Around Town

Watertown Lit Squad Preparing for Arts Market, Seeks New Members

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Members of the Watertown Lit Squad at a reading for DeWitt Henry’s new work “Restless for Words,” at Wellesley Books, April 3rd. Pictured, from left, Richard Calleja, Monica Fairbairn, Patrick Fairborn, Liz Rodgers DeWitt Henry and Ruth Henry, with copies of their poetry sampler published and available on Amazon. The following information was provided by the Watertown Lit Squad:

On May 13th, and May 20th the two year-old “Watertown Lit Squad” will be meeting at the Watertown Public Library at 2:30 p.m. to share successes, plan for their public reading on May 20, recruit new members and plan for the summer Watertown Arts Market performance on August 17th, 2023. During the last two years, one member has had her first poem accepted for publication, one has had two books accepted for publication and/or published, and a third was selected as the writer in residence by an independent bookstore and given a place to work and a place to workshop her writing. The “Lit Squad” is a multi-generational, multi-racial and welcoming group seeking to reach out to new members to come join us. Under the new slogan ‘Dare to Share,” they are encouraging any Watertown resident or person with connection to Watertown to submit works for sharing on May 20th or August 17th. 

We are inviting the past winners of the Martin Luther King breakfast essay competition to come forward and share any recent work.

Around Town

8th Annual Global Film Festival Features a Dozen Films

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The following information was provided by the Global Cinema Festival:

Global Cinema Film Festival of Boston (GCFF) is proud to announce that its 8th annual event will run online from May 19-21, 2023. This year we are excited to partner with our Industry Sponsor Filmocracy to bring you the online edition of the festival. 

The festival kicks off on Friday, May 19, 2023 with VOD film screenings available online until Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 11:55 PM EST. For a complete list of our 2023 Official Selections, program schedule and ticketing information, please visit our website! 

For many years, World in Watertown was a sponsor of the Global Cinema Festival. This year’s festival features 12 films.

SCROLL DOWN TO DISCOVER THE FILMS! 

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IRON BUTTERFLIES

2023 | Ukraine | 84 MIN | 

DIRECTOR: Roman Liubyi

CATEGORY: DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM 

Online Screening w/English Subtitles | May 19-21

On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by Russian forces over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. The reality of this attack, and its possible ramifications for the then-ongoing war in Donbas and the West’s relationship with Russia, was immediately questioned by the Russian government and media. As voluminous evidence — including physical artifacts like the butterfly-shaped shrapnel found in the bodies of the pilots — piled up, the lies denying reality only became more outlandish and incredible. In a world where violence can only be defended by lies, and lies only maintained by violence, Iron Butterflies presents the truth of what happened to MH17, but also what was at stake by not confronting it. 

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DOGWATCH 

2022 | Greece | 78 MIN | 

DIRECTOR: Gregoris Rentis


CATEGORY: DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM  

Online Screening w/English Subtitles | May 19-21

Mercenaries set sail for a life of action against Somali pirates. Yet, the sea is full of surprises.

Around Town

Special Performance of Play About Watertown’s Indigenous History

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The following announcement was provided by the Pigsgusset Initiative:

Community members are invited to a spring performance of Listen to Sipu, a play about Watertown’s Indigenous History written by Mwalim*7) and performed by New Repertory Theatre. Save the date!  May 11, 2023. Listen to Sipu offers a captivating and powerful story that illuminates Watertown’s Indigenous history. Join in on a performance led by a modern-day Tour Guide and meet Sipu, a quick-witted Indigenous woman who’s more than willing to correct misinformation when she hears it. Armed with facts the Tour Guide begins describing Watertown’s local history only to find that the facts are missing a lot of truths. Sipu is ready to step in and set the record straight, but will people choose to listen? 

The performance will be offered at the Watertown Middle School auditorium from 6:30-8:00 P.M. A light supper provided by Branchline featuring the Indigenous cuisine of Chef Sherry Pocknett will be provided from 5:30 – 6:30 in the cafeteria. Thanks to generous grants from the Watertown Community Foundation, the Watertown Cultural Council and support from the school-based Diversity and Inclusion Councils both the supper and performance are free.

Entertainment

New Rep Theatre Announces Directors for 2023 Season

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The directors for New Rep Theatre’s 2023 season, clockwise from top left: Shira Helena Gitlin, Pascale Florestal, and Lois Roach. (photo by New Rep)

The following announcement was provided by New Repertory Theatre:

New Repertory Theatre is excited to announce the Directors for each of the plays of its 2023 Season, as the company continues to build on its nearly 40-year legacy of excellent, provocative theatrical productions that speak to the vital issues of our time. 

Shira Helena Gitlin will direct Larry Kramer’s Tony Award winning autobiographical drama, The Normal Heart, opening June 22 for a three-week run through July 9. Set in New York City in the early 1980’s, Larry Kramer’s powerful, passionate and controversial play was the first to treat seriously the poignant and devastating subject of AIDS. Shira is a trans nonbinary, Boston-based director, dramaturg, gender consultant, and musical theatre enthusiast. They have directed for the National Women’s Theatre Festival, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Moonbox Productions, Flat Earth Theatre, Sparkhaven Theatre, Playwrights’ Platform, the Boston Theatre Marathon and more. Shira is a graduate of the Arden Professional Apprentice Class 26, was an Artistic Fellow at SpeakEasy Stage, and is an alumni of Directors Lab North in Toronto, Canada. Says Shira: “The Normal Heart is a perfect example of a part of our history that is already being erased by the history books. It is vital that we remember and engage with the challenges that the LGBT+ community has faced in the past to help us move forward against the most recent attacks on our human rights.”  

Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece drama, A Raisin in the Sun, will be directed by Lois Roach. A searing and timeless portrait of a family on Chicago’s South Side, and an American classic, A Raisin in the Sun opens September 6 through October 1. Lois is a writer, award winning producer and stage director, and Resident Artist at New Rep. She received the IRNE Best Director Award for the Lyric Stage production of The Old Settler which also received the IRNE Award for Best Production and the Elliot Norton Award for Best Production (Small Theater).

Entertainment

Budding Artist: 87-Year Old Painter’s First Exhibition Hosted by Watertown Library

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Seda MavetosianMargarita Avetian stands in front of some of the paintings in her exhibition at the Watertown Library. During the month of March, the paintings of an emerging Watertown artist have been displayed in the Library’s art gallery. Margarita Avetian has only been painting for two years, but her work has received rave reviews from other artists. Not bad for someone who never had any artistic training during any of her 87 years. Avetian’s daughter, Seda Matevosian said her mother got started by chance when she was putting on a fun artistic activity for some of her family and friends.

Entertainment

Moonbox Productions Presents The House of Roman Iglesia at the Mosesian Center for the Arts

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The following announcement was provided by Moonbox Productions:

Moonbox Productions is thrilled to present The House of Ramon Iglesia by Jose Rivera at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. Directed by Arthur Gomez, The House of Ramon Iglesia opens on April 14th and runs through April 30th. Tickets are $55 general admission/$45 seniors and $20 student rush ½ hour prior to performance and are available at https://bit.ly/HouseofRamon. Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available at the door (Box Office fees may apply). It’s 1983, and the Iglesia family is caught between two worlds. Aging and ailing, parents Ramon and Dolores are eager to leave their rickety house in New Jersey and return to their native Puerto Rico – but their three sons, all raised in America, are deeply divided on whether or not to go.

Entertainment

Watertown Ballet School Wins Awards at Prestigious Competition

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Koltun Ballet Boston dancers won awards at the recent Youth America Grand Prix in Worcester. (Photo courtesy of KBB)

The following announcement was provided by Koltun Ballet Boston:

More than two dozen young Massachusetts dancers, most from the Greater Boston area, comprise a team from Koltun Ballet Boston (KBB) that won several Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) awards and accolades last month including the Outstanding School Award. This is the fourth time in five years the Watertown-based organization has been recognized as the region’s top school. The regional leg of this ongoing international competition was held last month in Worcester. Two KBB ensembles that participated last month have been invited to the YAGP Finals in Tampa, Florida from April 3-9, 2023.

Schools

Musicians Wanted for Friends of Watertown Music MusicFest

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Friends of Watertown Music is excited to announce the return of MusicFest! Come see local musicians and enjoy the musical instrument petting zoo on Friday April 28 from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the Watertown Middle School. All proceeds benefit music programs in Watertown schools. MUSICIANS! Please sign up to participate using the QR code or go to https://watertownmusic.org/ to sign up.