Left of the Dial: Air America tunes into Somerville
This Friday, everybody's favorite liberal talk-radio channel, Air America, will be broadcasting from coffee shop hang-out the Someday Caf?© in Davis Square.
The broadcast will be part of "Morning Sedition," comedian Marc Maron's and radio personality Mark Riley's morning talk show. Prizes will be given away, politics will be discussed and jokes will be told. Guests will include Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, Boston-based indie rocker Ted Leo, comedian Jimmy Tingle and writer/comedian Barry Crimmins - all of whom will appear in person at Someday.
The show starts at 6 a.m. (did we mention the coffee?) and ends at 9 a.m. Admission is free.
"Morning Sedition" is produced by Tufts alums Jonathan Larsen (LA '88) and Dan Pashman (LA '99).
Bodalicious Bodkin Theater!
If you find yourself thinking "what the hell is a Bodkin?" this Saturday at 8 p.m., you really should get your dear self over to Hotung as they try to answer this perplexing question in their 10-minute play festival.
Student-written and student-directed, this completely free production (with donations welcome) strives to present fresh work to intrigue and entertain. A partial list of shows includes: "Party of Two" (think Party of Five-minus three and Scott Wolf), written by Scott Weiner and directed by Sarah Rubin; "What the Hell?" written and directed by Max Dionne; "Chameleon Eyes," written and directed by Hillary Shayne; "Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel," directed and adapted from the popular children's story by Brendan Shea; and "Shades of Ink, or one color," written and directed by Marc Frost.
The shows are primarily comedic: "What the Hell?" rotates between different art gallery patrons who examine one mysterious off-stage artwork, parodying the pseudo-intellectualism that often sneaks into the arts. Shea adds an adult twist to the children's tale of "Mike Mulligan." While primarily comedic scenes, the night also looks to explore more dramatic issues. "Chameleon Eyes," tells the story of "a relationship between a girl who studies people's eyes and her boyfriend who doesn't appreciate her passion," director Hillary Shayn said.
The night will also include the Tufts sketch comedy troupe, Major: Undecided.
'Something with Parts' looks to be a solid show
This weekend the Dance Performance Ensemble investigates movement, sequence and the processes which cause objects to appear and reappear. Community acts as a secondary theme, along with several other topics whose meaning is revealed by the music and coincident events.
Presented through the Tufts Department of Drama and Dance, the Dance Ensemble uses their investigation to create an original contemporary dance work. Well-known choreographer Daniel McCusker directs "Something With Parts - A Dance Event," in collaboration with the Performance Ensemble.
McCusker teaches in both studio and college settings. He danced for seven years with the Lucinda Childs Dance Company in New York and has experience as a both director and choreographer with the Ram Island Dance Company in Maine. Recently, McCusker participated in a dance and music collaboration at the Boston Conservatory
The Dance Performance Ensemble performs this Friday and Saturday at the Balch Arena Theater at 8 p.m. Admission is free, and the performance is open to the public.
Don't avert this Crisis
The boys are back in town this Friday night as Crisis Bureau returns to their alma mater. Crisis Bureau, of which 80 percent are Tufts alums, has been getting lots of positive press from local music 'zines. See if they can live up to expectations and make Tufts proud when they perform at Oxfam in support of their new EP.
Also playing that night are three other local bands: Shanghai Valentine, Frequency Needs a Mate and Trinity Test.
Though the bands promise that they'll stay fully clothed on Friday, the night of the NQR, who can say what will happen when the spirit of punk rock takes hold of Oxfam?
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free.
- by Maura Allaire, Alissa Green, Jess Keiser and Blair Rainsford
