By Sahan Weerakoon, Deputy A&E Editor
Event of the Week: Thursday, Mar. 3
Roxbury Community College is presenting its rendition of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” at the Roxbury Repertory Theatre. Directed by Robbie McCauley, the play is part of a centennial anniversary celebration in honor of Miller. The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play follows Willy Loman, a traveling salesman, and his sons Biff and Happy after Loman returns home from a car accident. Loman has spent his life chasing the American Dream, believing that hard work will get him what he needs in sales. He attempts to make sense of the world that once promised so much but is now full of his manufactured excuses and daydreams. 1234 Columbus Ave., Roxbury; 10:00 a.m. – noon; $10.
Friday, Mar. 4
Tim Lee, a biologist specialist with a Ph.D. in ecology and evolution who has become a comedic sensation, will give new meaning to intelligent humor at Davis Square Theatre. Lee combines a regular comedy shtick with a science talk and completes it with a PowerPoint presentation similar to what one might see in a TED Talk. Although Lee spent years developing simulation and analytical models of population dynamics, he soon realized that comedy was his true passion. He is currently featured on Discovery Family’s “Beasts Behaving Badly” and Discovery Science’s “How Do They Do It,” so don’t miss a chance to see one of comedy’s rising stars. 255 Elm St., Somerville: 9:00 p.m.; $24; 21+.
Saturday, Mar. 5
The Black Maria Film Festival is celebrating its 35th anniversary at the Bright Family Screening Room in Paramount Theatre. It is an international festival traveling across the US each year and exhibiting short works by independent filmmakers, including animated, narrative, experimental and documentary films. The festival features submissions from every continent except Antarctica and was awarded the New Jersey State Council on the Arts’ “Citation of Excellence” for eight consecutive years. The festival was founded as a tribute to Thomas Edison’s development of the motion picture and is named after his laboratory “Black Maria.” 559 Washington St.; 7:00 – 8:45 p.m.; $5 – $10.
Sunday, Mar. 6
Meet new friends and release your inner nerd with “The Settlers of Catan” at American Fresh Brewhouse. “The Settlers of Catan” is a board game that lets players collect resources like grain, wool, ore, brick and lumber to buy handy development cards and build roads, settlements and cities on their way to victory. The gaming event will run for eight weeks every Sunday and provide a welcoming environment to grab a drink and play this award-winning strategy game. Experienced players are welcome to bring friends or join a pre-formed group. Those who bring their own board will be invited back to participate in the playoffs and receive a token for a free beer. 301 Canal St., Somerville; 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.; free.
Monday, Mar. 7
Game design is a growing field, yet not many know the details of the job. That’s why General Assembly is bringing six of Boston’s top designers to explain their job and the mindset they bring to their art. Prepare to delve into the levels and strategy surrounding your favorite games as you grab a drink and try new game demos. Presenters include Trevor Sticket, president of Disco Pixel; Chris Foster, senior designer at Harmonix Music Systems; Ichiro Lambe, President of Dejobaan games; Forrest Dowling, President of The Molasses Flood; Damian Isla, co-founder of The Molasses Flood; and Alexander Sliwinski, Chief Operating Officer of Bithell Games. 745 Atlantic Ave.; 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.; free.
Tuesday, Mar. 8
“Speak Out” introduces lectures and presentations to inform audiences of and convince them to get involved in the protection of the environment. Its upcoming lecturer is essayist and writer David Gessner, who will discuss his most recent book “All the Wild that Remains” in Curry Student Center Ballroom. The book is a portrait of the American west made by two men who celebrated it – writers Edward Abbey and Wallace Stegner. The writers were vastly different, but both loved their land and sought to protect its natural beauty. The lecture will be followed by a light reception and book signing. 360 Huntington Ave.; 6:00 p.m.; free.
Wednesday, Mar. 9
With the signing of the Immigration Act of 1965, all of America, and the Greater Boston Area in particular, were forever changed. This is the subject of Boston College professor of history Marilynn Johnson’s lecture “The New Bostonians,” which will take place at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Johnson will discuss the act half a century after it was formed and its impact on urban America’s demographics, economics, politics and culture. She will specifically focus on the large-scale immigration from 1970 to 2010, in which the number of foreign-born citizens in Boston almost doubled. This will be a great chance to learn about a group vital to the transformation of Boston. 1154 Boylston St.; 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.; $10.
Photo courtesy Sarah Sierszyn, Creative Commons
