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Lily Barrett's column on the local arts scene will appear on Lexington Patch every other Sunday.One hot summer evening in Harvard Square, I ran into Jillian Singer, a Lexington High School alum, class of 1993, and an old friend. Curly hair flying, Singer said a breathless hello. She smiled and apologized for having to keep things brief; she was rushing to rehearsal. Singer is Assistant Director of the American Repertory Theater's production of the musical "Cabaret." The show, which opened Aug. 31, will run through Oct. 29 at the Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge. Many of the cast and crew, Singer pointed out, have Lexington roots. Behind the scenes, long-time LHS drama teacher Steven …
Ethnic music, playing at full blast. Hummus, tabouli and beer. Colorful scarves and jingling skirts. It's a summer evening in Cambridge. The day's heat has dissolved into a light, refreshing rain. I'm sitting in the Middle East Cafe with a group of people, cheering on our friend Nicole as she steps and spins for the crowd. Before moving to Lexington at the age of 12, Rodriguez lived in West Roxbury, Mass., and Puerto Rico. Graduating from Harvard, Rodriguez – who has an enthusiasm for exploring other cultures and has traveled to India, Kenya and Peru – then spent three years living in New …
Some families insist on eating overcooked meatloaf and potatoes together weekly. Others go camping and bond over mosquitoes and thin mountain air. Lexington's Reiner Family Band plays oldtime music, bluegrass music, Celtic music and swing music in venues around Massachusetts. In its entirety, the band consists of David Reiner, on fiddle and mandolin; his wife, Cindy Eid, on banjo, bodhran — an Irish drum — and vocals; son Andy Eid-Reiner, on fiddle and mandolin; son Eric Eid-Reiner, on piano; family friend John Robinson, on guitar and vocals; and family friend Paul Harty on guitar, mandolin…
"Ten years ago, I would have told you I wasn't a writer," says Sandra DiMartino, Lexington High School drama teacher, "It was because I'd never tried." This year, DiMartino, who has taught in the Lexington Public Schools for over a decade, published Firelink, the first of a three-book series called The Firelink Chronicles. Firelink — perfect for fantasy-loving 13- to 16-year-olds — centers on a magically talented brother and sister, Taryn and Julia, who must stretch the limits of their powers to save their Scotland kingdom from destruction. Taryn and Julia find allies in nature, calling on …
As a kid, I counted among my favorite books Pippi Longstocking and Harry Potter. At age 7, I wrote my first story, about a little girl who was adopted by a herd of speaking elephants. Now in college, I'm a creative writing major, and after graduation I'll probably live in a soggy refrigerator box writing more elephant stories. However, as much I love reading and writing fiction, I've also become fascinated by the "truth" behind writing, as Lexington author and experienced journalist Helen Epstein calls it. Originally from Prague, Epstein found her beginnings as a writer, and her love for …
I'm the kind of person who spends practically an hour picking out an outfit every morning. If my house were on fire, I must admit, some of the first things I'd grab would be my favorite dress and pair of shoes. So, when I scheduled an interview with Nirva Derbekyan, MassArt alum and Boston-area fashion designer, I was beyond excited. I expected my conversation with Derbekyan to be wholly about clothes. Gowns, blouses, skirts – that sort of thing. However, when I walked into Derbekyan's Lexington studio, the first thing I saw was a bulletin board covered in pictures from National Geographic …
On Wednesday, June 16, Lexington resident and children's book author-illustrator Jennifer Goldfinger welcomed me into her Arlington studio. Goldfinger's studio is a rectangle of a room with wooden floors, and white walls covered in her work. A breeze floated in through the open window. Handing me a Fresca, Goldfinger cleared a seat for me on a soft, slightly worn couch. Glancing around, I realized that this is what one must do to pursue a passion: find a room for it. Artists - whether they're writers, actors, filmmakers, painters or gourmet cooks - must make space in their lives for their …
Lily Barrett's column on the local arts scene will appear on Lexington Patch every other Sunday starting today. Everywhere you turn, creative urges weasel their way into people's heads. My sister, a psychology major at Commonwealth Honors College at UMass Amherst, still reminisces about high school drama rehearsals. Last week, a friend of mine told me he mumbles poems to himself as he's falling asleep at night. When I was six years old and living in a tall, blue house in Cambridge, I had to master the recorder for a school concert. With the help of a talented musician, I slowly learned how to…
