By Megan O’Brien, deputy inside editor
Event of the Week: Friday, Nov. 13
Book fanatics will likely be found at Hynes Convention Center this weekend, where the 39th annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair will be held. It will be three days of bibliophilic bliss as 122 dealers from 10 countries congregate at the center. The weekend’s programming includes a behind-the-scenes look at popular TV series “Antiques Roadshow” with one of the executive directors; a “Typewriter Rodeo,” during which poets sit at vintage typewriters and create individualized work on the spot; free expert literature and writing tool appraisals; and a panel discussion about how to start a collection of antiquarian books. For those wishing to start their library but lacking the funds, selected items will be available for $100 or less. 900 Boylston St.; times vary; $10 – $20.
Thursday, Nov. 12
The Goethe-Institut Boston, a hub for all things German, will screen a 16mm print of the 1979 film “Die Blechtrommel” on Thursday evening. Alternatively named “The Tin Drum,” the film won the Academy Award for best foreign language film and tied “Apocalypse Now” for the Palme D’Or, the Cannes Film Festival’s highest honor. “The Tin Drum” centers around Oskar, a young boy who becomes disillusioned with society while witnessing his home country head into World War II. On his third birthday, he refuses to grow any older as to avoid facing the atrocities of a war-torn Germany. While the film is in German, it will be played with English subtitles. 170 Beacon St.; 7 p.m.; $5.
Saturday, Nov. 14
Based on the celebration of a successful harvest, Bhangra is a folk dance from the Punjab region of India. The Boston Bhangra Competition celebrates the style in North America, bringing in 12 teams from California to Canada to perform at the Orpheum Theatre on Saturday night. Three teams come from local colleges Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tufts University. The evening will also include a performance by US-based Bhangra artist Kay V Singh. For an additional $25, audience members can attend the Boston Bhangra after party in the Terrace Ballroom at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. 1 Hamilton Place; 6 p.m.; $20 – $100.
Sunday, Nov. 15
Coro Allegro, Boston’s classical chorus, will present an evening of music in honor of the recent Supreme Court ruling that declared same-sex marriage legal. “A Concert for Marriage Equality” by Artistic Director David Hodgkins will include Mozart’s “Exsultate Jubilate” and works by American composers inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman, E.E. Cummings and African-American spirituals. The afternoon performance will be bookended by another Mozart work, “Requiem,” in remembrance of the LGBT community members who did not live to see marriage equality’s materialization. 45 Quincy St., Cambridge; 3 – 5 p.m.; $25 – $65.
Monday, Nov. 16
Now in its sixth year, Science and Cooking Public Lecture Serie continues on Monday at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to reveal the details behind the mystery of digestion. Based on one of the college’s courses, the program pairs Harvard University professors with food experts and chefs to exhibit the scientific side of the culinary arts. The evening begins with a 15-minute lecture by a Harvard faculty member to introduce the topic. This week’s presentation will be given by Tara Whitsitt, founder of Fermentation on Wheels. Her organization provides free food education with hope of raising awareness about food sustainability. 1 Oxford St., Cambridge; 7 – 8 p.m.; free.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
As the last installment of Massachusetts College of Art and Design’s (MassArt) Photography Lecture Series, Eva Respini will give a presentation in the Tower Auditorium. Respini recently took over the position of chief curator at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), following a 15-year stint as curator at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Photographic exhibitions at the MoMA under her curatorial thumb included “Pictures by Women,” a photographic history of women artists, and “Staging Action: Photography and Performance since 1960.” She has penned four books on the subject of photography and is simultaneously working on two museum surveys for the ICA in 2016. 621 Huntington Ave.; 2 – 4 p.m.; free.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
One of the loudest characters in American literature will make his stage debut on Wednesday when the Huntington Theatre Company premieres the adaption of John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “A Confederacy of Dunces.” The plot follows the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly, a larger-than-life character living with his mother in 1960s New Orleans. Often dubbed the Don Quixote of the French Quarter, the protagonist of Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaption will be portrayed by Nick Offerman, best known for his role as Ron Swanson on “Parks & Recreation.” Directed by David Esbjornson, the play will run through Dec. 13 at the BU Theatre. Select performances offer discounted student tickets. 264 Huntington Ave.; times vary; $20 – $155.
Photo courtesy Les Orchard, Creative Commons
