Arts & Entertainment
Calendar for April 23
Friday, April 23
Burgundy Crescent volunteers today for “GOING TO THE CHAPEL: Singing for Justice and Joy” at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.
[Gay] Comedy Show moves to Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St., N.W., this month. The show is from 8-10 p.m. with your host Shawn Hollenbach. Admission is $10.
EFN Lounge presents “Ru Who?” featuring special guest Mystique from season two of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The show starts at 9 p.m. at EFN Lounge, 1318 9th St. N.W., with DJ Matt Bailer. Must be 21+ to enter; $5 cover benefits Miss Gay DC Pageants.
Joan Rivers performs at the Avalon Theater, 42 E. Dover St., Easton, MD at 8 p.m. Call 410-822-7299 for tickets, which range $50-100.
Wicked Liquid, featuring Josh Colon from “Real World DC,” performs at Santa Fe Café, in College Park, Md., at 11 p.m.
Whitman-Walker Clinic’s 17th annual spring gala, “Masquerade on the Mall.” The black tie event will be held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, 1301 Constitution Ave., N.W. from 6:30-11 p.m. Proceeds will benefit HIV/AIDS services at Whitman-Walker. For more information visit wwc.org. See related story on page 24.
Saturday, April 24
Rainbow Families, DC, an organization for LGBT parents and prospective parents, holds its 2010 conference at GDS High School, 4200 Davenport St., N.W., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit rainbowfamiliesdc.org for information.
Burgundy Crescent volunteers today for the annual Anacostia River Clean-up and Earth Day Celebration. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.
Miss Gay DC America 2010 Regional Pageant, hosted by Town Danceboutique located at 2009 8th Street, N.W. Pre-judging of evening gowns at 5:45 p.m. Pageant begins promptly at 6:45 p.m. Directly after the pageant Town will feature DJ Manny Lehman; $10 cover.
Fourth Saturdays at MOVA Lounge are POZ Saturdays. POZ mixers provide a supportive atmosphere for those who are HIV positive and those who want to help eradicate the stigma surrounding HIV. Music will be provided by DJ Eric Evans and DJ Bryan Yamasaki. POZ starts at 9 p.m. MOVA Lounge is located at 1435 P St., N.W.
Fourth Saturday of each month The Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W., is the home of électrik with your host Timur Tugberk. électrik features the best in dance, electro, deep and dirty house, trance, and circuit music provided by Dj Moh Ducis. No cover from 10-11 p.m., $5 cover from 11 p.m.-3 a.m.
BLOWOFF at the 9:30 club, 815 V St., N.W., from 11:30 p.m.-3:30 a.m. Tickets $12
SHIFT returns to Cobalt, 1639 R St., N.W., with “April Showers” with DJ MAJR (Mikey Adolphson) providing a mix of electro, indie rock, pop and new wave. 10 p.m.-3 a.m., $5 cover, 21+
Sunday, April 25
Drag Brunch at Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St., N.W., hosted by Shi-Queeta Lee. Every Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $20 brunch buffet, your first mimosa is free.
Monday, April 26
Bears Do Yoga. Classes will begin at 6:15 p.m. in the DC Center activity room, 1810 14th St., N.W., and last for one hour. There is a suggested $5 donation. To RSVP for this class e-mail [email protected].
Join Harvey Fierstein and the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof” at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th Street, N.W., for an intimate cabaret performance benefitting Broadway Cares. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Food by Joaquin Fajardo. Entry to the performance is $20. 21+
Country Western dance lessons at Remingtons, 639 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. (half-block west of Eastern Market Metro) from 8:30-9:30 p.m., $5 per person, per lesson.
Tuesday, April 27
Free Workshop on HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data: “HIV/AIDS Surveillance in the District: the 2008 Epidemiologic Report,” presented by Mid-Atlantic Public Health Training Center, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the Washington Public Health Association. The workshop will take place from 1-3 p.m., in George Washington University’s Rose Hall, 2300 I St., N.W., room 229. The workshop is free, but registration is required. For more information, e-mail [email protected]
Whitman-Walker Clinic’s HIV Mobile Testing will be located at Miriam’s Kitchen, 2401 Virginia Ave., N.W., from 4:30-6 p.m.
Volunteers will be assembling safer sex kits and enjoying drink specials at Motley. 7-10:30 p.m. Motley is the upstairs bar at EFN Lounge, located at 1318 9th St., N.W.
Drag Bingo at Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St., N.W., hosted by Shi-Queeta Lee, every Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. Free to play, lots of cool prizes.
Wednesday, April 28
Center for American Progress Action Fund presents “Understanding and Meeting the Needs of LGBT Elders” from noon-1:30 p.m. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is the keynote speaker; Winnie Stachelberg moderates. Admission is free and seating is first come, first served. Lunch served at 11:30. 1333 H St., N.W., 10th floor. For more information call 202-682-1611.
Each Wednesday at the Green Lantern is POZ Wednesday. POZ mixers provide a supportive atmosphere for those who are HIV positive and those who want to help eradicate the stigma surrounding HIV. Music will be provided by DJ Jason Horswill and DJ ELE. POZ starts at 8 p.m. The Green Lantern is located at 1335 Green Ct., N.W.
Hollaback Transgender Support Group meets from 6:30-8 p.m. in the DC Center activity room. The DC Center is located at 1810 14th St., N.W., convenient to the U Street/Cardozo Metro and on the 14th Street bus lines.
Thursday, April 29
Edie Beale Returns to Washington, D.C. to Perform Live at Cobalt, 1639 R St., N.W., at 7:30 p.m. “Edie Beale LIVE at Reno Sweeney” recreates the nightclub performance of Ms. Beale, of Grey Gardens fame, in New York City in 1978; Ganymeade’s artistic director, Jeffrey Johnson plays Beale.
The 2026 Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition was held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on Sunday. Seven contestants vied for the title and Gage Ryder was named the winner.
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Theater
Voiceless ‘Antony & Cleopatra’ a spectacle of operatic proportions
Synetic production pulls audience into grips of doomed lovers’ passion
‘Antony & Cleopatra’
Through Jan. 25
Synetic Theater at
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre
450 7th St., N.W.
Synetictheater.org
A spectacle of operatic proportions, Synetic Theater’s “Antony & Cleopatra” is performed entirely voiceless. An adaptation of the Bard’s original (a play bursting with wordplay, metaphors, and poetic language), the celebrated company’s production doesn’t flinch before the challenge.
Staged by Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili, this worthy remount is currently playing at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, the same venue where it premiered 10 years ago. Much is changed, including players, but the usual inimitable Synectic energy and ingenuity remain intact.
As audiences file into the Klein, they’re met with a monumental pyramid bathed in mist on a dimly lit stage. As the lights rise, the struggle kicks off: Cleopatra (Irina Kavsadze) and brother Ptolemy (Natan-Maël Gray) are each vying for the crown of Egypt. Alas, he wins and she’s banished from Alexandria along with her ethereal black-clad sidekick Mardian (Stella Bunch); but as history tells us, Cleopatra soon makes a triumphant return rolled in a carpet.
Meanwhile, in the increasingly dangerous Rome, Caesar (memorably played by Tony Amante) is assassinated by a group of senators. Here, his legendary Ides of March murder is rather elegantly achieved by silver masked politicians, leaving the epic storytelling to focus on the titular lovers.
The fabled couple is intense. As the Roman general Antony, Vato Tsikurishvili comes across as equal parts warrior, careerist, and beguiled lover. And despite a dose of earthiness, it’s clear that Kavsadze’s Cleopatra was born to be queen.
Phil Charlwood’s scenic design along with Colin K. Bills’ lighting cleverly morph the huge pyramidic structure into the throne of Egypt, the Roman Senate, and most astonishingly as a battle galley crashing across the seas with Tsikurishvili’s Antony ferociously at the helm.
There are some less subtle suggestions of location and empire building in the form of outsized cardboard puzzle pieces depicting the Mediterranean and a royal throne broken into jagged halves, and the back-and-forth of missives.
Of course, going wordless has its challenges. Kindly, Synectic provides a compact synopsis of the story. I’d recommend coming early and studying that page. With changing locations, lots of who’s who, shifting alliances, numerous war skirmishes, and lack of dialogue, it helps to get a jump on plot and characters.
Erik Teague’s terrific costume design is not only inspired but also helpful. Crimson red, silver, and white say Rome; while all things Egyptian have a more exotic look with lots of gold and diaphanous veils, etc.
When Synetic’s voicelessness works, it’s masterful. Many hands create the magic: There’s the direction, choreography, design, and the outrageously committed, sinewy built players who bring it to life through movement, some acrobatics, and the remarkable sword dancing using (actual sparking sabers) while twirling to original music composed by Konstantine Lortkipanidze.
Amid the tumultuous relationships and frequent battling (fight choreography compliments of Ben Cunis), moments of whimsy and humor aren’t unwelcome. Ptolemy has a few clownish bits as Cleopatra’s lesser sibling. And Antony’s powerful rival Octavian (ageless out actor Philip Fletcher) engages in peppy propaganda featuring a faux Cleopatra (played by Maryam Najafzada) as a less than virtuous queen enthusiastically engaged in an all-out sex romp.
When Antony and Cleopatra reach their respective ends with sword and adder, it comes almost as a relief. They’ve been through so much. And from start to finish, without uttering a word, Kavsadze and Tsikurishvili share a chemistry that pulls the audience into the grips of the doomed lovers’ palpable passion.
Out & About
Love board games and looking for love?
Quirk Events will host “Board Game Speed Dating for Gay Men” on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at KBird DC.
Searching for a partner can be challenging. But board games are always fun. So what if you combined board games and finding a partner?
Picture this: You sit down for a night of games. A gaming concierge walks you through several games over the course of the night. You play classics you love and discover brand new games you’ve never heard of, playing each with a different group of fun singles. All while in a great establishment.
At the end of the night, you give your gaming concierge a list of the folks you met that you’d like to date and a list of those you met that you’d like to just hang out with as friends. If any two people put down the same name as each other in either column, then your gaming concierge will make sure you get each other’s e-mail address and you can coordinate a time to hang out.
Tickets cost $31.80 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
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Comings & Goings
