrill Center, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with $10 to $18 museum admission. McIntyre, author of “On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy,” and Berinsky, who wrote “Political Rumors: Why We Accept Misinformation and How to Fight It,” discuss the roots and scope of the problem and share the tools necessary to win the war for truth. Moderated by Peter Kaufman, senior program officer for MIT Open Learning. Information is here.

“In the Whale: The Greatest Fish Story Ever Told” screening from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Geological Lecture Hall, Harvard Geological Museum, 24 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. A feature-length film about the darkest 30 seconds of one man’s life and Q&A with the director. Information is here.

“The Bus Stop” absurdist comedy play from 2 to 3:30 p.m.; 4:30 to 6 p.m; and 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge (and continuing through Sunday). $10 to $15. The groundbreaking play about life and waiting by Nobel Prize winner Gao Xingjian premiered in Beijing in 1983 and is performed in Mandarin with English subtitles by the MIT Wuming Theater Club. Information is here.

“Web of Murder” performance (continued) at 3 p.m. at Theatre@First, Unity Somerville, 6 William St., Somerville. $20 and $25. Information is here.

Maris Van Vlack’s “Fiberscapes” opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at Gallery 263, 263 Pearl St., Cambridgeport. Free. The Massachusetts-born artist in her first solo exhibition weaves surfaces and patterns inspired the changing geological landscape of New England and other areas. Information is here.

Fun Dodgeball from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the gymnasium of the Peabody School, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. $10 to $15 and middle school age-plus. This all-levels monthly dodgeball event says it’s not the same game you may have played growing up (or the movie) and has nine rules subject to amendments and additions. What, no blindfolds? No sudden-death match? Settle any scores at Joe Sent Me, where players often congregate afterward. Information is here.

“Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at MIT Theater Arts, 345 Vassar St., in the MIT/Area II neighborhood, Cambridge. Free. Information is here.

Esh Circus Arts Fall Student Show from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $12 to $22. Adults and children students show off their circus skills. Information is here.

“Night of Musical Magic” with soprano Zhanna Alkhazova and pianist Levon Hovsepian from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Museum of Modern Renaissance, 115 College Ave., near Nathan Tufts Park, Somerville. $30 to $40. Russian-American opera singer Alkhazova and Armenian-born Hovsepian, both of whom studied locally (at Boston University and Longy, respectively), perform at this “temple to art.” Information is here.

Continuum Dance Project presents “Not Eye, Us” from 8 to 9 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (repeating Sunday). $20 to $35. This immersive dance-theater work explores the intersection of gaze and power through the manipulation of Michael Alfano’s sculpture “Cubed,” which has nine moveable pieces pigmented with different skin tones. Information is here.

ThanksLIVING from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. DJ Frazzo blasts queer anthems at this first fruitstand event. Organizers promise you’ll “get your fix of queer joy before you have to sit through (in our opinion) one of the straightest holidays.” Information is here.

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Sunday, Nov. 19

Sitting for Survival from 11:30 a.m. to noon in front of the post office at 770 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and every other Sunday). Free. Signs will be provided for this meditative sit-in to bear witness to the climate emergency. This Awakening for Earth–sponsored event is followed by a half hour of social time. Information is here.

Annual Open Studios (continued) from noon to 5 p.m. at Brickbottom Gallery, 1 Fitchburg St., Somerville, and at Joy St. Studios, 86 Joy St., Somerville. Free. Information is here.

Cranksgiving 2023 at 1 p.m. at Somerville Bike Kitchen at 15 Properzi Way, near Union Square, Somerville. $15 (for purchases). Part bike ride, part scavenger hunt. Gathered goods and proceeds will be donated to Somerville Homeless Coalition. Information is here.

“The Bus Stop” absurdist comedy play (continued) from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and from 4:30 to 6 p.m at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. $10 to $15. Information is here.

“Footloose, The Musical” at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Agassiz Theater, 5 James St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. This production by the Asian Student Arts Project and ¡Teatro! centers pan-Asian and Latine identities and digs into themes you may have missed in the titular 1984 hit movie. Information is here.

Masterworks Chorale presents Haydn, Mendelssohn and more at 3 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $50. Romantic meets classical in this concert of sublime music which includes “Missa Cellensis” by Haydn and choral cantatas by Mendelssohn and Telemann. Information is here.

Pantomine: Plucked Instruments in 18th-century England from 3 to 4 p.m. at Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood. $20 to $25. Olav Chris Henriksen from Duo Maresienne goes solo on English guitar and baroque lute for a selection of dance pieces, fantasies and other musical treats by J.C. Bach, Straube, Marella and Anne Ford, among others. Information is here.

The Sarasa Ensemble presents “Tendrils of the Soul” at 7 p.m. at Friends Meeting House, 5 Longfellow Park, near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $25. A program of chamber music performed with violins, viola and cellos that shows the depth and power of the First Viennese School’s masters. Pieces include Beethoven’s soul-searching “Cavatina” from his late Op. 130 string quartet, Haydn’s inventive Op. 54 No. 2 quartet and Schubert’s cello quintet in C major. Information is here.

Continuum Dance Project presents “Not Eye, Us” (continued) from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $20 to $35. Information is here.

The Pharcyde performs at 8 p.m. at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $29.50. The West Coast rappers are on their TransCyde Express Tour, reminding everyone of the lingering influence of their albums from decades ago. Information is here.

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Monday, Nov. 20

Arthropod Surveys at Fresh Pond from 2 to 3 p.m. meeting on site at the Lusitania Meadow at 615 Concord Ave. in West Cambridge at Fresh Pond, Cambridge. Free. Join scientists from Earthwise Aware to help observe and collect information about what insects and arachnids visit the reservation’s meadows, compiling the findings into global databases. Information is here.

African Dance Workout with Bisi from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $12 to $20. Bisi Xotyeni from Jean Appolon Expressions Artists guides the class through a cardio warm-up with African dance movements, a series of strength-building exercises and a combination for everyone to dance together. All experience levels are welcome. Information is here.

Strange Pains, Crush Depth and See You At Roger’s perform from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Jungle, 6 Sanborn Court, Union Square, Somerville. Free and 21-plus. Bands from Providence (alternative rock, electro indie rock, synth rock), New York City (sludge metal, post-hardcore rock) and Boston (post-emo, power pop, punk). Information is here.

A/V Comedy Club from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. $5. Drop in to watch members of the local comedy community perform projector and musical comedy or other complicated material uncommon at most open-mic spaces around town. Information is here.

MIT Tango Club from 6:45 to 8 p.m. (beginner) and 7:45 to 9 p.m. (intermediate) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 36, Room 112, 50 Vassar St., Area II, Cambridge (and every Monday through Dec. 11). $25. Argentine tango classes with outstanding instructors. No partner required, but wear comfortable clothes and shoes with leather or suede soles, which allow you to pivot and walk backward. Information is here.

“Aimless Bullet” screening at 7 p.m. at Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. This initially 1961 banned film by the critically acclaimed experimental director Yu Hyun-mok from the novel by Yi Pom-son follows the tragedy of a displaced family from North Korea living in Seoul after the Korean War. Information is here.

“Hello Stranger”: The Songs of Hazel and Alice at 8 p.m. at Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25. Local musicians and singers Hazel Royer, Rachel Sumner and Maxfield Anderson perform songs written and/or recorded by Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, the pioneering women of bluegrass. Almira Ara opens. Information is here.

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Tuesday, Nov. 21

Chinwe Onyeagoro and Obinna Onyeagoro read from “Neo & Nubia: The Greatest Walk” from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. The siblings with Nigerian roots grew up across the street from this library, graduated from Harvard and have returned to visit – from busy lives as business executives and parents in Washington, D.C., and London, respectively – to read from their illustrated book (for ages 5 to 10). Inspired by their storytelling grandfather, it’s about three kids researching the topic of human origins for school who become swept away on a magical journey to Africa’s distant past. Information is here.

Mindfulness and Journaling: Dipping into Gratitude from 6 to 7 p.m. in the community room of the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. An introduction to gratitude and mindfulness meditation with Laura Carmen Arena, an Argentinian-American writer and visual artist and a yoga and meditation teacher based in Cambridge. Information is here.

Contemporary Book Group from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Rossi Room of the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. October’s title: “Groundskeeping” by Lee Cole. Information is here.

O’Connell Branch Adult Book Group from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library O’Connell Branch, 48 Sixth St., East Cambridge. Free. November’s title: “Leave the World Behind” by Rumaan Alam. Information is here.

Katherine Howe reads from “A True Account: Hannah Masury’s Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The bestselling novelist discusses her vivid, fast-paced historical fiction mystery tale set in two Boston eras (1726 and 1930) about a female disguised as a cabin boy on a ship and a female professor – both shattering the rules of their own societies. Author Kevin Birmingham (“The Most Dangerous Book”) joins the conversation. Information is here.

Laugh Giraffe Comedy Show at 8 p.m. at Union Tavern, 345 Somerville Ave., Union Square, Somerville (and every Tuesday). $10. Stand-up comedy showcase. Information is here.

Saltare performs at 8 p.m. at Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20. The members of Saltare met at the New England Conservatory and now bring together global musical and dance traditions (including Irish, Transylvanian, American old time and klezmer) to explore how dance music is shaped and understood. Information is here.

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Wednesday, Nov. 22

Fiber Crafts Drop-in at the Library from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Cambridge library’s O’Connell Branch, 48 Sixth St., East Cambridge. Free. Bring your project and knit, embroider, crochet, spin, mend, cross stitch and more with other crafters in an informal, welcoming setting. Information here.

Sam Shackleton aka Sorely the Bard performs at 8 p.m. at Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20. The singer-songwriter and folk artist, who uses a moniker because another musician has the same name, holds a research masters degree with distinction in Scottish ethnology from the School of Scottish Studies. His solo tour in the United States includes music inspired by the interconnected musical oral traditions of Scotland, Ireland and the United States. Information is here.

Gil Aharon Trio performs from 8:15 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge (and every Wednesday). $10. A mix of influences inspires composer and pianist Aharon, founder of the Lilypad performance and event space. The trio includes bassist Jef Charland, guitarist Andrew Stern and drummer Randy Wooten. Information is here.

R&B Open Jam Session from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at The Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. Free. Sing along, play along or just sit and enjoy. Information is here.

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Thursday, Nov. 23

Somerville Road Runners’ 27th Annual Gobble, Gobble, Gobble at 9 a.m. at Davis Square, Somerville. Free (to watch) or $45 (to run). This 4-mile race benefiting local charities starts and ends in Davis Square, with post-race festivities at The Burren. Information is here.

Falcons vs. Highlanders football at 10 a.m. at Russell Field at Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. Free. Cambridge Rindge and Latin School plays against Somerville High School. Information is here.

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Friday, Nov. 24

Herbstalk Wintergreen Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free, but some classes come with fees. The marketplace, back after a two-year pause, features handmade herbal products and botanical goods created by New England crafters, an array of free educational talks related to herbalism and holistic well-being, as well as Bipoc-led classes and art exhibitions. Information is here.

THANGsgiving 2023: Pecan Pie Edition from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Hive, 561 Windsor St., Somerville. Free. Paul Kafka-Gibbons brings his annual “Thang” event to this new performance space in the Taza Chocolate building, this time during the fall holiday. Enjoy dance, music and poetry from local artists, much of it experimental. (“Thang” is a blues term for “a conglomeration of funky, different things.”) Information is here.

“The Rocky Horror Show” at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. at Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and extended through Dec. 3). $21 to $80. This is the final weekend for the original musical by Richard O’Brien that launched the cult movie. We wrote about it here. Information is here.

Post Thanksgiving DJ Jam from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Q Ballroom, 26 New St., Suite 3, Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $8 to $13. This social partner dance includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; no street shoes. Information is here.

12th Annual David Boobie Burlesque at 9 p.m. at the Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $50 and 18-plus. One of the area’s unique holiday traditions – sort of the Harvard Square November complement to December’s “Slutcracker” – is the Bowie-flavored striptease that comes just after Thanksgiving every year. Features Niki Stardust and her Total Blam Blam David Boobie Band (aka Niki Luparelli and The Gold Diggers). Information is here.