It feels like things are really heating up this weekend. Some of Greater Boston’s most famous summer traditions are happening, including an outdoor staging of Shakespeare’s fanciful comedy “As You Like It.” When you’re not enjoying theater under the stars, consider traveling to Revere to take in beautifully imagined sand sculptures, or maybe pass an afternoon at the MFA watching French cinema. Those events and more recommendations below.
Through Aug. 10
There’s no better way to spend a summer evening than rounding up a group of friends, spreading out a picnic blanket on Boston Common’s grassy lawn, unpacking a few sandwiches and drinks, and enjoying a night of free Shakespeare. Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare on the Common, now in its 29th season, presents a light, pastoral comedy in “As You Like It.” The story’s heroine, Rosalind, escapes with her cousin Celia from her father’s kingdom after her corrupt uncle usurps the throne. Within the dreamy Forest of Arden, the disguised duo encounters romance, intrigue and finds sanctuary. Directed by CSC founding artistic director Steven Maler, the performance centers around themes of “love, family, community and acceptance.”
Friday, July 25-Sunday, July 27
Head to Revere Beach for a weekend of sunshine and seashore. The Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival is a free celebration where spectators can take to the boardwalk to observe elaborately constructed sand creations made by talented artists. This year’s sculptors include Ndricim “Jimmy” Bejko from Boston, Bruce Phillips from California, Hanneke Supply from Belgium and Slavian Borecki from Poland. Visitors will also have a chance to purchase edibles from food vendors, including Matilda Empanadas and Uhlman’s Ice Cream. And if that isn’t enough to pique your interest, there will be beach shops, amusement rides and, of course, a 30-minute fireworks show at night.
Opening Friday, July 25
Those looking for a unique film to watch this summer should check out the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s annual Boston French Film Festival, running through Aug. 24. Showing Friday is “Three Friends,” a romantic-comedy drama about modern love, as seen in the unpredictable lives of three women. Saturday presents “The Ties That Bind Us,” a humanist study of relationships born out of grief, and on Sunday, catch “Misericordia,” a dark, humorous thriller in which a young man returns to his hometown following his former employer’s death. Check out the festival site for the full weekend lineup. Tickets for individual screenings are $12 for members and $15 for the general public. [Want more film festival recommendations? Check out our summer guide here.]
Friday, July 25-Sunday, July 27
Take to the streets of Lowell to experience a vibrant and eclectic community attraction. The Lowell Folk Festival, which has its origins in the National Folk Festival that came to the city in 1987, will showcase “traditional music from around the world” from bluegrass to salsa dura and more, according to a press release. A Trinidadian Carnival Parade will signal the start of the festival, and there will be so much culture to take in — including jewelry, pottery and books by local authors on display. An array of diverse foods will also be available, such as Portuguese, Brazilian, Polish, Burmese and Cambodian cuisine.
Closes Saturday, July 26
Followers of the nine-play Ufot Family Cycle may be excited to see “Kufre n’ Quay,” a world premiere written by Mfoniso Udofia, produced by Boston Arts Academy in partnership with Wheelock Family Theatre. Directed by John Oluwole ADEkjoe, the show is set at a Harlem community center in the summer and explores African and Black American culture. The play is the fifth installment in the Ufot Family Cycle, which is being staged across Boston over two years. The cycle kicked off last fall with “Sojourners.” This is the first time that the nine productions will be “complete and performed in their intended order,” according to a press release. Tickets start at $21.40, which includes a service fee. [Read WBUR theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair’s review of the show here.]
