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5 Things To Do This Weekend, From A Breakdance Documentary To Irish Hurling At Fenway

Actors Jade Guerra, Liz Adams and Marya Lowry star in Actors' Shakespeare Project's all-female "Julius Caesar. (Courtesy Actors' Shakespeare Project)
Actors Jade Guerra, Liz Adams and Marya Lowry star in Actors' Shakespeare Project's all-female "Julius Caesar. (Courtesy Actors' Shakespeare Project)

Drag queens, the ancient sport of hurling, an ‘80s b-boy documentary — this week’s picks are eclectic and unexpected. And it doesn’t stop there, so read on for more of the weekend’s best cultural events.

MA Rock Against Racism Reunion and Rockumentary Screening | Saturday, Nov. 18 | Freedom House, Roxbury 

In 1985, youth members of the anti-racist organization Rock Against Racism produced a short film documenting an epic break dance battle that took place at Madison Park High School in Roxbury that year — a storied moment in local hip-hop history. They'll screen the film, "Rappin', Poppin' and Graffin': A Rockumentary," and a post-screening discussion will focus in part on the potent partnership between music and racial justice work exemplified by the Rock Against Racism movement.

The opening scene of 1985's "Breakin' Rappin' Poppin' and Graffin': A Rockumentary." (Courtesy Massachusetts Hip Hop Archive/Facebook)
The opening scene of 1985's "Breakin' Rappin' Poppin' and Graffin': A Rockumentary." (Courtesy Massachusetts Hip Hop Archive/Facebook)

Sinkane | Thursday, Nov. 16 | Sonia

The British-Sudanese musician Sinkane blends funk, reggae and Sudanese pop to make upbeat music with a revolutionary spirit. “As long as we try/ We’re all gonna be alright” he sings in the anthem “U’Huh” — a characteristic expression of joy mixed with determination.


'Julius Caesar' | Through Dec. 17 | Huntington Avenue Theatre, Boston

You’d be hard-pressed to find a fresh take on Shakespeare these days, but an all-female staging of “Julius Caesar” is always welcome, no matter how often it may have been done before. In the midst of a cultural reckoning with male abuse and perversion of power, the Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s gender-bending take on the Bard’s great political drama will no doubt ring with new resonance.


Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival | Sunday, Nov. 19 | Fenway Park, Boston

More than one of my friends is attending this event so I have concluded it must be A Thing. The Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival is a rare chance to witness hurling, an Irish field sport of whiplash-inducing speed that resembles a cross between soccer and baseball.

Here's some of the competition from 2015: 


Drag King and Queen Storytime | Saturday, Nov. 18 | Lower Mills Branch of the Boston Public Library

Since the advent of the Brooklyn Library’s Drag Queen Story Hour last year, the concept — in which drag performers read stories to children — has spread. The Boston Public Library’s free Drag King and Queen Storytime is an opportunity for kids to learn about tolerance and the incredible array of gender expression that exists in the world.

Headshot of Amelia Mason

Amelia Mason Senior Arts & Culture Reporter
Amelia Mason is an arts and culture reporter and critic for WBUR.

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