Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: events through Nov. 18
Art, concerts, music, movies and more slated for coming week
Friday, Nov. 12
The Richard Montgomery High School Black Maskers Drama Club presents Moisés Kaufman’s “The Laramie Project,” a play based on interviews with residents of Laramie, Wyo., after the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, tonight at 7 p.m. in the Richard Montgomery Auditorium (250 Richard Montgomery Drive) in Rockville. Tickets may be purchased in advance at richardmontgomerydrama.ticketleap.net or at the door, and are $5 for students and $13 for adults.
Bethesda’s monthly art walk is tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. Ten local galleries will be staying open. Attendees are invited to view the artwork, enjoy free refreshments and to shop. The participating galleries and studios are the Blue House (7770 Woodmont Ave.), Fraser Gallery (7700E. Wisconsin Ave.),
Gallery 360 (4836 Rugby Ave.), Gallery Frame Avenue (4919 Cordell Ave.), Gallery St. Elmo (4938 St. Elmo Ave.), Orchard Gallery (7917 Norfolk Ave.), St. Elmo’s Fire Gallery (4828 St. Elmo Ave.), Upstairs Art Studios (4948 St. Elmo Ave.), Washington School of Photography (4850 Rugby Ave.) and Waverly Street Gallery (4600 East-West Highway.).
Towson University Dance Company presents “Grace and Flow,” an evening of dance tonight at 8 p.m. The program includes the second act of “Swan Lake,” the classical ballet restaged by Runqiao Du, the work of Tim Veach and the choreographed works of the Towson University dance faculty including Jaye Knutson, Nancy Romita, Nicole A. Martinell and Sandra Perez. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and $10 for students.
Bookmen D.C., an informal group of men interested in gay literature, meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Charles Sumner School and Archives (1201 17th St., N.W.) to discuss selections from “Persistent Voices: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS” edited by David Groff and Philip Clark. All are welcome.
The Baltimore Museum of Art (10 Art Museum Drive) is hosting “Warhol: the Last Decade,” an exhibit featuring over 50 large-scale works that marked Andy Warhol’s last decade. This is the last stop of a national tour. Some of the works shown include fright wig self-portraits and three variations on Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission ranges from free for children 5 and younger to $15 for adults. For more information, visit warhol.artbma.org.
Saturday, Nov. 13
Shi-Queeta-Lee will be celebrating her 46th birthday today with Cirque Du Soleil’s “Red Party” at Town featuring the release of her 2011 calendar from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be a $10 cover.
The Richard Montgomery High School Black Maskers Drama Club presents Moisés Kaufman’s “The Laramie Project,” a play based on interviews with residents of Laramie, Wyo., after the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, tonight at 7 p.m. in the Richard Montgomery Auditorium (250 Richard Montgomery Drive) in Rockville. Tickets may be purchased in advance at richardmontgomerydrama.ticketleap.net or at the door, and are $5 for students and $13 for adults.
The Birchmere and AM Productions present Straight No Chase, a male a cappella group, performing at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St.) in Baltimore tonight at 8 p.m. For more information on the group, visit sncmusic.com. To purchase tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.
The D.C. Strokes Rowing Club will celebrate 20 years of rowing tonight at Casa Italiana Language School (595 1/2 3rd St., N.W.) from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased by registering at dcstrokes.org.
Folding/Unfolding: Collider, a 3D modeling and interactive exhibit and workshop opens tonight at Artispehere (1101 Wilson Blvd.) in Arlington with an opening reception at 8 p.m. featuring burlesque figure drawing with Velvet Kensington and Private Tails and an after party at 11 p.m. with queer band Rad Pony, who has played at Phasefest the past two years, and DJs Natty Boom and Matt Bailer.
Blowoff, a dance party featuring gay DJs, will be at 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight. Doors opens at 11:30 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at 930.com.
Allie Wilson and Jacob Nathaniel Pring present Cotton Candy at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) tonight at 10 p.m. upstairs featuring DJs David Merrill and Bryan Yamasaki. Attendees must be 18 or older to attend. There’s a $5 cover.
Sunday, Nov. 14
D.C. native actress and playwright Ellen McLaughlin, who originated the role of the angel in gay playwright Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” on Broadway in the early ’90s, will perform her play “Penelope” at the Writer’s Center (4508 Walsh St.) in Bethesda, tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for guests. For more information, call 301-654-8664 or visit writer.org.
GayParazzi will tour the National Arboretum (3501 New York Ave., N.E.) today meeting outside the visitor’s center at 10 a.m. There’s free admission and parking. Sign up at GayParazzi.com.
LAMBDA SCI-FI will have its monthly meeting and social of LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror fans today at 1:30 p.m. at 1414 17th St., N.W. Call James at 202-232-3141 or e-mail to [email protected] to RSVP. For more information, visit the group’s website lambdascifi.org.
The Pocket Gays will be hosting “Spanksgiving” today on the enclosed and heated roof deck of Local 16 (1602 U St., N.W.) from 3 to 9 p.m. DJ vANNIEty KILLS will be providing the music. This is a free event.
Monday, Nov. 15
The 2010 WTT Smash Hits is tonight at Bender Arena at American University at 7 p.m. Billie Jean King and Sir Elton John will captain teams composed of Andre Agassi, James Blake, Stefanie Graf, Anna Kournikova, Martina Navratilova and more. This event will raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and local D.C. area AIDS charities. Tickets range from $40 to $120. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit wtt.com.
The National Portrait Gallery is showing an exhibit that focuses on sexual differences in the making of modern American portraiture. “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” is the first major museum exhibit of its kind. The museum is open from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and admission is free.
Tuesday, Nov. 16
Rainbow History Project will celebrate its 10th anniversary tonight at the Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives (1201 17th St., N.W.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The reception will feature a one-night-only exhibit of items from RHP’s archives including T-shirts from the collection of the late lesbian archivist Cheryl Spector. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit rainbowhistory.org.
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers needs help packing safer sex kits for FUK!T from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W.
Wednesday, Nov. 17
Women’s Wednesday will be at Mixology tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mixology is D.C. premier matchmaking service for gays and lesbians. Register at caglcc.org.
The Zenith Gallery (1111 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) opens “Universe” featuring artwork by Anne Marchand and Craig Schaffer tonight. Both artists deal with the abstract, Marchand through paintings and Schaffer through sculpture. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Food & Friends Slice of Life and Nellie’s will be hosting a pie-eating contest and bake sale tonight at 7 p.m. The contest is limited to 16 participants and is first come, first entered. For more information, including the rules of the contest, and to register for the event, visit nelliesdc.com.
Thursday, Nov. 18
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) will be hosting a “theater look-in” for “Hair” today from 5 to 6 p.m. Attendees will get an insider’s look at the production and have the opportunity to ask the artists questions. This event will be in the Terrace Gallery and tickets are $12. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit kennedy-center.org.
There will be a special happy hour at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) to benefit the Trevor Project tonight from 5 to 9 p.m. A $10 donation at the door will go directly to the Trevor Project and Cobalt will honor the donation with a free drink ticket.
Photos
Center for Black Equity honors leaders, activists at BE. Gala
Miyake-Mugler, Oakes co-host annual awards ceremony
The Center for Black Equity held its annual BE. Gala at Conrad Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Oct. 5. Lolita Leopard Miyake-Mugler and Anthony Oakes co-hosted the awards ceremony.
Honorees included journalist and producer Justin Stewart; nonprofit leader Nikki Alexander; HIV advocate Marlene McNeese; the nonprofit organization FreeLux Project; actress Monroe Alise; public health advocate Tori Cooper; Manassas Park Vice Mayor Darryl G. Moore; Rev. Dr. Carmarion D. Anderson; Bishop Steven Sawyer; government relations professional Courtney Snowden; Senior Deputy Director of HAHSTA at D.C. Health, Clover Barnes; and Texas state Rep. Venton C. Jones.
The event was sponsored by Gilead.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)






























Books
In ‘The Lost Brontë,’ a complicated lie can lead to danger
New book features sweetly romantic girl-meets-girl twist
‘The Lost Brontë’
By Catherine Friend
c.2026, Bywater Books
$22.95/335 pages
Mom always said to tell the truth.
One lie leads to another and another and you have to remember them all until pretty soon, you’re caught. Fibs are hard, mistruths are messy, even little white social lies can destroy trust. Worst of all, as in the new novel, “The Lost Brontë” by Catherine Friend, a complicated lie can lead to danger.

Though Lilianne Loxley was very young when she lost her parents, she understood that her uncle didn’t really want her. As time passed, though, Lily made herself useful to Uncle, writing and signing letters for him and she became a good companion, helping him with his collection of Brontë memorabilia. Uncle was a keen enthusiast.
She had no idea that his obsession was out of control and he was deeply in arrears. The day Lily learned of his debt was the day she learned that he’d agreed to send her to his debtor’s home to work off the money owed.
It was so sudden. One minute, Lily was at Loxley House, happy and loved by Uncle’s staff … and five hours later, she was at Crag Thorn Manor, home of Lord Bexton, who informed her that she’d be working on his ledgers – work that seemed routine, but Lily tackled it.
Uncle always did say she was headstrong.
But would headstrong be enough to survive, when she was restricted from most of the Manor, when she was forced to dine with Brexton and his slimy friend, or – the worst! – when Brexton told Lily that her next task was to forge a letter from Emily Brontë? And then an entire manuscript?
Lily struggled to do what was right. She had to get Uncle out of debt but this last order horrified her. Did she dare refuse Brexton’s orders and commit a crime? It was unthinkable!
The only brightness in the whole situation was Wren, the ladies’ maid assigned to Lily’s room. Wren was adorable with freckles and the sweetest smile. But with everything else happening at Crag Thorn Manner, could Lily act upon her feelings?
This time of year, you may come to crave dark, spooky stories, and “The Last Brontë” fits those needs perfectly with its Gothic deliciousness. Think: Daphne du Maurier-type, stormy-night squirms with a dangerously chaste, sweetly romantic girl-meets-girl twist for fun.
If it’s been awhile since you’ve read a Gothic novel, you’re in for a nice reminder of why you love them here. You can almost tick off the must-haves: a novel like this is nothing without a foreboding stone manor with damp walls; stone steps to a dank basement; a mysterious portrait; and a nearby bog, and author Catherine Friend gives readers every one of them. You’d be disappointed if there was no ghost, wouldn’t you? Ha. You can practically feel the cold blow through the attic, right? Yeah, it’s that kind of book.
If you’re a fan of the Brontës, you’ll like this novel. If you love Gothic mysteries or Victorian romances, ditto. “The Lost Brontë” is good, no lie.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
Out & About
CAMP Rehoboth Block Party returns Oct. 18
Expect performances, vendors and more at annual celebration
CAMP Rehoboth will host its annual Block Party celebration on Sunday, Oct.18 at 11 a.m. on the second block of Baltimore Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach.
CAMP Rehoboth invites all community members to join in the festivities and to expect magnificent performances and dozens of vendors, including artists, craftspeople, non-profits, businesses, and more.
The event started in 2015 in celebration of CAMP Rehoboth’s 25th anniversary. This year, attendees can expect to shop sea glass art, pottery, jewelry, Pride merch, body care, clothing, and learn more about local non-profit causes and businesses.
Attendance is free. For more details, visit CAMP Rehoboth’s website.
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