WEEKEND FUN: Arshile Gorky Movie, Snow White PJ Party, Playoff Hockey, Middle School Musical

This weekend has something for fans of musicals, Disney, hockey, art, and people who want to get creative. Friday afternoon, Hatch Makerspace is open for people who want to try their hands at vinyl cutting, 3D design and more. Young actors at Watertown Middle School will go on stage three times with a musical version of Mary Poppins. On Saturday night, Watertown’s semipro hockey team will try to clinch the championship. Learn about Armenian artist and former resident Arshile Gorky on Friday night.

Mosesian Center Celebrating 20 Years, Tickets & Sponsorships Available

The Mosesian Center for the Arts will hold a celebration of its 20th anniversary. See details in the announcement from the MCA below. On Thursday, May 22, 2025 we will gather for an evening of celebration that honors our past and secures vital funds for our future. Tickets and sponsorships are available today! The evening’s program will highlight the impact of MCA over the past 20 years interspersed with entertaining performances that feature the depth and breadth of our programming. We’ll also honor Roberta Miller for her visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to the organization and thank her for returning as Interim Executive Director, pro bono.

Actors’ Shakspeare Project Brings “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” to Mosesian Center

The following announcement was provided by the Actors’ Shakespeare Project:

Actors’ Shakespeare Project closes out their blockbuster 2024-25 Season with their first-ever performance at their new home in Watertown, The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts. From April 11 through May 4, ASP will present their latest production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Elliot Norton Award-winning director and ASP Resident Artist Maurice Emmanuel Parent. Join the Bard’s colorful cast of characters as they flit, frolic, and stumble their way through the woods, aided by moonlight and magic. Inspired by the club culture of late ‘90s and early ‘00s New York City, Maurice Emmanuel Parent’s invigorating new take on this classic play flips the romantic entanglement of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on its head and brings Shakespeare’s most popular comedy into vivid technicolor. Whether you seek to guffaw at the mechanicals, tangle with the love quadrangle, or conjure in the fairy court, this production will enchant long-time Shakespeare lovers and newcomers alike.

WEEKEND FUN: Persian New Year, Armenian & Irish Music, Historical Event, National Tamale Day

Our bulbs are pushing their way up out of the warming gardens to tell us that spring is here. On Saturday morning, the spring celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, will be at the library for all to enjoy. There is music to go along with the springing of spring, a concert of an Armenian trio at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on Friday, and a folk music concert on Saturday night at the Canadian American Club. On Sunday, it will be time for some history focused learning, with a talk on Watertown’s patriot printer, Benjamin Edes, whose printing press apparently affected the course of the Revolutionary War. After the talk, if you’re feeling hungry, head to the Condesa Restaurant to dig into a plate of steaming tamales for National Tamale Day.

Little Local Conversations Presents Creative Chats!: With Guest Kristen Kenny

Kristen Kenny

Little Local Conversations podcast host Matt Hanna will speak with Kristen Kenny, artist, arts organizer, and Chair of the Watertown Cultural District committee on Friday, March 21, at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. See the announcement provided by Hanna below. You’re invited to Creative Chats! The event is a way to gather creative people face-to-face to mingle, hear a featured conversation on the topic of creativity and the creative life, and then engage in the conversation themselves in small groups. Come to get inspired, to reflect, and connect.

Three Watertown Actors Take the Stage for Production of “Into the Woods”

Watertown’s Marcelle Durrenberger (left) as The Witch with Emma Quinlan as Rapunzel, in rehearsal. (Photo by Colleen Locke, Weston Friendly Society)

The following announcement was provided by Weston Friendly Society:

Three Watertown residents will take the stage April 5-12 in Weston Friendly Society’s “Into the Woods.” Playing the role played by Meryl Streep in the 2014 film, Marcelle Durrenberger is The Witch who sets things in motion by promising to undo a curse so that she can be beautiful. Cinderella’s two stepsisters are also Watertown residents. Jill Craig plays Florinda and Allie Villa plays Lucinda.

Watertown Director’s Film on Election Officials to be Shown at West Newton Cinema

Daniel Baxter speaking with election workers in Detroit, from the film “The Officials.” (Photo by Cai Thomas)

A short film directed by Watertown’s Margo Guernsey will be shown during a special screening at West Newton Cinema in March. Following the screening, a conversation will be held featuring the filmmakers. See details in the announcement provided by the West Newton Cinema, below. Two short documentaries that shed light on public service, civic engagement, and fair elections will screen as part of a larger conversation about the value of government and the individuals who help democracy function and thrive. 

“Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy” offers an intimate look at the unflappable former Massachusetts governor, Michael Dukakis, three decades after his historic presidential bid. “The Officials” tracks how elections officials in four battleground states prepare for the 2024 presidential election despite organized attempts to undermine their nonpartisan work. 

The poster for the documentary film about former Governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis.

Cartoon: Small Saves Has Protection on the Ice

James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”