Arts & Entertainment
Pointing the way
Scholarships help LGBT students achieve career and education dreams
Jorge Valencia, director of the Point Foundation, at last year's event. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
The Point Foundation, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, boasts doctors, lawyers, filmmakers and even the nation’s youngest openly gay mayor as alumni of its scholarship program, which has connected gay college students with millions in financial support and a robust professional network for more than a decade.
Yet organizers say there remain countless LGBT students whose educations are cut short by limited funds and unsupportive families. And even as LGBT youth find more mainstream acceptance, interest in the innovative scholarship program has not dissipated.
In fact it’s growing, say organizers who will host a May 3 fundraiser meant to jumpstart donations and boost financial support for the expanding pool of scholars. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Equality Center (1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW). Tickets are $75.
It will feature remarks from founders Bruce Lindstrom and Carl Strickland, as well as success stories shared by some of the Foundation’s growing crop of alumni.
Organizers are finalizing this year’s recipients from a field of some 2,000 applicants, up about 33 percent from last year. Scholars will be announced in June.
“We’re getting a lot more applications from geographically diverse parts of the country, also people of color and women,” says Jorge Valencia, Point’s executive director and CEO. “We’re very happy with that, a lot of that has to do with our outreach efforts.”
The Washington Cornerstone Society event — named for large gift donors — will be one of eight the foundation plans this year to help support the roughly 75 scholars it sponsors annually.
The amount of each scholarship fluctuates based on the number of scholars, but officials say the funds help cover everything from tuition to living expenses for undergraduates and graduate students at institutions across the country. The competitive qualification process involves a 10-part application and culminates with phone and in-person interviews.
Each year, Valencia said, the pile of applications gets thicker.
“That’s why these Cornerstone events are so important,” he says. “We need to be able to raise more money to support these scholars.”
The scholarship program’s continued success is bittersweet, however. Valencia says it’s evidence that there remains a lot of work to be done in boosting acceptance of LGBT youth.
“I hope one day there isn’t a need for organizations that serve underserved communities,” says Valencia, explaining that though scholarships are not limited to scholars who face rejection from their families, those students still comprise many recipients. “The opposition is fighting even harder to make these young people all over the country and all over the world really feel less than equal, so the need is just as high as ever before.”
For Ashland Johnson, rejection came not from her family, but from her employers.
“I worked at Morehouse School of Medicine, my boss found out I was gay and I was fired,” says Johnson, who channeled the messy experience — which eventually involved the American Civil Liberties Union — into a desire to practice LGBT civil rights law.
Johnson had studied English and planned on being a professor before the 2006 incident but soon found herself looking at law schools — and looking for money. In Point Foundation, she says she found both financial support and a commitment to developing fully rounded students through leadership training.
“I saw they were really more than a paycheck,” says Johnson, who graduated in 2011 and now works as policy counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, in Washington.
Scholars are required to complete community service projects benefiting the LGBT community; in exchange, Valencia says they receive support through the duration of their academic career, training opportunities and mentors in their field.
The latter can be invaluable as young professionals navigate complex fields, says Daniel O’Neill, a 2011-2012 scholarship recipient and aspiring primary care physician. Through his program mentor, O’Neill says he has expanded both his knowledge of HIV treatment and his vision of where medicine can take him. He plans to spend time working in San Francisco this year to learn even more about medical issues largely impacting gay and lesbian patients.
“They’ve accelerated my ability to pay it forward and help the LGBT community,” O’Neill says of the foundation. “They’ve galvanized the passion of mine to affirm that I’m part of this large LGBT community.”
Scholars also gain access to the foundation’s large network of prestigious alumni, including one who epitomizes Point’s growing influence.
Alex Morse, mayor of Holyoke, Mass., is the nation’s youngest openly gay mayor and a Point Foundation scholar.
“The Point Foundation assisted me financially as a student at Brown University,” he said in an email. “But more importantly, it introduced me to an intergenerational network of successful members of the [LGBT] community from all across the country. It helped give me the confidence I needed to achieve my goals and set me on a strong path into the future.”
The third annual Front Royal Pride was held at the Main Street Gazebo in Front Royal, Va. on Saturday, July 25.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Summer in the City: Free exhibits, movies, more fill D.C.’s calendar
America 250 celebrations continue
From late-night museum visits and outdoor jazz concerts to free movie screenings and America250 exhibitions, Washington’s summer calendar is packed with events that don’t charge admission. Here’s a look at some of the free activities happening across the District through September and beyond.
Museum exhibitions
The Renwick Gallery is presenting State Fairs: Growing American Craft, an exhibition that looks at unique and unconventional crafts from the 19th century to the present. It will run until Sept. 7, and admission is free.
The Arts and Industries Building, located next to the Smithsonian Castle, is presenting the exhibition Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America. The exhibition features the development of American independence and what that has meant over time, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Admission to the museum is free, and the exhibition runs until Sept. 7.
The National Gallery of Art presents Dear America, an exhibit featuring more than 100 pieces of work, including letters, photographs, and drawings that depict American landscapes and depictions of freedom. The exhibition will run until Sept. 20.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts is exhibiting Burnished: Pueblo Pottery until Sept. 27. The exhibit features pottery from the Southwest, and while most of the pottery belongs to women artists, a few also reflect those who have advocated for women.
Extending past this summer, the exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa will be at the National Museum of the American Latino until July 2028. The exhibition shows how Afro-Cuban music has become a staple in the U.S. Admission is free.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will feature the exhibition District Vibes / American Pride: How DC Changed American Culture, which will highlight all of the ways D.C. has impacted American life. The exhibit will run until Sept. 27.
At the Folger Shakespeare Library, the exhibit Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era will be on view through Aug. 2. All the portraits on display come from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London.
The United States Botanic Garden will be open until 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 and Sept. 17, as part of America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration. The evenings will include live music, mocktails, ice cream, and snacks.
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will have extended hours, staying open until 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday until Sept. 3.
Live performances
On Aug. 7, the postgame Nationals concert series will continue with Jordan Davis performing. To see the concert, guests just need to buy tickets to the Nationals game.
Jazz in the Garden will run each Friday until Aug. 14. The event has free admission, but those interested have to enter a lottery due to the high demand for the event.
From May to October, Capital Harvest Market occurs every Wednesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The market features fresh foods, crafts, and recipes for unique dishes. A full list of vendors is available on Capital Harvest’s website.
Live! Concert Series on the Plaza will feature live performances at Woodrow Wilson Plaza until Sept. 25. The performances run Monday to Friday from 12-1 p.m. Admission is free to the performances.
DowntownDC Live! at Anthem Row is running until July 30, with free performances every Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The final performance will feature HUE and a vintage flea market hosted by Get Flee Marketplace.
Located in Adams Morgan, AdMo Vibe will present live performances every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Kalorama Park. Guests are encouraged to check out Adams Morgan before and after shows, and it is an event for all ages.
Other events
Union Market is hosting drive-in movies on Aug. 8, featuring “Monsters, Inc.”, and Sept. 12, featuring “Wicked.” On Aug. 8, the parking lot will open at 7:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 8:25 p.m. On Sept. 12, the parking lot will open at 6:35 p.m., and the movie will start at 7:30 p.m.
Sunset Cinema at the Wharf will also be available one day a month. On Aug. 12, “10 Things I Hate About You” will premiere, and on Aug. 26, “Project Hail Mary.” No tickets are necessary.
The Library of Congress will also show movies. On Aug. 6, guests are invited to watch “Apollo 13.” The movie will be shown at 8 p.m., with additional live performances beginning at 7 p.m.
For fans of Asian media, the Okaton convention will be at Walter E. Washington Convention Center from July 31-Aug. 2. Festivities will include cosplay contests, skits, live music, and panel discussions.
Washington Spirit’s season also begins in August. The Spirit is Washington’s National Women’s League, with matchups occurring between the San Diego Wave, the North Carolina Courage, the Orlando Pride, and the Bay FC.
Theater
D.C. summer theater offers something for every taste
From family fare to ‘Brontë Sister House Party’
Staycation doesn’t preclude time travel.
For instance, Happenstance Theater’s production of “Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly” now playing at Round House Theatre in Bethesda invites audiences to go somewhere familiar but far from home.
A timely piece of theater, “Adrift” takes place shortly after an apocalypse, prompting a group of seafaring fools to ask “What do we do now?”
What ensues is a gorgeously lit glimpse into the dark ages bursting with slapstick comedy and high art. Characters and mise-en-scène are inspired by the late Middle Ages/early Renaissance paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, and archetypes from the Tarot. Bosch’s surreal heaven and hellscapes are brought to life with music, devised and existing text, puppetry, and movement.
Sabrina Mandell, Happenstance’s charming co-artistic director and bona fide “visionary tornado” describes Happenstance, now marking its twentieth anniversary season, as small and agile, more interested in sustainability than growth. “It’s served us well. Our goal has never been to own a building,” she adds.
Over the years, the company has fostered an ensemble (Mandell, co-artistic director Mark Jaster, Gwen Grastorf, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, and Alex Vernon), an immensely creative team. In addition to performing, each member contributes in various ways: puppet making, social media, props, etc.
They play off each other endlessly. (“Sort of like the Carol Burnett Show only different?” I ask. “Exactly.” she agrees. They’ve been through a lot and have formed common vocabulary. Nostalgia buffs, they enjoy old films, art movements, and historical eras. The vibe is eccentric and there’s a bit of queer sensibility.
The two-time Helen Hayes Award winner for costume design, does it all — props and costumes and marketing. In “Adrift,” she plays both the oracle and a crone.
Mandell was born on the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, the daughter of artists, and later lived in Montreal. As a young woman, she worked on schooners. For Mandell, it’s been a magical life filled with visuals marvels, she says.
When Happenstance begins rehearsal, there’s no fixed script: “We choose a territory and everyone does a deep dive. I’m interested in alchemy, the Tarot, mortality, and the Shaministic roots of theater. All of which are well represented in this production.”
The experience is also immersive. Audiences are encouraged to pose questions to the oracle. Much is whimsical, and in true Medieval fashion the 85-minute show is not without a hellmouth (the jaws of hell) and plenty of demons. Happenstancetheater.org
For staycationing kids, there’s “Pete the Cat: A Live Rock Musical” (through Aug. 2) at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Follow Pete (played by Michael Perrie Jr.) and the Biddle family as they rock out in a fast-paced, globe-trotting musical based on the massively popular children’s book series. Imaginationstage.org.
There’s more family theater at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. Adventure Theatre MTC puts a spin on beloved fairytale with “Sleeping Beauty: The Time Traveler” (through Aug. 9). A humdrum summer changes when a young Rolly (Carl L. Williams) is whisked back in time to the Age of Charlemagne where he meets Aurora (Chelsea Majors), a bold 12-year-old princess with dreams of knighthood and adventure beyond her castle walls. (Chelsea Majors). Adventuretheatre-mtc.org.
Also at Glen Echo Park, The Puppet Co. presents “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” (through Aug. 23), ideal for kids 4+ and puppet aficionados of all ages. Thepuppetco.org
Broadway at the National on Pennsylvania Avenue presents “The Notebook” (through Aug. 30). Based on Nicholas Sparks’s best-selling novel that inspired the successful film, this romantic musical tells the story of unlikely couple Allie and Noah, who against all odds (hardship, separation, and Alzheimer’s disease) share a lifetime of love. Broadwayatthenational.com
In Vienna, Va., Wolf Trap takes you to Rome circa 1800 with Puccini’s “Tosca” (Aug. 4) presented by Wolf Trap Opera, in collaboration with the Washington National Opera Orchestra.
Following Puccini it’s a magical summer night with Diana Ross (Aug. 19). Expect to hear the superstar and two-time Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner perform many of her iconic hits including “I’m Coming Out,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Stop in the Name of Love” and more. Wolftrap.org
Nu Sass, a company that promotes marginalized genders in all aspects of theater, presents Courtney Bailey’s “Brontë Sister House Party” (Aug. 14-Sept. 12) at Van Ness on Main Street (4340 Connecticut Ave., NW). In life, the Brontë Sisters, Emily, Charlotte, and Anne, wrote their 19th century English lit classics in the virtual isolation of their father’s remote York parsonage. Now, stuck in purgatory, they’re suffering through party after party in an endless time loop. For them, hosting is truly hell, until they finally find a way to make it tolerable. Nusass.com
At Olney Theatre Center it’s “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” (through Aug. 23), a Tony Award–winning musical farce about murder, manners, and money starring out actor Tom Story as all seven members of the rich, ill-fated D’Ysquith family. This fast-paced comedy promises to be a good time.
The Olney Outdoors summer series (Aug. 9-Sept. 12) also at the Olney Theatre Center features tribute bands, cabaret-style performances, comedy, drag, and family sing-alongs on the open-air Root Family Stage. Among the transportive tribute bands are “Space Oddity – The Ultimate David Brighton Bowie Experience” (Aug. 28) and for Labor Day weekend, it’s “Almost Queen” (Sept. 5) with Joseph Russo playing the band’s front man and queer icon Freddie Mercury. Olneytheatre.org
Signature Theatre in Arlington presents “Respect: Aretha Franklin” (Aug. 11-30), a musical tribute celebrating the Queen of Soul starring powerhouse performer Nova Y. Payton. Not to be missed. Sigtheatre.org
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