CST’s ‘Breaking the Code’ Is Not To Be Missed

Matthew Beagan and Eddie Shields in Central Square’s ‘Breaking the Code’
Photos by Nile Scott Studios

Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore; directed by Scott Edmiston, scenic design by Janie E. Howland, lighting design by Karen Perlow, costume design by Chloe Moore, sound design by Aubrey Dube, projections design by SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal, props design by Julia Wonkka, dialect coach Danny Bryck, stage manager Charles Waite Clay. Presented by Central Square Theater at 450 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA, through April 26, 2026.

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Many of us have heard the name Alan Turing, but few know much more about him than what he is most known for: breaking the Nazi Enigma code, which helped bring an end to WWII. Known as the father of computer science, Alan Turing was a pioneering English mathematician and cryptographer. In 1936, at just 24 years old, he developed the Universal Turing Machine, which would later lead to the creation of the first modern computer. During the Second World War, he worked as a codebreaker for the British government, creating a machine that could decode the German military’s encrypted transmissions, which likely saved millions of lives. In 1950, he published a paper that asked, “Can machines think?” which became the foundation for artificial intelligence. 

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‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Is A Welcome Addition to Umbrella Theatre’s Season

The Cast of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at The Umbrella Arts Center
Photos by Jim Sabitus

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ — Dramatized by Christopher Sergel. Based on the Book by Harper Lee. Directed by Scott Edmiston. Scenic Design by Janie Howland; Lighting Design by SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal; Costumes by Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Sound Design by Chris Brousseau; Original Music on Cello by Valerie Thompson. Presented by The Umbrella Stage Company, 40 Stow St., Concord, MA, through March 22.

By Shelley A. Sackett

To Kill a Mockingbird, the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Harper Lee and dramatized in 1970 by Christopher Sergel, tells the story of events that take place in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression (1932 to 1935). The plot and characters are based on Lee’s observations of her family, neighbors and an actual event that took place in 1936 near her hometown, Monroeville, Alabama.

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