This week, Jared Bowen brings us Monet at the MFA and reviews the “Showstopper Virtual Play Series” from New Repertory Theatre.
“Monet and Boston: Lasting Impression,” on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston through February 28, 2021
Escape to the serene landscapes of Claude Monet at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “Monet and Boston: Lasting Impression” is a new exhibition that brings together all 35 of the museum’s oil paintings by the iconic impressionist. This once-in-a-generation exhibition allows audiences to not only take a chronological look at the artist’s career, but also discover how Boston collectors made their way into Monet’s circle and championed his work back home.
“There's something that can be so transportive about Monet's beautiful vision of nature, and about Monet's willingness to see variety and splendor in the mundane,” says curator Katie Hanson. “Monet didn't place a limit on his own creativity. He continued to be curious. He continued to look at the world around him in new and invigorating ways.”
Watch: Jared Bowen joins Morning Edition with Joe Mathieu to discuss the exhibit, featuring artwork on display
“Showstopper Virtual Play Series,” presented virtually by New Repertory Theatre through December 13
New Repertory Theatre presents two premieres. Billed as a two-for-one virtual event, the “Showstopper Virtual Play Series” features back-to-back, live performances that can be viewed from the comfort of your own home. The first play performed is “A Very Herrera Holiday” by Alexis Scheer and directed by Sarah Shin, featuring actor Amanda Figueroa as a domestic diva with the perfect coquito recipe and ever-endearing craft projects. But spend a little time with her and you realize she’s criminally talented. The second play, “[keyp-ing],” is written by Miranda ADEkoje, directed by Dawn M. Simmons and performed by Jasmine Rush. Presented as an Instagram live broadcast, we find a harried mother, wife and business owner contending with a pandemic and demands that are both unrelenting and unforgiving by her supposedly “woke” white clients.
“Truly a showstopper that moves from the sublimely sardonic to a raw look at the insidious grip of racism, these New Rep plays punctuate an otherwise dormant theater scene with urgent relevance,” says Jared.
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