Thursday, Feb. 20
Foundry Festival from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge (and continuing through Feb. 22). Free, with some activities just for kids, some just for adults and many for all ages. The final three days for this third annual fest, with the theme “Resilience,” include makerspace tours and open studios as well as studio spaces, labs, workshops and conference rooms abuzz with events scheduled for specific times during one or more days, including crafts activities involving upcycled earrings made from recycled materials, seed bomb making and loom weaving; fun with textiles such as repurposing garments into unique creations and making welcome blankets, aprons, pillows and eco-friendly wipes; kid-specific activities for ages zero to 3 (a story time), for grade-school age (improv classes, working through a maze and taking a snail walk to discover tiny wonders), for middle schoolers (playing chess) and for teens (mask-making); movement classes that include contemporary dance, authentic dance, mindful movement, poetry-inspired movement, Cuban-style dance and dance to drumming; and hands-on cooking of dishes using five ingredients and baked comfort cups. You can learn about using empathy to design empowered communities, decolonizing history curricula in schools, science-based sensory tools and the intersection of disability and LGBTQ+ communities. Or you can roll up your sleeves and explore problem solving through Steam challenges, write street-name poetry and join in immersive (and climate) storytelling. Feel free to sit back and watch a spoken-word night for journal entries and a play about an Irish honeybee. Enjoy socializing during a friendship market and create an art piece. Or delve into self-reflection with a yoga practice. Information is here.
MIT Museum February School Vacation Week from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Feb. 23). Most activities are free with museum admission. Remaining activities for the week include microscopy, a Maker Hub on chain reaction, gallery cart demos and (today only) a family workshop on the human brain ($15 to $20). Information is here.
Thursday Morning Talks: Susan Suleiman on “Existential Choices: The Cinema of István Szabó” from 10:15 a.m. to noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., West Cambridge. $20 or $125 (suggested donations for individual talk or series subscription), and registration is required. The professor emerita of Harvard discusses her 2024 book “István Szabó: Filmmaker of Existential Choices” about the Hungarian director of films including 1981’s “Mephisto” and 2020’s “Final Report.” The January and February lecture series is a fundraiser for Mount Auburn Hospital in its 88th year. Information is here.
Olena Nikolayenko reads from “Invisible Revolutionaries: Women’s Participation in Ukraine’s Euromaidan” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in S354 of the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. The Fordham University professor explains the motivations and manifestations of women’s participation in revolution, shedding light on the sources of Ukraine’s fierce resistance to Russia’s invasion. Harvard’s Emily Channell-Justice joins. Information is here.
“Justice in and for Palestine: An Academic Perspective” lecture at 5:30 p.m. in the Kirsch Auditorium, room 123, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building 32, also known as the Ray and Maria Stata Center, at 32 Vassar St., Cambridge. Free. Israeli historian Ilan Pappé from the University of Exeter shares his views. Information is here.
Cambridge Cooks: roasting coffee with Yego from 6 to 7 p.m. in the community room at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. A demonstration of small-batch coffee roasting from Fatuma and Francois Tuyishime of the family-owned Yego Coffee, with a storefront near Teele Square in Somerville. Information is here.
Open Rehearsal Demonstration with Kinetic Ensemble from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building W18, also known as the Music Building, 201 Amherst St., Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. As part of the MIT Artfinity Arts Festival, the 16-member conductorless string ensemble highlights their unique approach to music-making during this behind-the-scenes interactive rehearsal demonstration ahead of Saturday’s concert. Information is here.
“Sitting Still” documentary screening with landscape architect Laurie Olin and the director from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gund Hall, 42 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The film about Olin and his dedication to designing public spaces fostering democracy and equality exposes flawed economic models and misguided policies while revealing the power of landscape to address environmental crises and social divides. Afterward, Olin and director Gina Angelone take the stage to chat followed by a Q&A and reception. Information is here.
“Pedro Gómez-Egaña: The Great Learning” art installation opening reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at MIT’s List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., Building E15, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The artist uses sculpture, performance, video and drawing to create dynamic constellations of objects and events in time. Light refreshments from Momma’s Grocery + Wine are provided. A brief presentation by the artist at 5:30 p.m. followed by a public dialogue between Gómez-Egaña and curator Natalie Bell introduces the work. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill at 7 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through March 16). $114 to $150 and 14-plus. A contemporary take on Homer’s “Odyssey” that reimagines the stories of both Odysseus and his wife, Penelope, and asks how we can learn to embrace healing and forgiveness so cycles of violence and revenge can end. We wrote about it here. Information is here.
Geraldine Brooks reads from “Memorial Days” at 7 p.m. at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School’s Fitzgerald Auditorium, 459 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. $10 or $37.50 with book. The author of the Pulitzer -winning “March” and 10 other fiction and nonfiction books discusses her memoir about the sudden death of her husband at age 60, about timeless love, grieving and peace. Pulitzer-winning journalist, author and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Suskind joins. Information is here.
Poets Michael McCarthy, Pedro Poitevin and Alan Smith Soto from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register. With an introduction by Tom Daley. Information is here.
“Homecoming: Celebrating Black Voices” with Omo Moses from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Lewis Room at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. The son of civil rights activist Bob Moses discusses his experience living in Cambridge and the process of writing “The White Peril,” his book described as “a coming-of-age story, a multigenerational family memoir, an epic father-son road trip, a searing account of the Black male experience and a work that powerfully revives Rev. Moses’s demand for liberation.” Afterward, attendees are invited to share their experiences living in Cambridge and how they commemorate them and their own family’s legacy. Food from Coast Cafe. Information is here.
Art Battle Boston from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lamplighter CX, 110 North First St., North Point, Cambridge. $15 to $25 and 21-plus. During this live competition, 12 painters create the best work they can across three 20-minute rounds while audience members walk around them and vote on their favorites. Afterword, the artists receive 50 percent of the proceeds from their works sold during the event’s silent auction. Information is here.
Blues Union February Dances: Tea Talks for Black History Month from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville (also Feb 27). $10 to $25. An all-levels lesson in the first hour (tonight, “barrelhouse blues”), then an hour of Tea Talk (community conversations and group actions) followed by two hours of social dancing. Wear shoes that allow you to pivot; no need to bring a partner. Masks and proof of vaccination required. Information is here.
“S P A C E” at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (and continuing through Feb. 23). $27 to $87. Playwright L. M. Feldman and director Larissa Lury draw on the experiences of women pilots and astronauts over the past 100 years – with The Mercury 13 female pilots at the center – to ask “What future are we headed toward?” Information is here.
Popcorn Comedy with Tyler Hittner from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. $20. A comedian known for his high-energy delivery, charisma and crowd work – and who won Maine’s “Wicked Funny Laugh Off” in 2023 – headlines a night of freshly popped stand-up in the historic theater’s intimate microcinema. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through March 9). $41. This year’s original musical is set in hell with pun-named characters navigating and scheming against the forces keeping them from getting what they want (often a reassignment to heaven), including its chief executive, Lucy Fur. Information is here.
Third Thursdays jazz with Dave Bryant and Friends at 8 p.m. at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10. This month, the keyboardist and composer presents improvised music with guitarist Eric Hofbauer, violinist Gabriel Solomon, bassist Jacob William and drummer Brooke Sofferman. Information is here.
Kate Willet at 8 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $20 to $25. The comedian, actress and writer has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and Netflix’s “Comedy Lineup.” She’s the author of the Audible Original “Dirtbag Anthropology.” Information is here.
Friday, Feb. 21
Foundry Festival (continued) from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, with some activities just for kids, some just for adults and many for all ages. Information is here.
MIT Museum February School Vacation Week (continued) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Information is here.
Matt Savage: “How We Grow” faculty artist recital at 7 p.m. at the Longy School of Music, 27 Garden St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free to $20. A selection of popular music covers, in a jazz style, representing the stages of life from childhood to adolescence to adulthood, with many of the tunes from Savage’s own upbringing in the 2000s. Information is here.
Laughing Through the Pain (a dark comedy/traumedy show) at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. The bookstore’s first comedy show arrives with a theme (this time) of relationships. The raw and unfiltered content comes from comedians Ira Claybourne, Melly Fernandez, Ally J. Ward, Steph Dalwin, Emily Mu and Gwen Coburn. Hosted by Emily Goldstein. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 7 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $80 to $150 and 14-plus. Information is here.
“Multiple Exposures” group photography show opening reception at 7 p.m. at New Alliance Gallery, 438R Somerville Ave., in Ward 2 near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Works from 17 photographers plus live music by Otis Shanty and Time and Place. Information is here.
“Major” dance theater project from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s W97 Theater, 345 Vassar St., Area II, Cambridge. Free. A work in progress directed and choreographed by visiting artist Ogemdi Ude exploring the history and physicality of majorette dance with a team of Southern Black femmes. Information is here.
Open mic poetry night from 7 to 9 p.m. at Little Crêpe Café, 102 Oxford St., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Reading your original poem or a favorite poet’s work. Free hot cocoa. Co-sponsored by the City of Cambridge’s Committee on Civic Unity, Cambridge Arts and City Night Readings. Information is here.
Detention stand-up comedy with Janet McNamara at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. at Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville (and Saturday). $25 and 21-plus. A weekend of performances from a home-grown comedian who headlines across the country with awkward energy and townie charm. Information is here.
The Kira Daglio Fine Big Band from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $15. Some of the best young emerging artists in the Northeast make up this 16-piece jazz ensemble performing Daglio’s award-winning compositions, which draw from swing and her Latina heritage as well other influences. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $87. This performance is followed by a conversation with Alissa Haddaji, an expert in space law, policy and ethics, about protecting Earth from otherworldly invaders and contaminants and how our space travel aims to protect whatever planetary bodies we are exploring. Information here.
Sachal Vasandani Group: “Best Life Now” at 7:30 p.m. at Regattabar, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $35. The jazz singer and Chicago native performs with guitarist Charles Altura, saxophonist Dayna Stephens, pianist Romain Collin, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Anwar Marshall. Information is here.
Handel and Haydn Society presents Brandenburg Concertos at 7:30 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge (and also Sunday). $15 to $117. Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky joins principal keyboard Ian Watson to lead the ensemble through Nos. 1 through 6 of J.S. Bach’s colorful and texture-filled orchestral works, the best of the Baroque era. Information is here.
“From Antarctica to the Amazon: Susan Solomon and Patrick Harlin Discuss Music, Science and Literature” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building W18, also known as the Linde Music Building, 201 Amherst St., Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. A fireside chat bridging music and science with a researcher on atmospheric chemistry and a composer whose work is informed by soundscape ecology. Part of the MIT Artfinity Arts Festival. Information is here.
Vox Lucens vocal choir presents “O Queen of Heaven: Visions of the Virgin Mary” at 8 p.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave., Riverside near Central Square, Cambridge. $25 donation suggested. Polyphony – independent lines of melody from each of the vocal parts – suffuses this Renaissance collection from the Franco-Flemish school of the 15th and 16th centuries. Information is here.
Marc Ribot Quartet: “Hurry Red Telephone” at 8 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $26.50. The guitarist and musician’s musician reunites with drummer Chad Taylor for Albert Ayler-tinged work they began in the early aughts with their band Spiritual Unity and then the Grimes Taylor Ribot Trio; this time with bassist Sebastian Steinberg and guitarist/improviser Ava Mendoza. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $51. Information is here.
Harvard Jazz Orchestra featuring Ted Nash: A Jazz at Lincoln Center Collaboration at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 to $35. Hear a Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer known for an innovative approach to jazz and being part of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Information is here.
Dan Fox Foxtet performs for Boston Swing Central from 8 to 11:45 p.m. at Epic Ballroom, 26 New St., Suite 3, Fresh Pond, Cambridge. $13 to $20. The trombonist-led six-piece band plays tunes from the ’20s and ’30s at this social partner dance with live music that includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; bring a clean pair of shoes to dance in when it’s wet outside. Information is here.
Lowell House Opera presents “Postcard from Morocco” at 8:30 p.m. at Lowell House Dining Hall, 10 Holyoke Place, Harvard Square, Cambridge (also Feb. 22 and 23). $10 to $30. A genre-defying score by Dominick Argento about a group of strangers waiting at a train station, reflecting the ways people cope with uncertainty and seek connection. Information is here.
Hole Show presents “Holy Hole” at 9 p.m. at Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. $25 and 21-plus. Come dressed to sin or ready to repent to this queer art and dance party with vendors that features 12 “divine creatures” (drag performers), host Sherman and music by DJs L’Duke and MxBlaire. Information is here.
Saturday, Feb. 22
Foundry Festival (continued) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Free, with some activities just for kids, some just for adults and many for all ages. Information is here.
“Colors of Ukraine: Folk Art and Resistance” exhibition from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge (and on display through March 7). Free. The first day of an exhibit curated by Sophia Sushailo of artwork created in the Petrykivka tradition, using an intricate brush made with cat fur. Information is here.
Tai Chi for turbulent times from 10 to 11 a.m. in the second-floor Barn Room at First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist, 3 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Stay afloat with meditative movement. No complicated choreography, no experience necessary. A seated option is available. Information is here.
“Weave Your Way: Traditions of Philippine Textiles” workshops at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Ave., in the Baldwin neighborhood near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $30 to $35 and ages 12-plus. Set up a frame loom, learn about warp and weft threads and craft a woven creation during this immersive two-hour workshop, held twice, facilitated by Romae Chanice “Nice” Marquez, founder of Hibla Philippines. Information is here.
MIT Museum February School Vacation Week (continued) from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Information is here.
A musical conversation with The Opening Doors Project at 1 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Songs, stories and a back-and-forth with the audience from a project dedicated to amplifying voices of color and conversations about race. With Boston artists Reggie Harris, Pamela Means, Zakiyyah, Stephanie McKay, Kemp Harris and Alastair Moock. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 1:30 and 7 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $105 to $155 and 14-plus. Information is here.
“The Odyssey”
ry workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free and ages 13-plus, but register. Explore puppetry design and shadow work and theatrical storytelling in a workshop inspired by the American Repertory Theater’s production of “The Odyssey.” Information is here.
The Belarusian community of Boston Celebration of International Mother Language Day from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $35 donation suggested. During this annual event celebrating a language facing discrimination by officials in Belarus, theater and film actor Alexander Yefremov presents a musical “Tales of the Magic Lantern.” Includes a shadow theater master class. Information is here.
Lilypad Art Jam from 2 to 6 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $5 to $20 suggested donation. A community space for making art and connections with others. Limited art supplies are provided, or you can bring your own project. A full backline will be available including microphones, drums, guitar, bass, piano, synth and hand percussion, or bring your own instrument. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $87. Information here.
Choreographer Jenny Oliver presents “Gray Space/Blue Skies” with marimbist Steph Davis at 3 p.m. at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Free. The head of dance performance at Tufts University and five other dancers perform a new, culturally responsive movement project set to commissioned music by Davis. Sponsored by Boston Celebrity Series. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 4 and 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $51. Information is here.
Debo Ray album release show at 6:30 p.m. at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $25 to $30. The charismatic Grammy-nominated vocalist whose stage appearances include Carnegie Hall, Monterey Jazz, Kennedy Center and Newport performs original contemporary R&B, neo-soul and pop from her debut album with Hidemi Akaiwa on keys, Tom Appleman on bass, Scott Tarulli on guitar and Mike Casano on drums. Information is here.
Fink (aka Fin Greenall) performs at 7 p.m. at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $21.50. The singer-songwriter from Cornwall, U.K., and based in Berlin is known for music featured in “The Walking Dead,” “True Detective,” “Better Call Saul” and other TV shows and has just produced with his longtime band an eighth studio album, “Beauty in Your Wake.” Information is here.
“Eephus” film screening with filmmaker Carson Lund at 7 p.m. at Harvard Film Archive at The Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15. This “sports film unlike any other” (says Rolling Stone) by the founding member of Omnes Films – a former usher at Harvard Film Archive – is set over the course of a day and centered on amateur New England baseball teams as they play a final game at their beloved Soldiers Field before it’s paved over for an elementary school. Harvard professor Tom Conley joins. Information is here.
Detention stand-up comedy with Janet McNamara (continued) at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. at Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway, Prospect Hill, Somerville. $25 and 21-plus. Information is here.
New England Film Orchestra Fifth Anniversary Concert from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. Free to $20. Favorite film scores from the past five years with conductor and NEFO founder Gina Naggar. (Upcoming: a “May the Fourth” night of “Star Wars” music.) Information is here.
“Wild Surroundings: Kinetic Ensemble in Concert” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building W18, also known as the Music Building, 201 Amherst St., Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. As part of the MIT Artfinity Arts Festival, the 16-member conductorless string ensemble presents music celebrating creative collaboration, cultural heritage and the natural world with world premieres of works by Miguel Zenón and Evan Ziporyn and recent works by Viet Cuong and Patrick Harlin. Information is here.
Rebirth Brass Band at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $35 to $37. The Grammy winners perform from a catalog of four decades, paying homage to the New Orleans brass band tradition while combining elements of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and the sounds from the streets that founders (and brothers) Phil and Keith Frazier grew up on. Information is here.
Lowell House Opera presents “Postcard from Morocco” (continued) at 8:30 p.m. at Lowell House Dining Hall, 10 Holyoke Place, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $30. Information is here.
The Nova Show: The 97th Annual Novie Awards at 9:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $23 to $28. Every Nova Show features original sketches, live music and surprises. This time, Boston comedians and guests present the “wildest awards show of the season” with “jealous supporting actors, irreverent musical numbers and an In Memoriam.” Information is here.
Sunday, Feb. 23
Show tunes drag brunch at 11 a.m. at Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Alewife, Cambridge. $20. A tribute to Broadway with drag performers singing tunes from “Wicked,” “The Lion King,” “Mamma Mia” and “Grease.” Information is here.
Queer Coffeehouse from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Remnant Brewing Satellite, 877 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. $15 to $20 and 16-plus. A curated program of local queer musicians, comedians and drag artists performing in an intimate and vibey craft coffeehouse. Hosted by Deby Xiadani. Information is here.
MIT Museum February School Vacation Week (continued) from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 1 and 5 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $51. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 1:30 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $85 to $160 and 14-plus. Information is here.
“S P A C E” (continued) at 2 p.m. at Central Square Theater, Cambridge, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge. $27 to $87. Information here.
International Commedia dell’Arte Day with i Sebastiani from 2 to 3 p.m. in the cafe at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Free, but donations welcome. The Boston theater troupe dedicated to authenticity presents “The Sure Bet” in traditional 16th century style with masks, costumes and improvisation. Information is here.
“Blooms and Brews!” pop-up market from 2 to 7 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville (and continuing monthly through May). Free, but 21-plus. A variety of artisans sell at the brewery monthly. Organized by Planning with a Scorpio. Information is here.
Handel and Haydn Society presents Brandenburg Concertos (continued) at 3 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 to $117. Information is here.
“Impromptu: Musical Surprises from the French Baroque” with Duo Maresienne from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood. $25 to $30. Today the band is Très Maresienne: Lisa Brooke (baroque violin), Carol Lewis (viola da gamba) and Olav Chris Henriksen (theorbo and baroque guitar) performing sonatas, dances, character pieces and a symphonia by Clérambault, Dornel, Forqueray and Jacquet de la Guerre. Information is here.
Du Bois Orchestra presents “The Song of Hiawatha” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St., Harvard Square. Free to $20. An ensemble in its 10th season performing works of underrepresented composers alongside traditional orchestral masterworks presents a program featuring Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s overture to “The Song of Hiawatha” and works by Maurice Ravel and Antonín Dvořák. Led by Dominique Hoskin, Information is here.
Betsy Leondar-Wright reads from “Is It Racist? Is It Sexist? From 3 to 5 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. A look at decision-making in a variety of scenarios, joined by Natasha Warikoo, author of “Is Affirmative Action Fair?” As a “Be the Change” event, 20 percent of store sales during the discussion benefits Community Change, Inc. Information is here.
“Paint, Cut, Fold, Stitch” art exhibition closing event from 3 to 5 p.m. at Brickbottom Gallery, 1 Fitchburg St., Somerville. Free. Works from three Boston-area artists on display through Feb. 28: poet Denise Bergman (painted mobiles that rest on pedestals or dangle from the wall); Yildiz Grodowski (semi-abstract paintings that play with figuration on canvas and panel); and On-Kyeong Seong (two- and three-dimensional objects made of cut fabric, machine stitching and paint). Curated by Diane Novetsky. Information is here.
Sunday Concert Series: “Not Dead Yet!” tribute to Tom Lehrer from 3 to 5 p.m. at Fisher Performance Hall, Tufts University, 20 Talbot Ave., Medford. Free. Tufts music professor Paul Lehrman honors the life of Cambridge’s own 96-year-old Tom Lehrer with heartfelt renditions of some of the great American satirical songwriter’s favorite songs, plus snippets of Lehrer himself talking about his music. Features Thomas Stumpf on piano. Also livestreamed. Information is here.
RPM Fest presents “Mountains Meet the Sea: Kathy Rugh” with the filmmaker at 4 p.m. at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $13 to $15. A rare opportunity to experience 10 inventive 16 mm films by the internationally recognized Rugh, whose works explore double exposure, pinhole lenses and hand-processing techniques. A discussion with the Harvard Film Archive’s Brittany Gravely and a Q&A follow. Information is here.
Gospel choir concert at 5 p.m. at Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave., Davis Square. Free and all ages. A professional jazz ensemble accompanies singers from Somerville, Medford and surrounding communities during this uplifting event in honor of Black History Month. Information is here.
Harvard Square Book Circle from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. This time, meet and discuss “Yonder: A Novel” by Jabari Asim. Information is here.
Seventh Annual Ice Party from 6 to 10 p.m. at Harvest, 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $75 and 21-plus. Cocktails, raclette, pot-au-feu, s’mores and other wintry favorites plus a raffle with all proceeds going toward the nonprofit Furnishing Hope. Après Ski x 1970s attire encouraged. Information is here.
Jewish Themes in Fantasy and Sci-Fi: Fan Fiction from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lehrhaus, 425 Washington St., Somerville. $10. Each session of this ongoing series explores an aspect of the connection between Judaism and speculative fiction. This time, the focus is on fan fiction, with a discussion of works that (re)imagine how well-known franchises can expand to include a Jewish perspective. Information is here.
Comedian Martin Urbano at 8 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $15 to $20. Urbano is a writer on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and has performed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and at comedy festivals around the country. Information is here.
Benjamin Booker at 8 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square. $20 to $24. The dirty punk blues musician is back with his first new album since 2017, “Lower.” Kenny Segal opens. Information is here.
Lowell House Opera presents “Postcard from Morocco” (continued) at 8:30 p.m. at Lowell House Dining Hall, 10 Holyoke Place, Harvard Square, Cambridge. $10 to $30. Information is here.
Monday, Feb. 24
Guy-Uriel Charles on “Election Law and Structural Inequality” from noon to 1:15 p.m. at the Malkin Penthouse of the Littauer Building, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. The Harvard Law School professor argues that election law is now in its reconstruction era and we must ask our politics to do more and our courts to do less. Information is here.
Zeynep Tufekci on “What if the Real Threat is Artificial Good-Enough Intelligence?” from noon to 1:30 p.m. in The Nexus community space on the first floor of the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. The Turkish-American sociologist, Princeton University professor and author of “Twitter and Tear Gas” examines the disruptive and often overlooked potentially catastrophic risks from AI that can do things not necessarily as well as humans but just good enough to be useful while being faster, cheaper and deployable at scale. Information is here.
“Talismans (Kupol LR 3303)” exhibition by artist Alia Farid from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Johnson-Kulukundis Family Gallery, Byerly Hall, 8 Garden St., west of Harvard Square, Cambridge (and on display through June 21). Free. Launching today, an exhibit with three large-scale, polyester resin panels crafted from petroleum-based plastics using the material Kupol LR 3303 and tinted a soft, greenish blue, reminiscent of water and plant life, set alongside photos from the Kuwait-born artist’s own family archive. Information is here.
Gary Gerstle on “America’s Authoritarian Turn” at 4 p.m. at the Knafel Center of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 10 Garden St., west of Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. The author of “The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era” shares thoughts about where Americans might look for democratic renewal. Yale University history professor Beverly Gage joins. A reception follows. Also via Zoom. Information is here.
Chess hour from 5 to 6 p.m. at Cambridge Library’s Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Observatory Hill in Neighborhood 9, Cambridge (and continuing every other Monday). Free. Players of all skill levels and ages welcome. Chess sets provided, or bring your own. Information is here.
“Stormfront in the Black Sea: Navigating Euro-Atlantic Security Amid Turmoil” discussion from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Tsai Auditorium at the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free, but register. A panel looks at the role of the Black Sea in security and global stability, considering that the sea is bordered by such nations as Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. Information is here.
Monday’s Pages at 6 p.m. at The Comedy Studio in the basement at 5 John F. Kennedy St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and every second and last Monday of each month). Free. At this cold-reading series, actors and writers work through 10-page submissions cast at 6:15 p.m. and read at 7 p.m. The Variety Curated Show and The Theo Griffin Experience house band follow at 8:15 p.m. Information is here.
Artful Evenings: Crafting for adults from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library O’Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge. Free, but register. Bring projects or start something new with the library’s assortment of materials and supplies. Snacks provided. Information is here.
“Follow the LeadHer” 3-mile run from 6 to 8 p.m. leaving from the auditorium of the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill. Free. A no-runner-left-behind event specially for women and especially for Bipoc women. Information is here.
Hand sewing for mending from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave., near Davis Square. Free, but register. The local textile artist Jessamy Shay, whose work focuses on sustainability and handcrafting, shows how to repair seams, hems, tears and more. Information is here.
PSB Cambridge Edition Book Club at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge (and held monthly). Free, but RSVP. This month’s selection: “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey. Information is here.
Dive bar night at 7 p.m. at Somerville Theatre’s Crystal Ballroom (enter through the side door on Dover Street), 55 Davis Square. No cover. The ballroom transforms into a dive bar for a night because “sometimes you want to go where nobody knows your name.” Information is here.
Mastering the Human Form: Anatomy and Construction from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington St., Ste. 102, near Union Square, Somerville. $40. An all-levels figure drawing class with each session focusing on a different aspect of the body. No experience necessary; basic supplies included, but feel free to bring your own. Information is here.
Poet Forrest Gander reads from “Mohave Ghost: A Novel Poem” from 8 to 9 p.m. at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St., Harvard Square. $5. The work of the Pulitzer-winning writer and translator, born in the Mojave Desert, often focuses on human and ecological intimacies. Sponsored by the Blacksmith House Poetry Series. Information is here.
Bachata Mondays from 8:15 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Havana Club, 288 Green St., Central Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15 and 18-plus. The club has a strictly no-alcohol policy on Mondays (also on Tuesdays and Sundays) with lively dancing to mostly bachata (90 percent) and some salsa (10 percent) and bachata lessons in the first hour. Information is here.
Tuesday, Feb. 25
Esther Hu reads from “Soong Mayling and Wartime China, 1937-1945: Deploying Words as Weapons” from noon to 1:30 p.m. in S250 of the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. The Boston University professor discusses the first lady of China’s critical contributions during China’s War of Resistance. Information is here.
Starr Forum: “Syria and the Middle East: What’s Next?” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Building E-25, Room 111, 45 Carleton St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free, but register. Experts from Georgetown University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign explore the hopes and challenges of a post-Assad regime. MIT’s Richard Nielsen moderates. Information is here.
Jesper Juul reads from “Too Much Fun: The Five Lives of the Commodore 64 Computer” from 5 to 7 p.m. in The Nexus community space on the first floor of the Hayden Library Building at 160 Memorial Drive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Free. The video game theorist from the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen explores why the Commodore 64 is unmentioned in many game and computer histories when it was the bestselling home computer of the 1980s and how it was so many things to so many different people, for so long. MIT professor of digital media Nick Montfort joins. Information is here.
“Indulging Kleptocracy: Postcommunist Elites and Corruption” authors talk from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in S354 of the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. Co-authors John Heathershaw and Tom Mayne offer an inside account of the fight against kleptocracy in the United Kingdom. Harvard’s Nargis Kassenova moderates. Information is here.
Board game jam and playtest from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in The Hive at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free and ages 12-plus. Bring your board game prototypes to share, or just come play ones made with The Hive’s own laser cutter and 3D printers. Learn about game design from industry professionals and meet fellow game designers in the community. Information is here.
Heather Quay art installation opening reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Work by an award-winning pastel artist (who is also of the folk duo Quay & O’Conor and sings with The Loomers, a folk-rock band fronted by her husband, Jon Svetkey). A portion of all art sales benefit Passim. Information is here.
Music bingo from 6 to 8 p.m. at CanalSide Food + Drink, 100 CambridgeSide Place, East Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. Test your knowledge of diverse types of music during this game, marking off bingo cards as songs from various decades and genres play; get five in a row and yell bingo to claim victory (or just sing along). Information is here.
“Have You Read This?” Classics Book Club at 6:30 p.m. at Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., Central Square, Cambridge. $5 (ticket price redeemable for store credit during event). This time, discuss “The Dispossessed (50th Anniversary Edition)” by Ursula Le Guin, a commemorative edition of the Hugo-, Locus- and Nebula-winning tale of anarchism and capitalism, individualism and collectivism. Information is here.
Perspectives on Performance with artist Tyler Coburn from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, Room 203, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. The artist, writer and professor discusses his ongoing artworks “I’m that angel,” Ergonomic and the 2023 “Candlestick Man,” touching on such topics as site-specific performances and the imagining of alternate histories. Sponsored by Harvard’s Theater, Dance & Media department. Information is here.
Movement, rhythm and voice in community from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. Pay-what-you-can or $20. Dance to live drumming with movements inspired by Haitian choreographer Herns Duplan and 20th century American choreographer-anthropologist Katherine Dunham, taught by Sophie Leurent. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 7 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $65 to $150 and 14-plus. Information is here.
S.T. Gibson reads from “Evocation: Book I in The Summoner’s Circle” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The paperback release of the gothic romance author’s book about a psychic Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society, and his “smouldering rivals-to-lovers polyamorous relationship.” “Tripping Arcadia” mystery writer Kit Mayquist joins. Information is here.
Poet and novelist Hala Alyan at 7 p.m. at Breed Memorial Hall at Tufts University, 51 Winthrop St., Medford. Free, but register. The Palestinian American writer’s last book, poetry collection “The Moon That Turns You Back,” traces the fragmentation of memory, archive and family with displacement and war. Her memoir “I’ll Tell You When I’m Home” comes out in June. Information is here.
Tia Williams reads from “A Love Song for Ricki Wilde” from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lovestruck Books, 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $30 includes book. The Brooklyn, New York, author discusses her novel set in modern Harlem with its themes of family history, motherhood, chronic pain, addiction and young love. Instagrammer Azanta joins. Information is here.
The Moth story slam at 7:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. $15. This monthly open-mic storytelling competition is open to anyone who can share a five-minute tale on the night’s theme – this time, “Oblivious,” about missing social cues, jokes going over your head … and tragic miscalculations, cringeworthy regrets and blissful moments of ignorance. Information is here.
Fusey Bluesy Tuesy social dance from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the New England Science Fiction Association clubhouse at 504 Medford St., Magoun Square, Somerville. $5 to $25. The monthly fusion night for this weekly partner blues dance event includes a lesson for beginners in the first hour. No partner required; masks optional. Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $41. Information is here.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
“Becoming Black Lawyers” screening with the filmmaker from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Student Organization Center at Hilles, 59 Shepard St., Neighborhood 9, Cambridge. Free, but RSVP. A short documentary by lawyer Evangeline M. Mitchell illuminates the challenges and triumphs of Black law students navigating predominantly white law schools. A panel discusses how to increase representation in law schools, followed by an awards and networking reception. Information is here.
Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha reads from “Forest of Noise” at 6 p.m. at the Harvard Science Center, Hall D, 1 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. Toha has documented the conflict in Gaza in poetry and essays, some published in The New Yorker. An in-depth Q&A with Harvard’s Annette Damayanti Lienau, follows. Sponsored by The Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Woodberry Poetry Room. Information is here.
Carl Zimmer reads from “Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe” at 6 p.m. at the Harvard Science Center, 1 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, or $36.69 with book. The book by the New York Times “Origins” columnist weaves together the discovery of the living atmosphere with the latest reporting on Covid and other threats to global health. The event is co-sponsored by the Harvard Book Store. Information is here.
Streetwise speaker series at 6 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square, Somerville. Free. Co-sponsored by the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee and Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets. This month features Jeff Byrnes, cofounder of Somerville Yimby, on the topic “Land Use: How Zoning and Street Safety Are Best Buds.” Information is here.
“Mexico’s Glitter Revolution: A Conversation with Mexican Composer Gabriela Ortiz” from 6 to 7 p.m. at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, S020, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. A conversation on the Grammy-nominated “Revolución Diamantina,” a political ballet inspired by Mexico’s feminist uprising of 2019, with the composer of its score and Harvard music professor Alejandro L. Madrid. Information is here.
Cookbook book group: dumplings from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Observatory Hill in Neighborhood 9. Free, but register. This month choose any recipe from “Dumpling Daughter” by Nadia Liu Spellman, “Dumplings All Day Wong” by Lee Anne Wong or “The World is Your Dumpling” by Emily Roz. All experience levels are welcome at this potluck; bring what you’ve cooked (or just your thoughts) to share with the other cooks. Information is here.
“Our Path Forward” lecture series: Valeria Luiselli from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Free, but register. A talk by an interpreter for newly arrived migrant children. Her book “Tell Me How It Ends” is structured around the 40 questions she was required to ask undocumented Latin American children facing deportation. Information is here.
“Preserving Black History” panel discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Road, in the Spring Hill neighborhood. Free. The Department of Racial and Social Justice and Somerville Museum discuss the Black diaspora, how Black history has influenced the arts and culture and preserving community Black history. Light refreshments provided. Information is here.
“Comics Can Save the World” with cartoonist Keith Knight from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cambridge Public Library Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Wellington-Harrington, Cambridge. Free, but register. Using his own work and the work of others, Knight explores the ways comics have been used for centuries in social justice movements and cultural storytelling. Information is here.
“The Weighing of Souls: A Lecture Performance” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Cader Room at Swartz Hall, 45 Francis Ave., Harvard Divinity School, in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge (and also Thursday). Free, but register. Alice Oswald, poet-in-residence at the Center for the Study of World Religions, tries to find one of the lost plays of Aeschylus. Co-sponsored by the Authors Guild Foundation. Information is here.
New York Dog Film Festival at 7 p.m. at the Landmark Kendall Square Cinema, 355 Binney St., Cambridge. $18.25. A selection of short films about dogs, including documentaries, animated and fiction films, with a portion of ticket sales going directly to Broken Tail Rescue to support medical care for the cats and dogs they rescue. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 7 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $75 to $150 and 14-plus. Information is here.
Sarah Jones reads from “Disposable: America’s Contempt for the Underclass” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The senior writer for New York magazine exposes the harsh reality of America’s racial and income inequality and the devastating impact of the pandemic on the lives of essential workers, seniors and people with disabilities. Lynn Jolicoeur, of WBUR’s “All Things Considered,” joins. Information is here.
Anthony Walton reads from “The End of Respectability” at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Books, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Free. Bowdoin College’s Walton, author of “Mississippi: An American Journey,” discusses his call for a “Third Reconstruction” of health, voting rights and economic and educational opportunity through essays, some of which appeared in The New York Times and The Atlantic. Harvard’s Vidyan Ravinthiran joins. Information is here.
Poets Amanda Gunn, Sarah Kersey and Leticia Priebe Rocha from 7 to 8 p.m. at Grolier Poetry Book Shop on 6 Plympton St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $5 to $10, but register. With an introduction by Annalisa Hansford. Information is here.
David A. Mindell reads from “The New Lunar Society: An Enlightenment Guide to the Next Industrial Revolution” from 7 to 9 p.m. at The MIT Museum, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. $5. During this “Write Science” event co-presented by MIT Press, the MIT professor argues that The Lunar Society of the 18th century – a group of engineers, scientists and industrialists who came together to apply Enlightenment principles to industrial processes – is a good model for tackling 21st century challenges. MIT’s Suzanne Berger and Simon Johnson join. Information is here.
Dead of Winter cabaret spectacular at 7:30 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20 and all ages. For those who can’t wait until May for Halfoween, here’s “spooky-sultry musical stylings of the gender-bending Velvet Dirtmunchers sextet, goblins, gothic cabaret and vibrant puppetry” from Basically Good Puppet Theatre (including an ice witch marionette, a “Transylvanian fiasco in Dracula’s castle,” the “horrors of Squiggle” and … clowns?!). Information is here.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals presents “101 Damnations” (continued) at 8 p.m. at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall, 12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $41. Information is here.
Trad Irish Session Music from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. at The Sea Hag Restaurant & Bar, 49 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (and every other Wednesday). Free. This time, queer and femme-led Irish traditional acoustic live music with Clare Fraser and Helen Grace Kuhar. Information is here.
Thursday, Feb. 27
“Humanity Meets AI” symposium from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Swartz Hall, 45 Francis Ave., Harvard Divinity School, in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge (also Friday). Free, but register. Lectures and panels on topics including “Philosophy and Technology,” “AI and Media,” “Building Ethical AI” and “Societal Collapse: Is It Inevitable?” Information is here.
Thursday Morning Talks: Sabrineh Ardalan on “Seeking Safety: Asylum and the Border” from 10:15 a.m. to noon at Holy Trinity Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., West Cambridge. $20, and registration is required. Ardalan, as director of the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, trains law students engaged in deportation defense, district court and appellate litigation and policy advocacy and teaches courses on trauma, refugees and international labor migration. The January and February lecture series is a fundraiser for Mount Auburn Hospital in its 88th year. Information is here.
“Trump 2.0: Journalistic Insights on U.S.-Asia Relations” panel discussion from 11:45 to 1:30 p.m. in the Belfer Case Study Room at Harvard University’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, South Concourse, S020, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. Voice of America’s Steven L. Herman, The Washington Post’s Josh Rogin and The New York Times’ Edward Wong discuss shifting geopolitical dynamics in Asian countries. Moderated by James Robson, director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute. Information is here.
Danehy Park winter plant walk from 4 to 5:30 p.m. meeting at the parking lot of Danehy Park at 99 Sherman St., in Neighborhood 9 just east of Fresh Pond, Cambridge (rain date: March 6). Free, but register. Stroll the park with clinical herbalist Mo Katz-Christy to discover and learn about weeds, cultivated plants, trees and shrubs. Bring a notebook, if you like. Information is here.
Transforming Learning: Speculative Climate Design from 4 to 6 p.m. at The MIT Museum, Gambrill Center, 314 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free with museum admission (teens free). A panel discussion explores the benefits of designing alternative futures, including a hands-on exercise. Information is here.
Eugene Ostashevsky on “The Feeling Sonnets: Language Play, Translingualism, Situatedness” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in S354 of the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. The Russian-born poet and translator reads his works on the siege of Leningrad, many of which incorporate snippets of other languages, and discusses how the meaning have been shifted by wars since their composition just a couple of years ago. Information is here.
Harvard Art Museums at Night from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Calderwood Courtyard at Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. During this recurring event, wander exhibits (including the new one by Joana Choumali), catch spotlight tours, browse the shop, enjoy sounds from DJ C-Zone and buy refreshments from Jack’s Abby. This month, staff from the American Repertory Theater offer a Grecian-themed scavenger hunt – with clues that untangle museum mysteries – to promote their production of “The Odyssey.” Information is here.
Linda Quiquivix reads from “Palestine 1492: A Report Back” from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 101 at Swartz Hall, 45 Francis Ave., Harvard Divinity School, in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge. Free, but register. The writer, artist and educator discusses her “journey through history, geography and political theory disguised as memoir” that includes illustrations, maps and photographs. Harvard Divinity School’s Hilary Rantisi joins. Information is here.
Amy E. Wright reads from “Serial Mexico: Storytelling Across Media, from Nationhood to Now” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in S216 of the Center for Government and International Studies, South Concourse, 1730 Cambridge St., Harvard Square. Free. The Saint Louis University professor discusses why serialized narratives in literature, television and digital media matter to Mexico. Information is here.
ArtsThursdays: “The Power and Bias of Measurements” conversation from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Harvard Science Center, Hall A, 1 Oxford St., near Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free, and RSVP preferred. Colombo-American artist Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez, with a panel of professors of history of medicine and science, discuss how art can illuminate the systems that measured humans for the slave trade and persist in Latin America and the United States. The related exhibition “Measuring Difference” is free to browse. Information is here.
Central Square Cooks! cookbook club from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St. Free. This month, make and bring a dish from “Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking” by Toni Tipton-Martin – or just come to talk about your experience with this cookbook. Information is here.
“BeeFound: Washington & Wheatley Write!” lecture and poetry workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. in the carriage house at Longfellow House and the Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St., West Cambridge. Free, but register. Local poet populist emeritus Toni Bee and Northeastern University’s Nicole Aljoe discuss Phillis Wheatley Peters, one of the best-known poets in pre-19th century America who was also an enslaved person, and explore if her international fame influenced the politics of our nation’s first president. Includes poetry prompts for writing, an open mic for sharing and dinner. Information is here.
“The Weighing of Souls: A Lecture Performance” (continued) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Cader Room at Swartz Hall, 45 Francis Ave., Harvard Divinity School, in the Baldwin neighborhood near the Somerville border, Cambridge (and also Thursday). Free, but register. Information is here.
Death Cafe from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library East Branch, 115 Broadway. Free, but register. Not a bereavement or counseling session, but an opportunity to engage in interesting and thought-provoking conversations “to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.” Tea and cake served. Information is here.
“The Odyssey” adapted by playwright Kate Hamill (continued) at 7 p.m. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $65 to $150 and 14-plus. Information is here.
Lauren Francis-Sharma reads from “Casualties of Truth” at 7 p.m. at Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Free. The novelist discusses her thriller set between Washington, D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa. Journalist Mark Cecil of “The Thoughtful Bro” podcast joins. Information is here.
“Majority Rules: An American Musical” at 7 p.m. at The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. $15 to $20 and 16-plus. Emerson and Berklee students wrote this musical about a U.S. presidential candidate who campaigns to eradicate Greek life nationwide, and the “Frattiest Frat Bro of the Year” who leads a newly formed Greek Party to victory. Information is here.
Seven poets read from 7 to 9 p.m. at Café Phinista, 1876 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. $15 to $20. “Espresso your thoughts, steep in poetry … and mingle over mugs and metaphors” while listening to poets Philip Nikolayev, Jean Dany Joachim, Pedro Poitevin, Willy Ramirez, Jonathan Bennett, Alan Smith Soto and Michael McCarthy. Information is here.
This Music series from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge. $10 to $15. The first set is violinist Ángela Varo’s Bulla with Isaac Romagosa (guitar), Rafael Heredia Horimoto (percussion), Ferran Rico (electric bass) and Arman Wali (keys); the second set is trumpeter Lemuel Marc with Bahar Badieitabar (oud), Maliq Wynn (drums), Aidan Devine (bass) and Hidemi Akaiwa (piano). Information is here.
Blues Union February Dances: Tea Talks for Black History Month (continued) from 7 to 11 p.m. at Dance Union, 16 Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. $10 to $25. Information is here.
Being Human: Storytelling and readings at 7:30 p.m. in the blue wing at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, on the Cambridge border. Free with preregistration and 18-plus. A panel of Emerson College community members, including bestselling author P. Carl, explore questions such as “How are our bodies and brains connected?” as part of the college’s partnership with the museum as it launches its “being human” focus this year. Information is here.
Chilean songwriter Nano Stern at 7:30 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $28 to $30. The multilingual multi-instrumentalist performs on the final day of his Berklee College of Music residency. His ninth and most recent studio recording “Aún creo en la belleza” (“I still believe in beauty”) “builds a refuge of words and sounds that reflect the worries and calmness of the intense times in which we live,” and his voice sounds a little like Cat Stevens. Information is here.
Anikaya Dance Theater presents “Conference of the Birds” at 8 p.m. at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge (and continuing through March 9). $1 to $65. This multimedia movement theater work inspired by the 12th century poem of Farid Ud din Attar depicts stories gathered from refugees and other migrants. Choreographer Wendy Jehlen collaborated with dancers, choreographers, musicians and video artists from 12 countries. Information is here.
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