Coercion, Conflict, and Consensus
Revolution is Brewing (Anew!) in Boston
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
In the wake of the Boston Tea Party, the British government in 1774 sought to rein in Massachusetts colonists with a series of harsh laws that closed Boston’s port and severely limited the right to representative government and due process of law. The fallout from these so-called Coercive Acts, including the attempted dissolution of the colony’s legislative branch, sparked intense debates within the community and became a critical factor on the road to the American Revolution.
To mark the 250th anniversary, Revolutionary Spaces is hosting a special night of Revolution is Brewing, our award-winning immersive experience that allows audiences to take on the role of British subjects from across the political spectrum as they debate how to respond to the Coercive Acts.
The best part? You will be playing alongside both historians and current Massachusetts elected officials who will also take part in a post-game panel discussion and Q&A to reflect on the meaning of the Coercive Acts today, with a particular focus on the role of the Massachusetts Legislature in our constitutional scheme of state government. The topics heatedly debated at the time—competing interpretations of representative government, the relative powers of the executive and legislative branches, the role of the individual and community in relation to government proper , and the consequences of resisting arbitrary power—still resonate strongly today.
Old South Meeting House doors will open at 5:30 pm, the game will begin at 6:00 pm, and the panel discussion will start at 7:30 pm. Both the game and discussion are free and open to the public, and drinks and refreshments will be served. There are a limited number of players for the game, so please register for a slot in advance. All are welcomed to watch the game unfold— it’s just as much fun to watch as to play!
Coercion, Conflict, and Consensus is made possible by the generous support of The Lowell Institute. Revolution Is Brewing was developed in partnership with the award-winning education game designers Gigantic Mechanic.
About the Panelists
Paul W. Mark is a member of the Massachusetts State Senate, where he serves as Co-Chair of the Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development Committee. Senator Mark represents the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District, which includes 57 cities and towns throughout Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Senator Mark previously served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Before running for office, Mark was employed for over 10 years as a splice-service technician at Verizon Communications. He earned several college degrees at night and on the weekends while working full-time and commuting across Massachusetts. Senator Mark holds an associate degree in telecommunications from Springfield Technical Community College, a bachelor's degree in economics and finance from Southern New Hampshire University, a master's degree in labor relations studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School, and a doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University. Senator Mark has been admitted to practice as an attorney in Massachusetts since 2009 and is also a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, wherein he has held many positions, including steward, political director, press secretary, and executive board member.
Mindy Domb is a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and serves as Co-Chair of the Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development Committee. Representative Domb represents the 3rd Hampshire district, which includes the towns of Amherst and Pelham and Precinct 1 in the town of Granby. Prior to her election, Representative Domb served as the executive director of the Amherst Survival Center, where she managed the organization’s wide range of services, including a food pantry, a free health clinic, and community meeting space.
Paul Brodeur most recently served as Mayor of the City of Melrose, Massachusetts. Prior to his tenure as Mayor, Brodeur served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for 10 years, from 2011 through 2020, where he represented the communities of Melrose, Wakefield, and a section of Malden. A former member of the Melrose Board of Alderman, Brodeur is a graduate of Lafayette College and Suffolk University Law School.
John E. McDonough, DrPH, MPA is Professor of Public Health Practice in the Department of Health Policy & Management at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of Executive and Continuing Professional Education. In 2010, he was the Joan H. Tisch Distinguished Fellow in Public Health at Hunter College in New York City. Between 2008 and 2010, he served as a Senior Advisor on National Health Reform to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions where he worked on the development and passage of the Affordable Care Act. From 2003 and 2008, he served as Executive Director of Health Care for All, Massachusetts' leading consumer health advocacy organization, where he played a key role in passage and implementation of the 2006 Massachusetts health reform law. He was an Associate Professor at the Heller School at Brandeis University and a Senior Associate at the Schneider Institute for Health Policy between 1998 and 2003. From 1985 to 1997, he served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he co-chaired the Joint Committee on Health Care. He received a doctorate in public health in 1996 from the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan and a master's in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in 1990.
Nat Sheidley is the President and CEO of Revolutionary Spaces. He was formerly Executive Director of the Bostonian Society and Assistant Professor of American and Native American History at Wellesley College. He is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a Ph.D. in American History from Princeton University.