THEATER
Cymbeline
Brown Box Theater closes out their season with one of Shakespeare’s more obscure and difficult-to-classify plays. “Its focus on patriotism, loyalty, trust, and honor is incredibly timely in our current social and political climate,” writes director Kyler Taustin. Performances will take place in Boston proper, South Boston and Hyde Park, with additional suburban dates in Fall River, Plymouth and Hopkington. August 18 through 28 The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
Given its famous early history, Salem seems like the perfect place to stage this play questioning the reputation of one of history’s most famous betrayer. Written by Pulitzer Prizewinner Stephen Adly Guirgis, the dark comedy imagines a trial of Judas in purgatory, asking whether he was truly a Devil-infested betrayer of God, or just a guy who made a huge mistake. Through August 27 MOVIES
Boston Film Gala
This two-day film festival declares as its goal “to foster the filmmaking community right here in New England and create opportunities for filmmakers to show their work without breaking the bank.” The schedule predicts a wildly diverse collection of fiction and documentary works, from goofy comedies to tense thrillers to existential gloom to charming romances. Some proceeds benefit Project Hope. August 19 and 20 8 ½
One of Italian director Frederico Fellini’s masterpieces, “8 ½” focuses on a fictional director who’s frustrated with the film he’s working on. Nobody seems to be much help—even his fantasies, amusingly, rebel against him—and he increasingly retreats, struggling to rediscover a point of authenticity from which to create. But does that point even exist? And what if it doesn’t? August 22, 7 p.m. MUSIC
Mr. Hip
This bowtie-loving local poet, a Washington, D.C. native, officially drops his second hip-hop album, “Are We on Yet?” at this show. His bio describes his music as “an eclectic mix of rap, style, swag and music for all listeners ranging from hipsters to those who serve time in prison.” He’ll be joined by special guests Troopy Gang, President Ella, Cash Jack and Miss___Smith. August 19, 7 p.m. Morgan James
Juliard-trained singer Morgan James has appeared in three Broadway productions, “The Addams Family”, “Motown: the Musical” and the recent revival “Godspell”. She’s also collaborated with Postmodern Jukebox. She released her first studio album, “Hunter” in 2014. Whether she’s singing soul, jazz or pop, between which she moves with apparent effortlessness, her voice packs a hell of a wallop. August 20, 8 p.m. Ciaran Lavery
Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery traffics in a melancholic but hopeful sentiment, sincere and romantic, universal but personal. His gentle vocals may seem airy, but further listening reveals all the feels. A song like “Shame” seems written for that moment in a movie where the partner who broke it off changes their mind—if someone hasn’t already written that movie, they will when they hear this. August 21, 3 p.m. DANCE
Nozama Dance Collective
This all-female dance troupe, formed in 2013, is dedicated to expressing women’s experience—“Nozama” is “Amazon” spelled backwards, indicating their desire to challenge stereotypes about powerful women. They are inspired,” their bio says, “by women who speak out, fight for themselves, make a difference and don’t apologize for who they are.”Here they’ll perform “Pushing Past Impulse”, their first full-length original piece. August 19, 8 p.m. VARIETY
Old School Game Show’s John Hughes-a-Palooza
This show is a little hard to pin down, mixing a bar trivia night with theater, dance, live music and a 1970’s-style game show. In another words, it’s just the sort of campy, eccentric, interactive entertainment you’d expect from Oberon. The theme this time around is the cinematic, eternally emo world of John Hughes and the “Brat Pack.” August 19, 8 p.m. COMEDY
Something Big
This monthly comedy showcases features New York-based headliner Nore Davis, who’s appeared on “Inside Amy Schumer”, “Boardwalk Empire” and “Last Week Tonight”among other TV gigs. He’s supported by fellow New Yorker Janelle James, named as one of Brooklyn’s funniest people for 2016 in Brooklyn Magazine, and Zachary Brazão, an up-and-coming local comic. August 18, 8 p.m. ART
Everywhen: The Eternal Present in Indigenous Art from Australia
This show compares the work of contemporary indigenous Australian artists with archeological finds from the world of their ancestors, focusing on the traditional understanding of time in these cultures. We’re invited to embrace a perspective that doesn’t perceive European arrival as an apocalyptic moment, but as another era in a much larger, continuing history. Through September 18 You Think It’s _____, But It’s Really _____
This multimedia exhibition features 23 artists who, like the hero of the recent Huntington Theater production “I Was Most Alive with You” are both queer and disabled. They explore the intersections of these two marginalized identities, as well as that of “artist”. On Saturday at 4 p.m., the gallery hosts a panel discussion, preceded by a performance from Madge of Honor. Through September 2
Various locations, Boston area
Free, http://bit.ly/2aCpHkI
Salem Theater Company, 35 Congress St., Salem
$5-$25, http://bit.ly/29vZDLf
POP Allston, 89 Brighton Ave., Allston
$15-$80, http://bit.ly/2b6NlIM
Coolidge Corner Theater, 290 Harvard St., Brookline
$10-$12, http://bit.ly/2bott1J
The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge
$10, http://bit.ly/2bc9u5I
Café 939, 939 Boylston St., Boston
$20-$35, http://bit.ly/1Olh64T
Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge
$12-$15, http://bit.ly/2aX7jSG
Green Street Studios, 185 Green St., Cambridge
$20, http://bit.ly/2aYwiHn
Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge
$15-$20, 21+, http://bit.ly/2aV8u5e
Davis Square Theater, 255 Elm St., Boston
$10, http://bit.ly/2bvbdqw
Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., Cambridge
$10-$15, http://bit.ly/1HEx5KO
Midway Artist Studios, 15 Channel Center St., Boston
Free, http://bit.ly/2aSttu0