Author: Peter Muise
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SAVING KITTY AT CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER: Hilarious, must-see play
It may not be coincidence that the dominant character in Marisa Smith’s hilarious Saving Kitty is named Kate. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?, the 1968 Kate Hepburn movie, is not just an antecedent of Saving Kitty, it’s even mentioned in act one. The crucial difference here is that it’s the current decade, not the ‘60s,…
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BIZARRE BOSTON: Thomas Morton and the Maypole
For a moment in the seventeenth century, Massachusetts had the potential to become a fun-loving (and free-loving) utopia, rather than the grim, hard-working Puritan domain it became. Granted, it was a very brief moment, but it’s important to remember the possibility existed. The man behind the utopian dream was Thomas Morton, who arrived in Plymouth…
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BIZARRE BOSTON: The smallpox controversy of 1721
As you’re probably aware, a controversy is raging in the United States right now over the vaccination of children. Some parents have been refusing to vaccinate their children against diseases like measles because they don’t trust the medical establishment, while others have been refusing based on their religious beliefs. Some people have even blamed a…
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BIZARRE BOSTON: The Hermit of Boston Common
Boston Common is America’s oldest public park. It was established as the common property of Boston’s citizens back in 1634 and since then it has been used to graze cattle, hang criminals and (more recently) hold celebrations and performances. The Common wasn’t always public land, though. It was originally the property of an eccentric bull-riding…