Arts & Entertainment

Calendar for Aug. 6

Friday, Aug. 6, to Thursday, Aug. 12

Published

15 years ago

August 4, 2010

Friday, Aug. 6

Open Mic Night tonight at the DC Center, 1318 U St., N.W., at 8 p.m. hosted by Mike Brazell. Everyone is welcome to a night of queer poetry and spoken word and is encouraged to come prepared to share.

Gloss presents First Fridays Ladies Night tonight at Apex, 1415 22nd St., N.W., featuring the DC Kings and the DC Gurly Show. DJ Rosie will be in the main hall. There is a $10 cover charge. Must be 18 to enter and 21 to drink.

Annie Oakley Wild West Festival starts tonight with an opening dance at the Governor’s Hall at Sailwinds Park, 200 Byrn St., Cambridge, Md., from 7 to 11 p.m. There is a $20 cover charge. The festival is a new event to celebrate famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley. The festival continues through the weekend. There will be music, pony rides, arts and crafts, re-enactments, food and beverages.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, created and conducted by George Daugherty, will be at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va., tonight at 8:30 p.m. The NSO provides live accompaniment as everyone’s favorite bunny brings new cartoons and music to life on large screens in-house and on the lawn, including classics “The Rabbit of Seville,” “What’s Opera, Doc?” and more.

The GLBT Arts Consortium and Capitol Hill Arts Workshop will offer Gilbert & Sullivan’s most popular opera “The Mikado” at CHAW, 545 7th St., S.E., at 7 p.m. Return to a time when merely flirting was punishable by death, and a poor tailor must compete with a second trombone for the favors of a beauty named Yum-Yum, and a formidable lady can be won with a pack of flattering lies and a sad, lovelorn song. And that’s only the beginning.

Saturday, Aug. 7

Ever wanted to dance like the crews on ABDC such as Poreotixs or Soreal Cru? Join the Joy of Motion Dance Center, 5207 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., at 11 a.m. for an Autobots vs. Decepticons workshop that will show all the latest street moves fused with illusions, tutting, popping and turfing and video choreography based on today’s hottest dance moves and concepts. Visit Joyofmotion.org for more information.

The DC Center and Tongues Afire DC invite queer women of color to a poetry workshop taking place at the DC Center, 1318 U St., N.W., at 1:30 p.m. Come explore your creative spirit in a workshop facilitated by local poet Jade Foster. For more information, contact Jade at: [email protected]

No Scrubs ‘90s Dance Party with DJs Will Eastman and Brian Billion at 9:30 club at 9 p.m. No Scrubs began in 2004 as a one-off concept party by Eastman and Billion. The idea was simple: play both guilty pleasures and underground classics you listened to growing up in the 90s. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at 930.com.

Drag Days of Summer by Scena at the H Street Playhouse, 1365 H. St., N.E., is a party following a performance of “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. There will be complimentary wine, beer and German food by Biergarten Haus. Drag attire is welcomed. Tickets can be purchased at scenatheater.org.

Sunday, Aug. 8

Hippiefest at Wolftrap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va., at 8 p.m. This “groovy” tradition continues with the best of the ‘70s featuring Jack Bruce of Cream, War, Mitch Ryder and Rare Earth.

Monday, Aug. 9

“Women to Watch 2010 Body of Work: New Perspectives on Figure Painting” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave., N.W. NMWA’s newest installment in the Women to Watch exhibition series centers on contemporary figurative painting. The 16 works in the exhibition reflect myriad styles and approaches, but all highlight figure painters’ embrace of the slow, subtle and singular processes involved in painting people.

Tuesday, Aug. 10

Join the Dance Institute of Washington for an innovative, family-friendly adaptation of a celebrated classic, West Side Story, at the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Va., at 10 a.m. When the Hip Hops challenge the Techni-Ques to a lively dance-off, it seems like everyone’s choosing sides. This fun, age-appropriate competition is the backdrop for a love story that makes two rivals reevaluate their differences and honor the importance of acceptance through their love of dance. Visit wolftrap.org to purchase tickets.

Wednesday, Aug. 11

Tribute to the British Invasion at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, at 7:30 p.m. Sixty of the D.C. area’s best performers, including Tommy Lepson, Eric Brace & Last Train Home, 4 Out of 5 Doctors, Margot MacDonald, Julia Nixon and more honor singers and bands that forever changed America’s musical landscape. Highlighting the years of 1964-1966, this show features hits originally performed by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Dusty Springfield and more.

Play Loteria, the Mexican version of bingo, but played with icons instead of letters and numbers, at The Palace of Wonders, 1210 H St., N.E., at 6:30 p.m. The icons were done by 54 of DC/MD’s top artists including David Amoroso, Kevin Sherry, Cameron Wolf and former Blade staffer Alan Defibaugh. The evening is hosted by burlesque waitress, Shortstaxx and alt drag performer, Lucrezia Blozia.

Thursday, Aug. 12

DCBiWomen, the area’s social group for bisexual and bi-curious women, will meet at Cafe Luna, 1633 P St., N.W., at 7 p.m. The group’s goal is to create an accepting, encouraging environment for bisexual women regardless of the gender of their partner or what they are looking for, meet other cool bi women, and affirm the existence of the bi-identity.

Jason Wu’s fashion collection meets its fine art inspiration at a special Phillips After 5 at The Phillips Collecton, 1600 21st St., N.W., from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Wu cites Robert Ryman’s painting as the muse for his fall 2010 TSE cashmere collection. For one evening, models act as living works of art in the Ryman exhibition, bringing Wu’s designs face-to-face with their fine art inspiration. A video of Wu’s fall 2010 ready-to-wear runway show is on view in the café, and a scavenger hunt leads visitors through the museum, collecting fashion and fine art facts for a chance to win prizes. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and visitors 62 and over, and free for members and visitors 18 and under and they can be purchased at phllipscollection.org/calendar.

Theater

Ford’s ‘First Look’ festival showcases three new productions

A chance to enjoy historical dramas for free before they’re completed

Published

9 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Patrick Folliard

José Carrasquillo, director of Artistic Programming at Ford's Theatre (Photo by Paolo Andres Montenegro)

The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look – 2026
Jan. 16 & 17
Ford’s Theatre
511 Tenth St., N.W.
FREE
Fords.org

When Ford’s Theatre debuted its new plays festival, “A First Look,” in 2023, it was unclear whether people would come for the staged readings.

“Before the pandemic if you announced the reading of a play, 12 people might show up,” says José Carrasquillo, director of artistic programming at Ford’s Theatre. “Since then, we’ve experienced comparatively massive turnout. Maybe because it’s cheap, or because of the very newness of the works.”

This year’s fourth edition showcases readings of three pieces currently in varied stages of development. The free, two-day festival offers audiences a chance to encounter historical dramas long before they’re completed and fully produced. None are finished, nor have they been read publicly. And befitting the venue’s provenance, the works are steeped in history.

The festival kicks off with “Springs” by playwright Jeanne Sakata and directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Commissioned by The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions, it’s the both epic and personal story of Sakata’s Japanese American family including her grandfather’s experience in an internment camp.

“Sakata’s immigrant grandfather was an exceptionally skilled farmer who helped to stave off starvation in the camp. Still, he never gave up on the idea that he belonged in America. It’s very much a story of today,” says Carrasquillo.

Unlike “Springs,” the festival’s two other works weren’t commissioned by Ford’s. But they both fit the history brief and likely will benefit from the exposure and workshopping.

“Providence Spring,” by California based playwright Richard Helesen and directed by Holly Twyford, portrays Clara Barton (played by local favorite Erin Weaver) as a hero beyond the Red Cross whose then-radical initiatives included cataloguing the Civil War dead, many pulled from mass graves.

Directed by Reginald L. Douglas, “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest” explores a slice from the life of the legendary civil rights activist and longtime congressman. With book and lyrics by Psalmayene 24 and music by Kokayi this collaboratively staged reading between Ford’s and Mosaic Theater is slated to premiere fully produced at Mosaic as a 90-minute musical in the spring of 2026.

“When I was hired at Ford’s in 2018, we began discussing hiring writers who do historical drama,” says Carrasquillo. “Our intention was resolute, but we didn’t do it right away. It took getting through the pandemic to revisit the idea.”

At the same time, the racial reckoning spurred Ford’s to hire playwrights of color to tell stories that had previously been forgotten or ignored.

For Carrasquillo, who is gay, the impulse to commission was crystalized when he saw the film “Hidden Figures,” a true story about “three brilliant African-American women — at NASA during the Space Race, overcoming racial and gender discrimination to make crucial contributions to America’s spaceflight success.” He says, “the film floored me. How many stories like this are there that we don’t know about?”

One of the festival’s happiest experiences, he adds, was the commission of playwright Chess Jakobs’s “The American Five” and its subsequent success. It’s the story of Martin Luther King Jr. and his inner circle, including Bayard Rustin (MLK’s brilliant, unsung gay adviser) leading up to the 1963 March on Washington. The play later premiered fully produced in Ford’s 2025 season.

Increasingly, the readings at Ford’s have become popular with both artists and audiences.

At Ford’s, Carrasquillo wears many hats. In addition to selecting plays and organizing workshops, he serves as an in-house dramaturg for some of the nascent works. But he’s not alone. Also helming the festival are senior artistic advisor Sheldon Epps, and The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions advisor Sydné Mahone.

Because the plays are in development, comments from directors, dramaturgs, and the audience are considered and may become part of the playwrights’ rewrites and changes. If and when the play resurfaces fully produced, audience members might find their suggestion in the completed work.

Is this year’s festival queer influenced? Yes, both by those involved and the topics explored.

Carrasquillo explains, “While Sakata’s “Springs” is primarily about immigration, its message is relevant to the queer community. Civil rights are being taken away from us. We need this playwright’s story to know what has happened and what can happen to any of us.

“Many of Ford’s legacy commissions underscore the importance of civil rights in our country and that’s important to all of us. Queer and not queer.”

Bars & Parties

Mid-Atlantic Leather kicks off this week

Parties, contests, vendor expo and more planned for annual gathering

Published

9 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

A scene from the 2025 Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend will begin on Thursday, Jan 15.

This is an annual three-day event in Washington, D.C., for the leather, kink, and LGBTQ+ communities, featuring parties, vendors, and contests.

There will be an opening night event hosted the evening of Thursday, Jan. 15. Full package and three-day pass pickup will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Hyatt Capitol B. There will also be “Kinetic Dance Party” at 10 p.m. at District Eagle.

For more details, visit MAL’s website.

Photos

PHOTOS: ‘ICE Out For Good’

Demonstrators protest ICE across country following shooting

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Michael Key

D.C. shadow representative Oye Owolewa speaks at a rally outside of the White House on Saturday, Jan. 10. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A protest was held outside of the White House on Saturday following the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. Across the Potomac, picketers held signs calling for “Justice for Renee” in Tysons, Va.

“ICE Out For Good” demonstrations were held in cities and towns across the country, according to multiple reports. A march was held yesterday in Washington, D.C., as the Blade reported. Further demonstrations are planned for tomorrow.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)