Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Oct. 15-21
Lesbian rocker Mara Levi has an album release party Friday at the Phase
Friday, Oct. 15
Heroes Latinos, the fifth annual Hispanic LGBT heritage month reception, is tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be light appetizers and refreshments as attendees view the Heroes Latinos photography exhibit and observe the annual Community Leaders Awards ceremony.
Enigma, a new monthly event for those who abstain from substances and their friends that are in recovery, is tonight at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. There will be a separate entrance at the side door that goes directly to the second floor. DJs MAJR and John Thompson will be tag-teaming. Cover is $5.
The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery (1632 U St., N.W.) hosts an opening reception and meet the artist of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence: Identity Writ Large featuring photography by Matthew Black tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. Black has documented the gay/drag social activist group since 2007. This show features portraits of the Seattle chapter of the group.
DC Women in their 30s, a new group for LGBT woman in their 30s, will have its kick-off event tonight at 8 at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.). For more info or to RSVP e-mail [email protected] or visit the Facebook Group, DCW30s.
Charm City Kitty Club presents Homo Rogue: Do Ask, Do Tell! tonight at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson (3134 Eastern Ave.) in Baltimore. There will be a cocktail hour at 7 p.m. and the show will being at 8. The event will feature Gina Carduci’s exploration of sex and violence in “All That Sheltering Emptiness”, D.C. band noon:30, drag artist Delicio Del Toro, the Baltimore Experimental Dance Collective and scenes from “Jay Dreams” by Baltimore filmmaker Catherine Pancake.
Mara Levi, local lesbian writer and performer, is holding a release party for her latest CD tonight at 8 p.m. at Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.). “We Listen to Fools” is Levi’s third solo album and the follow-up to 2008’s “What are You?.” Levi is a classically trained jazz musician. Levi describes the album as a compilation of “heartbreaking love songs that make you want to skip and sing along.”
The D.C. Capital Classic, a National Gay Basketball Association-sanctioned basketball tournament held in D.C., has its registration event tonight at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) from 7 to 10 p.m. on the second floor. All players must register for the tournament at this event. There will be a captains meeting at the event at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 16
Get a head start on Halloween at the “Bowled and the Beautiful” drag show hosted by Barbara Bush tonight at 8 p.m. at Apex (1415 22nd Street, NW). Proceeds benefit the charities of the IGBO Midyear Bowling Tournament: Food & Friends, SMYAL and the Daniel Fissell Music Foundation. $5 suggested door donation.
The Organization of American States has organized a “Backpacks for Haiti’s Children” event tonight at the OAS Headquarters from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. OAS has joined with the Diplomatic Community and Staff Associations to collect and donate backpacks and school supplies to help Haiti’s children. Visit oas.org/en/member_states/haiti/backpack/default.html to make a donation.
MIXTAPE D.C. is tonight at EFN Lounge (1318 9th St., N.W.) from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. MIXTAPE is a dance party for queer music lovers and their pals that features DJs Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer playing an eclectic mix of electro, alt-pop, indie rock, house, disco, new wave and anything else you danceable. $5 cover for 21 and over.
Reel Affirmations presents “Bear City” starring Gerald McCullouch from “CSI,” tonight at 7 p.m. at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St., N.W.).
The D.C. Capital Classic dinner is tonight at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) from 6 to 9 p.m. This dinner is for players who signed up and paid for it at registration. The tournament itself starts earlier in the day and will be held at the Capital Sports Complex (6417 Marlboro Pike) in District Heights.
Sunday, Oct. 17
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers and D.C. Ice Breakers are co-hosting their second men’s singles part tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at ACKC Cocoa Bar (1529C 14th St., N.W.). Friends welcome but no dates.
The Academy of Washington, Inc., will be holding its annual show benefiting the Rainbow History Project today at Ziegfeld’s (1824 Half St., S.W.). Doors open at 2 p.m. and the show begins at 3. There is a $10 entry fee.
The D.C. Capital Classic will be having its closing happy hour tonight at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 10 p.m. on the roof deck. The closing party will be at Café Asia (1720 I St., N.W.) starting at 11 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 18
Hope Operas, whose founder is openly gay, has its third week of five new shows tonight to raise money for charity. The shows are at 8 p.m. at the Comedy Spot, in Ballston Mall (4238 Wilson, Blvd.), in Arlington. Each show benefits a different charity. Tickets are $12 per show. For more information call 323.788.8970 or e-mail [email protected].
Midnight Intrigue Events presents Intriguing Women’s Speed Dating tonight at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 10 p.m. Check in is at 6. There is a $15 cover. No-pressure dates and $3 drinks.
Tuesday, Oct. 19
Women Over 40, a new women’s social group to connect local women who are 40 or older, will be holding its first meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the DC Center (1318 U St., N.W.)
A Glee watch parties will be at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) tonight at 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 20
BOOKMEN D.C., an informal group of men interested in gay literature, meets at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Charles Sumner School and Archives (1201 17th St. N.W.) to discuss selections from “A Casualty of War: the Arcadia Book of Gay Short Stories,” edited by Peter Burton. All are welcome. For more information visit bookmendc.blogspot.com.
GayParazzi, the new GLBT Photo Group, will meet at ACKC on 14th Street for a photo share and friendly critique. Sign up at meetup.com/GayParazzi.
SAGE Metro D.C. will be holding a senior educational seminar, Medicare and Social Security — policy and legal considerations in the absence of legal marriage today from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The event will be at the Residences at Thomas Circle (1330 Massachusetts. Ave., N.W.). Stop by the front desk to be directed to meeting room. Continental breakfast will be available.
The Tom Davaron Social Bridge Club will meet tonight at 7:30, at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for social bridge. No partner is needed. For more information, visit lambdabridge.com; click “Social Bridge in Washington, D.C.”
DCJCC is holding its annual literary festival and tonight features “Keep Your Wives Away from Them: Orthodox Women, Unorthodox Desires” edited by Miryam Kabakov. Contributors Goldie Goldbloom and Elaine Chapnik will share personal stories of how their Judaism coexists with life in and out of the closet. This event will be at the Ina and Jack Kay Community Hall (1529 16th St., N.W.) from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $9 for discounted members, seniors, and those under 25 and $11 for everyone else.
Tonight marks the kick-off of the 12th International Drag King Extravaganza presented by the Baltimore Gender Justice Collective and Charm City Boys with a meet and greet at 7 p.m. at Grand Central Station (1001 N. Charles St.) in Baltimore. Visit idkexii.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
Thursday, Oct. 21
IDKE continues today with the first day of a three day art and film festival and workshops at 2640 Saint Paul St., in Baltimore. A three-day pass is $45. Ottobar (2549 N Howard St.) is also holding an event, Dragdom, at 8 p.m. Cover is $12. Visit idkexii.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
Thomas Middleton’s play “Women Beware Women,” in which “three couples engage in a dangerous game of strategy as they vie for the power and pursue their lust,” adapted by Jesse Berger and directed by Allison Arkell Stockman, will be performed by the Constellation Theatre Company at Source Theatre (1835 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Jesse Terill, who’s openly gay, composed all the show’s music and Constellation company member Ashley Ivey, who’s openly gay, places the Cardinal.
PHOTO: Mara Levi (Blade file photo)
Theater
‘The Inheritance’ is most-nominated at this year’s Helen Hayes Awards
42nd annual celebration of excellence in local theater set for May 18
Helen Hayes Awards 2026
May 18, 2026
For tickets go to theatrewashington.org
Last year, when out director Tom Story took on the daunting task of directing Round House Theatre’s production of “The Inheritance, Parts One and Two,” he knew that casting would be important, maybe even paramount, to the endeavor’s success. So, Story didn’t mess around.
Penned by queer playwright Matthew López, “The Inheritance” (inspired by E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel “Howards End”) is based on gay culture in the wake of the AIDS crisis.
Story looked at actors he knew, and some he didn’t. He wanted low drama and maybe players who could relate to the LGBTQ experience. In the end, the production’s 13-person cast was entirely queer except for brilliant local favorite Nancy Robinette as Margaret, the wise housekeeper.
Clearly, Story’s vision resonated with audiences. Round House’s production of “The Inheritance” is the most-nominated work of this year’s Helen Hayes Awards, earning 14 nominations. It’s also one of Round House’s highest grossing popular successes ever.
The queer cast members whose ages ranged from about 22 to 60, worked hard and enjoyed the process, and along the way garnered an Outstanding Ensemble in a Play (Hayes) nomination for their efforts.
The ensemble included Jamar Jones as Tristan, a brilliant doctor who leaves New York for Canada after deciding there’s no place for a gay, HIV-positive Black man in America. For the experienced actor, being part of “The Inheritance” was profound: “I think it was a divinely orchestrated production.”
He adds “I really feel that it’s so rare that you get to work on a show of that magnitude…size, time, where virtual strangers genuinely fell into rhythm. We became a cohort. I never felt a sense of unease, or reluctance to try things. I could be as big or bold as I wanted to be; or I could be small. Fail, mess up, try again. I didn’t feel judged.”
Jones considers Richmond his home, but says “I’m based where the work is.” Currently, he’s back at Round House rehearsing “Sally & Tom” (May 27-June28), a play within a play/meta exploration of the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings by Suzan-Lori Parks.
Jones plays both a contemporary violinist and an enslaved fiddler, parts that have required him to learn to “air fiddle.” He’s all over it: “I want to represent the art and to be as precise as possible. Taught by an instructor, I’ve made strides with movement of the bow; next up is finger placement.”
Will he leave the play a violinist? “I’ll report back on closing night. Maybe I will have added something to the special skills list on my resume.”
For about a decade, Jones worked in living history, interpreting, performing, and writing pieces about the enslaved people of Colonial Virginia. Among the many historical characters he portrayed was Jupiter (Thomas Jefferson’s longtime enslaved manservant), an experience that’s proved a connection and preparation for his current role.
The 42nd Helen Hayes Awards celebration recognizing excellence in professional theater in the DMV will be held on Monday, May 18, 2026 at The Anthem on the District Wharf in Washington, D.C. Named for Helen Hayes, the legendary first lady of Broadway, the program consists of the awards presentation hosted by Felicia Curry, Awa Sal Secka, and Derrick Truby, followed by an after-party at nearby Whitlow’s.
With works selected from 149 eligible productions presented in the 2025 calendar year, nominations were made in 41 categories and grouped as either “Helen” (non-Equity/small Equity presence) or “Hayes” (Equity-heavy).
The many nominations are the result of 49 vetted judges considering 1,997 pieces of work, such as design, direction, choreography, performances, and more. The productions under consideration included 42 musicals, 107 plays, and 33 world premieres.
The following are more of this year’s queer nominees.
A past Helen Hayes Award recipient and nominee, Fran Tapia is competing against herself this year in the Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical (Helen) category. Nominated for her memorable turn as the diva barkeep in GALA Theatre’s “Columbia Heights Bolero Bar,” an immersive musical centered on songs of longing and immigration set in a diverse neighborhood on the eve of a divisive presidential election
“It was a challenging time, because a lot of what was happening in the show was happening in the neighborhood,” says Tapia who lives in Columbia Heights just eight minutes from GALA.
Based in D.C. since 2019, Tapia says “Being recognized in a country that is not my homeland but where I’m building my artistic home, is deeply meaningful. And the variety of roles I have been able to play speaks to the richness of DC theater and the collaborators who trusted me with these roles.”
Her other individual nomination is for the title role in Spooky Action Theater’s “Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show,” a passionately comedic political satire. She approached the mysterious central character as nonbinary.
Tapia (“Chilean, Latina, queer and proud immigrant”) says while very different, both performances involved particularly strong characters. She’s grateful audiences responded positively to her work.
Stanley Bahorek, who moved to D.C. with his husband four years ago, is best known as an accomplished actor with a long list of Broadway and regional credits (including playing Carl, the gay son in Studio Theatre’s recent production of “The Mother Play”). Now, he is nominated for Outstanding Music Direction (Helen) for his work on “A Strange Loop,” a production of D.C.’s Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) in collaboration with Deaf Austin Theatre. He shares this nomination with Walter “Bobby” McCoy.
Michael R. Jackson’s Tony and Pulitzer wining play “A Strange Loop,” is the story of Usher, a Black, queer theater usher trying to write a musical. VOCA’s take on the work is seen through a deaf BIPOC lens with a deaf Usher played by a deaf actor (out actor Gabriel Silva). Invited by director and longtime friend Alexandria Wailes (who is deaf), Bahorek (who is hearing) joined the creative team as a sort of hybrid associate director/ music supervisor.
“I’m fluent in conversational American Sign Language (ASL),” he says. “I sort of functioned as a sherpa between the hearing and deaf and hard-of-hearing creatives. It’s been a great thrill to be a part of VOCA’s biggest production to date.”
If he and McCoy take home the prize, who makes the acceptance speech? Bahorek takes a beat before replying “That’s something we still need to talk about. And soon.”
A full list of award recipients will be available at theatrewashington.org on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Anthony Oakes will host “DC Black Pride Comedy Show” on Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m.
Oakes will workshop his new hour about addiction, incarceration, recovery, and redemption with special guests.
This event will be hosted by the hilarious Apple Brown Betty with TJ So Silly, Howl Cooper, and featuring Patrice Deveaux. DJ Art.is will be spinning on the 1’s & 2’s. Libations will be provided by Drink Alchy. Images by RGF ENT. Tickets are $28.52 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Out & About
United Night Out set for Saturday
Team DC hosts evening of soccer, Pride, music, drag and community
On Saturday, May 16, Team DC is taking over Audi Field for United Night OUT as D.C. United faces St. Louis SC.
Come out for an evening of soccer, Pride, music, drag, and community. The night kicks off with pre-game fun featuring DC Different Drummers, DJ Heat, and a Pride Night OUT Party at the Heineken Rooftop. Then get ready for a 7:30 p.m. match, including the National Anthem sung by Dana Nearing and a halftime drag performance.
After the match, the celebration continues at the Post-Game Rooftop Party with DJ Heat and the After Party at Dacha Navy Yard. Game tickets and after party tickets are available now through Zeffy. After party tickets are $20 and include one drink.
‘The Inheritance’ is most-nominated at this year’s Helen Hayes Awards
HIV Vaccine Awareness Day set for May 18
DC Black Pride is around the corner
United Night Out set for Saturday
Calendar: May 15-21
America’s broken pipeline of mental healthcare for trans youth
Senate Democrats press DOJ over anti-trans prison directives
Anti-LGBTQ violence prevention efforts highlighted at D.C. community fair
Celebrated performer Rose Levine plays Rehoboth on May 15
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
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National4 days agoAmerica’s broken pipeline of mental healthcare for trans youth
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Federal Government5 days ago
Senate Democrats press DOJ over anti-trans prison directives
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District of Columbia5 days ago
Anti-LGBTQ violence prevention efforts highlighted at D.C. community fair
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Rehoboth Beach5 days ago
Celebrated performer Rose Levine plays Rehoboth on May 15
