Saturday | January 26

A Conversation with Playwright Douglas Carter Beane

First up on Saturday is “A Conversation with Playwright Douglas Carter Beane.” A Tony Award nominee in 2007 for the Broadway comedy The Little Dog Laughed, Douglas Carter Beane also wrote, among many other things, the screenplay for the 1995 feature film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo.

Beane will discuss his ample work—and presumably take questions from attendees—in the same location where SpeakEasy Stage Company is currently staging The Little Dog Laughed through February 16. The afternoon engagement requires advance registration and will start at 12:30pm at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Calderwood Pavilion (527 Tremont Street, Boston).

Sunday | January 27

Making Movies in Massachusetts

Both events scheduled for Sunday will be hosted at the Institute of Contemporary Art (100 Northern Avenue, Boston). The first, “Making Movies in Massachusetts” from 1:30pm–3pm, will explore the reasons underlying Massachusetts’ present and future popularity as a location for filming movies. Nick Paleologos, the executive director of the Massachusetts Film Office, and producer-director Sam Weisman will lead the registration-required discussion.

A Look at Avenue Q

A half-hour later, at 3:30pm, the 90-minute discussion “A Look at Avenue Q” will begin. It also requires advance registration to gain an inside perspective on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical-comedy Avenue Q, which is about one cash-strapped college graduate’s attempts to acquire fame in the Big Apple. Producer Jeffrey Seller and puppet conceiver and designer (yes, the production uses puppets à la Sesame Street) Rick Lyon share their experiences while leading the talk.

Post from: The Boston Traveler

The Globe Santa Fund was established in 1956 by the local newspaper the Boston Globe in order to buy gifts for needy children in the Greater Boston area. Both readers and advertisers provide the donations, while the Globe publishes articles in the newspaper detailing the needs of various families. The process begins on October 1, when the Globe allows families to being applying, and ends two days before Christmas with the delivery of presents.

According to the organization, this annual three-month tradition has enabled it to “brighten the holiday season for more than 28,000 families and 55,000 children in 167 communities every year.” In 2006 alone, it raised over $1 million dollars, which helped spread cheer and gifts to 54,000 Boston children and their very grateful parents.

Globe Santa is yet another reason to be thankful as 2007 marches into 2008.

Merry Christmas, Boston Traveler readers!

Post from: The Boston Traveler