The Weekender: April 14 to 18

Katherine Schabe (CFA’22) (left) plays Amelia and Clara Francesca plays Fran in a gripping performance of Beasts, at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. Photo by Stratton McCrady

Eat, shop, go

The spring semester has been whizzing by quicker than a bee, as we find ourselves in the middle of April. Take advantage of the warm days by visiting a new café, attending a film festival, and cheering on the runners at this year’s Boston Marathon. 

Cafe Iterum

An American café with a modern twist, East Boston’s Cafe Iterum specializes in classic American fare, boutique coffee, and beverages. The spot focuses on sustainable and locally sourced ingredients and dishes, with options like zucchini noodles with roasted squash puree, braised kale, and daikon radish; ube toast with purple sweet potato, mint, and lavender vanilla honey; and a braised short rib sandwich with vegan mayo. Located in Maverick Square, Cafe Iterum offers dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options, too. This restaurant’s clean, minimalist interior vibes with its waste-free and sustainability mission.

Cafe Iterum, 11 Father Jacobbe Rd., East Boston, is open Thursday to Tuesday from 6 am to 9 pm.

Make & Mend

This secondhand art store aims to make the cost of art supplies accessible for seasoned artists and first-timers alike. Make & Mend, which reopened a brick-and-mortar location in Somerville this March, accepts donations of clean, reusable art and craft supplies, fibers, stationery, and art-related books. Fresh supplies are added every Thursday at 7 pm. They have a section on their online catalog called “New This Week,” which features a revolving array of items. 

Make & Mend, 21 Hawkins St., Somerville, is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and available for appointments on Tuesday.

126th Boston Marathon

This Monday, celebrate the 126th annual Boston Marathon, which is being held on Patriots Day for the first time in three years. The Boston Athletic Association has organized the event since 1897, and the race includes men’s and women’s open and wheelchair and para athletics divisions. The 26-mile route will be packed with 30,000 runners, 9,500 volunteers, and (based on previous years) approximately 500,000 spectators. It starts in Hopkinton, Mass., and ends on Boylston Street in Boston. For viewers, the 2022 B.A.A. Racing App features live tracking, social media integration, interactive course maps, and other information during the race.

The 126th Boston Marathon is Monday, April 18, beginning at 9:02 am in Hopkinton and passing through Kenmore Square before finishing on Boylston Street in Copley Square. Find spectator information here.

BU Does the Marathon Watch Party

Planning to cheer on the runners, but don’t know the best place to stand? On Monday, head to the corner of Beacon Street and Park Drive or of Beacon and Amory Streets for this free marathon viewing party, sponsored by various BU organizations (like BU Student Government, BU Athletics, and the BU Student Activities Office) and featuring a special performance by the BU Band. Free T-shirts and cowbells will be distributed to all students, and the first 50 people will receive free beanies. Snacks and water will be provided.

The BU Does the Marathon Watch Party is Monday, April 18, from noon to 2 pm at the corner of Beacon Street and Park Drive and of Beacon and Amory Streets (on the Charles River Campus side of the street). 

The Redstone Film Festival: Boston

The 30th annual Redstone Film Festival features film projects written and directed by graduate and undergraduate students in the College of Communication’s film and television department. After airing virtually the last two years because of COVID, this year’s in-person ceremony returns to the Tsai Performance Center. Awards include best film, cinematography, screenplay, editing, sound design, and for the first time this year, best actor, as well as an audience choice award. Past winners have gone to the Oscars, including Josh Safdie (COM’07) and Benny Safdie (COM’08), codirectors and coscreenwriters of Uncut Gems, and Nora Grossman (COM’05), producer of the Imitation Game. Three winners from the Boston festival will go on to compete in next week’s Los Angeles Redstone event, which celebrates alum films. 

The Redstone Film Festival is Friday, April 15, from 7 to 9 pm at the Tsai Performance Center, 685 Comm Ave . The free event has filled up in years past, so arrive early to secure a seat.

Beasts by Cayenne Douglass

Beasts is a show about “the chaos of American womanhood,” represented by the fraught relationship between a pregnant Fran and her older sister Judy, an artist. When Judy makes a surprise visit to Fran’s suburban home, their connection becomes an intense maze of emotion. Beasts is written by Cayenne Douglass (GRS’21) and directed by Kelly Galvin (CFA’17), and features Katherine Schaber (CFA’22) as Amelia, Fran’s doula. The show is a BU New Play Initiative production, and is produced by the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre and the Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Theatre.

Beasts is at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave., through April 17. Ticket prices are $35 for adults, $25 for seniors 62-plus, and $10 for students with valid ID; purchase tickets here.