5 things to do this weekend, including 'The Antiquities' and the Southie Film Fest

Art, at its best, can reveal shades of our humanity, our vulnerabilities and resilience. This weekend brings a plethora of events that will do exactly that, taking us through an “Origami Night” performance piece that illustrates a woman’s journey through life and a production that asks us to address the question of what will happen when human beings are extinct. Also this weekend: a Southie Film Festival, live poetry recitations, and spectral photographs from Angel Island, which show us some of the most eerie parts of our history.

At Harvard Square’s Arrow Street Arts, Pamela Annas kicks off her 2026 United States tour of “Origami Night.” The poetry of the Boston-based writer and Sylvia Plath scholar has been imagined for the stage by multimedia designer Christopher Annas-Lee (Annas’ son) with choreography by Graham Cole. The performances will weave together spoken word, sensory design and dance to convey a narrative about a woman’s evolution from navy brat to radical feminist and mother. The work navigates themes of “aging, love, loneliness, and the queer act of self-examination.” There will be an artist-talkback following the 7:30 p.m. performance on Saturday. Tickets cost $50, including fees.

Written by Jordan Harrison and directed by Alex Lonati, “The Antiquities” at SpeakEasy Stage is a tale set in the “not-so-distant future,” when the Museum of Late Human Antiquities works to piece together remnants from the past. The curators strive to bring a lost civilization back into the present, leading them to probe questions of what it means to be human. Compelling, poignant, and at times humorous, the play contemplates the disappearance of a species. The show runs through March 28, and tickets cost $70-$85 depending on the date and time.

The inaugural Southie Film Festival takes place on Saturday from 3-10 p.m. at the Seapoint Bar & Grille. Independent films from Boston-area filmmakers will be screened, including “Call Me After Dark,” a movie directed by Kris Salvi about a homicide cop who becomes attached to a victim he encounters. Also showing is short horror film “The Stranger in the Snow” by Mark J. Parker, about a date night that takes a sinister turn. An all-day pass costs $20, and cocktail hours will be held in between flicks, giving guests time to discuss plot points and enjoy drinks together.

Artist Joanna Tam made a pinhole camera to take photos of Angel Island Immigration Station, the San Francisco Bay site where immigrants were processed. Asian immigrants were historically held in prison-like conditions for extended periods of time. At Boston Center for the Arts, Tam’s project, part of a larger body of work called “Visibility Studies,” speaks to the discriminatory policies and practices in the United States today. Her images are haunting and ghostly, exploring “the meaning of hypervisibility, invisibility, and safety for folx whose identities do not align with societal norms.”

The State Finals of Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation contest with a Massachusetts chapter, takes place at the Old South Meeting House this Sunday. Run by The Huntington Theatre and Mass Cultural Council, the competition will see 12 high school students practicing their public speaking and theatrical skills as they take written words from the page and deliver performances onstage. Finalists include Ashwika Dandu from Algonquin Regional High School, Clara Nunes from Barnstable High School and Soleil Desai from Boston Latin School. This year, 52 schools and organizations participated in Poetry Out Loud Massachusetts, and the winner of the State Finals will proceed to the national competition.