Newton Cultural Alliance

Newton Theatre Company Presents: OUR TOWN
2026-01-24 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-24 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-30 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-31 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-31 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 96 Otis Street, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Experience this beloved classic up close with our exceptional professional cast in an intimate venue where every seat brings you into the heart of Grover’s Corners.
Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning play is a profound meditation on love, loss, and the precious ordinary moments that define our lives told in Newton Theatre Company’s signature style—immediate, personal, and unforgettable.
Intimate staging. Beloved actors. Our original vision.
Limited seating. Reserve soon. Tickets will sell out.
Our Town will run for three weekends. Tickets available now!
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​Friday, January 16th at 8pm
Saturday, January 17th at 2pm
Saturday, January 17th at 8pm
Friday, January 23rd at 8pm
Saturday, January 24th at 2pm
​Saturday, January 24th at 8pm
Friday, January 30th at 8pm
Saturday, January 31st at 2pm
​Saturday, January 31st at 8pm
Seating is intimate and limited, so get your tickets now!
All performances are at:
St. John’s Episcopal Church, DiMauro Hall
​96 Otis Street, Newtonville, MA

West Newton Cinema presents An Evening with John Sayles
2026-02-07 16:00 - 18:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
West Newton Cinema Reads & Newtonville Books present:
The iconic filmmaker John Sayles reading from and discussing his new novel, The Crucible, along with his classic film, City of Hope, with Here & Now’s Robin Young.
Join director John Sayles as he reads from his new novel, The Crucible, following a screening of his riveting film, City of Hope (1991).
In The Crucible, Henry Ford—the Elon Musk of his day—aims to rule both an automotive empire and the rambunctious city of Detroit. In an epic tale ranging from the Prohibition Era to the Second World War, featuring violent labor disputes, misbegotten jungle expeditions, a tragic race riot, and the gestapo tactics of Ford’s private army, Sayles does what he’s become famous for: shows us, through multiple perspectives, the country in which we live.
In City of Hope, an old apartment complex stands in the way of a major commercial development. Its owner, Joe, feels pressure to torch it, and Joe’s estranged son, Nick, soon becomes a pawn in the game. Following the arrest of two teenagers, idealistic city councilman Wynn finds himself torn between what he thinks is right, and what his Black constituents want.
Sayles and Young will walk us through this incredible cast of characters and the themes that make both The Crucible and City of Hope so crucial to understanding our current moment. Their talk will follow with a signing in the lobby, with books for sale courtesy of Newtonville Books.
John Sayles is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and once for the National Book Award. He has written eight novels, including, most recently, Jamie MacGillivray and To Save the Man.
Robin Young is a host of Here and Now, the nationally syndicated radio program produced by WBUR. A Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Robin has been a correspondent for ABC, CBS, NBC, and the Discovery Channel. She is a former guest host of The Today Show and one of the first hosts on Boston’s ground-breaking television show, Evening Magazine.

West Newton presents Behind the Screen: Sinners
2026-02-08 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
SINNERS is a genre-defying period horror drama written and directed by Ryan Coogler, set in 1932 Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. The story follows twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, who return to their hometown to open a juke joint for the local Black community, only to find that an ancient, supernatural evil threatens their celebration and their lives. The film blends Southern Gothic, blues music, historical memory, and supernatural horror, creating a richly layered narrative about community, survival, and cultural expression.
POST SCREENING PANEL DISCUSSION
Our panel will explore the film’s fusion of music, history, and horror, considering how SINNERS engages with African-American cultural traditions, the symbolic role of blues music in confronting evil, and the artistic choices that make the film a singular cinematic experience.
JAKE BLOUNT, A.M.
Musician, Scholar, and Music Consultant on SINNERS;
Specialist in Traditional African-American Music and Afrofuturism
Jake Blount is an award-winning musician and scholar whose work bridges performance, research, and advocacy. He specializes in African-American traditional music and Afrofuturist approaches, and his recordings have appeared on best-of lists from NPR, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone. Blount served as a music consultant on SINNERS and his work often interrogates the cultural and historical roots of American music.
JOEL LARUE SMITH, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor, Tufts, Pianist, Composer, Arranger
Joel LaRue Smith has been the Director of the Tufts Jazz Orchestra (formerly the Big Band) and Jazz Activities at Tufts University since 1996. He is also a pianist and composer known for moving seamlessly between jazz, classical, gospel, and Afro-Cuban repertoire. He has performed globally at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Royal Albert Hall, and has received numerous awards including ASCAP’s distinguished George and Ira Gershwin Award.
BILL LOWE, Ph.D.
Composer, Performer, Educator; Leader of Signifyin’ Natives
Bill Lowe is a distinguished bassist trombonist, tuba player, composer, and educator with decades of experience in creative music. His ensemble Signifyin’ Natives explores African-American musical traditions through improvisation and collaboration, and Lowe has performed and taught extensively throughout the United States and internationally.

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: All God's Children
2026-02-22 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
In an unprecedented attempt to heal centuries of racism and antisemitism, and combat the rising racial and ethnic tension in their Brooklyn communities, the largest reform synagogue and the oldest black Baptist Church attempt to unite their congregations and bring about peace, by becoming family. Shot over five years by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner, ALL GOD’S CHILDREN follows her sister, activist Rabbi Rachel Timoner, and her Congregation Beth Elohim’s partnership with Reverend Dr. Robert Waterman of Antioch Baptist Church as their faith is put to the test, and both congregations struggle not to let their differences drive them apart. Though it’s a fraught partnership, they refuse to walk away, no matter how hard it gets, and ultimately emerge with an inspiring model for how other communities might build bridges across religious, economic and class divides to foster enduring, powerful partnerships.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
REVEREND ELIJAH GIPSON-DAVIS
The Rev. Elijah Gipson-Davis, a native of Riverdale, Georgia, was ordained into the Gospel ministry at the New Macedonia Baptist Church. An anointed preacher, talented scholar, and skilled administrator, he currently serves as the Minister of Administration and Assistant to the Pastor at the Myrtle Baptist Church of West Newton, Massachusetts. Rev. Elijah shares academic interests in religion, specifically African American and North American religious history, gender and sexuality, congregational studies, Christian education, and liturgics.
RABBI TIFERET BERENBAUM
Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum received Rabbinic Ordination and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in 2013, after spending a year in Israel as part of her studies. Rav Tiferet served congregations in Milwaukee, WI and Mt. Holly, New Jersey, then returned home to Boston and TBZ in 2019. Always desiring to continue to learn, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.
MODERATED BY: JAYMIE SAKS
Jaymie is the Director of Development at 2LifeCommunities and served for more than a decade as executive director of Boston Jewish Film (BJF) and was chief operating officer of the Jewish Women’s Archive.

NewTV Members Network Meet-Up
2026-02-25 18:00 - 20:00 | NewTV, 23 Needham St, Newton, MA, 02461, United States
Join us at our Needham Street studio on Wednesday, February 25 at 6:00PM, for a Members Network Meet-Up! This will be a fun and engaging evening in a relaxed atmosphere. There will be food, technical help sessions, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow members! Non-members are welcome to attend as well!
6:00PM – 6:30PM – Networking and… (wait for it)… FREE PIZZA!
6:30PM – 8:00PM – Introductions, followed by technical help breakout sessions including:
How to Create & Manage Your Own YouTube Channel, with Peter Taber-Simonian
Control Room Basics, with Kathleen Golden
How to Host an Interview, with Jenn Adams
Please RSVP by Friday, February 20, so we can plan accordingly.
If you’re not a member and would like to join us, sign-up for a NewTV membership at https://newtv.org/join
Email membership@newtv.org with any questions!

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: Hoosiers with Brad Stevens
2026-03-01 12:30 - 15:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
ABOUT THE FILM:
A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the championship.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
BRAD STEVENS
Brad Stevens is the President of Basketball Operations for the NBA’s Boston Celtics, a position he has held since June 2021, where he built the 2024 NBA championship team. A former standout college coach at Butler University—leading them to two consecutive NCAA Championship games in 2010 and 2011—he previously served as the Celtics’ head coach for eight seasons (2013–2021).
DAN SHAUGHNESSY
Dan Shaughnessy is a sports columnist and associate editor at the Boston Globe. He has been named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year 14 times and 12 times has been voted one of America’s top ten sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In 2016 Shaughnessy was the recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing,” presented at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Shaughnessy has written thirteen books, including New York Times bestseller “Francona,” “The Curse of the Bambino,” and “Senior Year.” He most recently wrote “Wish It Lasted Forever — Life With The Larry Bird Celtics”, a book about his days covering the 1980s Bird Celtics.

New Art Center presents Art and Healing: Art Therapists on Creating Connections
2026-03-12 18:30 - 19:30 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
An illuminating talk with practicing studio artists and art therapists, Erin Palazzolo Loparo, M.S.-ATR and Tova Speter, M.A., LMHC, as they explore the intersection of personal creative practice and community-based healing.
This event is free and open to the public, light refreshments will be served.
View the work of Erin Loparo, Tova Speter, and other artists on view March 20th –May 1st in the Art and Healing exhibition at the Mosesian Center for the Arts.

West Newton Cinema presents Ty Burr's Movie Club: The Holdovers
2026-03-12 18:30 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
TY BURR’S MOVIE CLUB is hosted by the nationally recognized film critic Ty Burr.
Each month Ty presents and discusses one of his favorite films with the audience. His selections span the spectrum from classics that have stood the test of time to contemporary films that merit a second viewing.

Historic Newton presents Revolutionary Newton
2026-03-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Ave,, Newton, MA, 02458
Historic Newton celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution! Join us in exploring what life was like in 18th-century New England. Reenactors will scatter the museum exhibits and grounds to create an immersive experience of revolutionary life. Guests can participate in hands-on period-specific activities and listen to reenactors debate politics, describe daily life, reminisce on military service, and much more. A scavenger hunt will guide visitors through interactive spaces where they can ask questions and engage with the exhibits and the people who once occupied them. View special 18th-century artifacts from the collection on display for the first time this decade. Shop new and exclusive merchandise and see what your local museum can do for you! This event is free and open to the public.

Historic Newton presents Naughty Newton at Night: Hamilton's World
2026-04-11 19:00 - 22:00 | Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Ave,, Newton, MA, 02458
Join the historic cocktail party of the year on Saturday, April 11 from 7-10pm at the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds. The theme for this year will be the smash musical Hamilton.
Enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres while exploring the more scandalous topics of the 18th-century through the life of Alexander Hamilton.
What were the favorite drinks of the day? What did people do for fun? How were topics like sex and pregnancy out of wedlock handled? Were there really rules to dueling?
This event is 21+ only. Wear your favorite cocktail party outfit or a historically-inspired outfit.
