Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: events through next weekend

Published

16 years ago

December 9, 2010

The Roches, a sister act from New Jersey, play the Birchmere Dec. 17. (Photo courtesy of the Roches)

Friday

Trumpet Grrrl will be live at Baked & Wired (1052 Thomas Jefferson St.) from 7 to 9 p.m. This will be the first time Trumpet Grrrl performs with a full band. This is a free event.

Mautner Project will be hosting a dance and learn fundraiser at the Chevy Chase Ballroom and DanceSport Center (5207 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.) today from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Admission is $15 and will go to Mautner Project for all attendees who say they are there for the organization. Mini-classes in salsa, swing, waltz or fox trot argentine tango, will be offered.

She.Rex will be at Chief Ike’s (1725 Columbia Rd., N.W.) tonight from 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. This is a free event.

Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.) presents Club Christmas, a holiday dance party with DJ Randy White. Attendees can sit on shirtless Santa’s lap and get a free photo. There is a $10 cover.

Secrets and MightyMen.com present “Big Brother” reality TV star and gay rodeo champion-turned-porn star, Steven Daigle, live tonight at 9 p.m. VIP passes will be available for $20 and include access to the VIP lounge, access to a waiter, a complimentary drink, a meet and greet with Daigle and a special performance. Visit secretsdc.com to sign up for a VIP pass. There will be a $5 cover before 10:30 p.m. and $10 after.

The Bethesda Art Walk is tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. and features 10 galleries that will stay open late in downtown Bethesda.

Kandi from “Real Housewives of Atlanta” will be at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight. Town is also having its monthly So You Think You’re a Drag Queen contest tonight. Contestants should arrive at 10 p.m. Cover is $5 before 11 p.m. for those who are 21 and over and $10 after. It’s $10 all night for those 18-20.

Saturday, Dec. 11

AQUA D.C. will be holding its annual holiday party and membership meeting tonight at 1829 Phelps Place, N.W., from 7 to 10 p.m. E-mail [email protected] or call Andrew at 202-294-3456 or DeeJay at 571-292-7966 with questions.

Cosponsored by Domku Bar & Café and CoreHaus D.C., the Upshur Street Arts Fair is today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 800 block of Upshur St., N.W.

Girls Rock! D.C. is hosting a cheap art sale today from 1 to 8 p.m. at La Casa (3166 Mt. Pleasant St., N.W.). All art will be $50 or less and 50 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Girls Rock! D.C. For more information, visit girlsrockdc.org or e-mail [email protected]

Pamala Stanley will be performing at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight at 9 p.m. There will be a $7 cover.

Ten LGBT groups are co-hosting a “Mega Skate Night and Social” tonight at 5:45 p.m. at the Ballston Common Mall in Arlington. The event will start with an hour of skating at the Capitals Complex and then move onto Bailey’s Pub in the mall. All beers will be $1 off and the pool tables will be free to use. Skating costs $8 plus $3 for skate rental. For more information, visit DCIceBreakers.org.

The Proud Bookstore (39 Baltimore Ave.) in Rehoboth will be hosting a five-author book signing today from 3 to 5 p.m. The authors scheduled to appear are Renee Bess, Lisa Gitlin, Sheri Reynolds, Stefani Deoul and Fay Jacobs.

DJs Ralphi Rosario and Abel will be at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight for Winter Wonderland. Doors open at 10 p.m. and the drag show starts at 10:30. Cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after.

Allie Wilson and Jacob Nathaniel Pring present “Cotton Candy” at Green Lantern (1335 Greem Court, N.W.) tonight at 10 p.m. DJs David Merrill and Bryan Yamasaki will be providing music. This is a 18 and older party and admission is $5.

Sunday, Dec. 12

The D.C. Center is partnering with Human Rights Campaign for its National Capital Area holiday party at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 10 p.m.

Pocket Gays is hosting its monthly party, Cake Face Sunday School today from 3 to 9 p.m. on the rooftop of Local 16. This month is in celebration of pocket Devon’s birthday. The roof is enclosed and heated. Music will be provided by DJ Keenan. This is a free event.

Church of the Holy City (1611 16th St., N.W.) will have a Christmas art concert today at 3:30 p.m. The concert will feature Gilda Kornhauser, Aman Shankardass and teenage musicians and singers. A reception will follow. This is a free event. For more information, visit swedenborgcenter.org.

Georgetown jingle is tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington. There will be a VIP/Sponsor reception from 4 to 5 p.m. There will be a silent auction, a performance by Pamala Stanley and more. Tickets can be purchased at georgetownjingle.com and range from $50 to $350.

Monday, Dec. 13

The Choral Arts Society of Washington presents “Christmas Music: The Treasured Holiday Tradition” at the Kennedy Center concert hall (2700 F St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. This event will be followed by the CASW 30th annual Holiday Gala. Tickets range from $15 to $65 and can be purchased at kennedy-center.org.

The American City Diner (5532 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) will be showing the film “Pretty Woman” starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. The movie starts at 8 p.m. The full menu will be available. Admission is free. For more information, visit americancitydiner.com.

Tuesday, Dec. 14

SpeakeasyDC will be hosting an open mic night tonight at 8 p.m. at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) featuring stories about being a guest, having guests and hospitality. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This event will be catered by Nellie’s.

Join Burgundy Crescent Volunteers to help pack safer sex kits from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at FUK!T’s new packing location Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W.

Street/Studio 2.0 is an exhibit which showcases artists who work in unconventional sites and media. It will be on display at Irvine Contemporary (1412 14th St., N.W.) The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment.

Wednesday, Dec. 15

SAGE Metro D.C. is hosting “LGBT and Home for the Holidays: designing and remodeling your home to stay independent for the holidays and beyond,” today at Residences at Thomas Circle from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Bill Millholland, executive vice president of Case Design and Remodeling will be the featured speaker.

The Studio Theatre presents “Superior Donuts” by Tracy Letts and starring Richard Cotovsky and Johnny Ramey, in his Studio Theatre debut, tonight at 8 p.m. Donuts is about a hippie who owns a donut shop and how a new employee changes his life. Tickets range from $35 to $50 and can be purchased at studiotheatre.org.

Thursday, Dec. 16

Penn State LGBTA Alumni Association will be having a holiday happy hour tonight at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) at 6 p.m.

The Philips Collection (1600 21st St., N.W.) will have conservator Dana Hemmenway tonight for “TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art, 1845-1945” at 6:30 p.m. The discussion is included in admission to the exhibit. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students and visitors 62 and over and free for members and visitors 18 and under.

A John Waters Christmas will be having an encore performance tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere in Alexandria. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at birchmere.com.

Friday, Dec. 17

The Roches will be performing at the Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave.) in Alexandria tonight at 7:30 p.m. Lucy Wainwright Roche will be opening. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at birchmere.com.

The Gay Men’s Chorus production “Men in Tights: A Pink Nutcracker” opens tonight at 8 p.m. at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University.

Saturday, Dec. 18

Dan Noel will be celebrating his 50th birthday and has chosen Mautner Project as a beneficiary for his birthday benefit at Cloud 9 (234 Rehoboth Ave.) in Rehoboth tonight at 9 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $10 and the proceeds will go to Mautner Project and AIDS Delaware.

Sunday, Dec. 19

Eatonville Restaurant (2121 14th St., N.W.) will be holding another installation of its monthly series, Food and Folklore, which intertwines storytelling and food, tonight at 6:30 p.m. This month is Gullah with Charlotte Jenkins, author of “Gullah Cuisine.” To purchase tickets, visit eatonvillerestaurant.com

Lambda Divers will be having its monthly happy hour at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. $1 from every Nellie beer sold goes to Lambda Divers.

Celebrity News

Silky Nutmeg Ganache talks sex and dating, gender, politics, weight loss journey

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ semifinalist grew up in Bible Belt

Published

1 day ago

July 7, 2026

Uncloseted Media

Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Photo courtesy of Silky Nutmeg Ganache)

Uncloseted Media published this interview on July 7.

By SPENCER MACNAUGHTON, ISABEL STOKES, and BELLA SAYEGH | After appearing on the 11th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World,” the sixth season of “RuPaul’s All Stars” and now the 11th season of “All Stars,” Silky Nutmeg Ganache, known by many as the Reverend, is undoubtedly a legend.

Born and raised in Moss Point, Miss., Ganache bears all in this episode of “UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton.” She speaks about her relationship with gender, her 100-pound weight loss, what it’s like living as a queer person of color in a red state and why she’s calling on allies to stand up for the trans community.

Photos

PHOTOS: Crush Dance Bar

Patrons enjoy a night out at popular LGBTQ venue

Published

2 days ago

July 6, 2026

Landon Shackelford

(Washington Blade photo by Landon Shackelford)

Patrons enjoyed a night out at the popular LGBTQ venue Crush Dance Bar on Friday, July 3.

(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)

Theater

‘My Favorite Sociopath’ debuts at Shepherdstown’s CATF

Gay playwright Aurin Squire’s take on D.C. journalism in the ‘90s

Published

3 days ago

July 5, 2026

Patrick Folliard

Playwright Aurin Squire. (Photo by Yilong Liu)

‘My Favorite Sociopath’
Contemporary American Theater Festival
July 10-Aug. 2
Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Catf.org

Discernment. It’s a thing some people have, explains playwright Aurin Squire, especially when you’re gay or Black in America (Squire is both).

“You instinctively know when the mob is teaming up for the best interests of the powers that be. You can feel it in the air.”

In his sharp new satire “My Favorite Sociopath,” Squire writes about life experiences but set in a different time and place: It’s the 1990s, early days of the 24-hour news cycle, and three ambitious journalism students are pursuing success in D.C.

And now, Squire’s play, along with other new works, are making their world premieres at the annual Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University in historic, queer-friendly Shepherdstown, W.Va. (just a 90-minute drive from D.C.).

“All of my plays are queer in some way,” says Squire, 46. “This one touches on harmless and dangerous lies. The characters are on the spectrum sexually, and it’s interesting how all that falls out.”

And he’s given it a lot of thought.

“Already as a kid, it seemed to me that the rage against rap music and sex was coming from closeted people resisting their own urges and temptations. For me, it was interesting to see a witch hunt led by witches. Queer people can always call out a lie.”

Since September, Squire has also been working with a TV show about the tech industry set in Silicon Valley. He says, “It seems the general flow of the tech industry is that humanity and civilization is finished and it’s just about accumulating as many goods as possible before everything collapses. In fact, those who are profiting actually agree. But for those who disagree, they believe the solution is to build bigger gates, but activists believe we can stop this”

Yet, he’s learned from folks associated with the show. “Many say the quickest way to divorce yourself from any responsibility or regulations — smash and grab. Otherwise, you have to stop and think and regulate your desires for greed and power”

Squire possesses a penchant for pithy titles. He laughs, explaining the first thing he wrote as a student at Juilliard was “Obama-ology,” the comedy with contemporary message. While a lot of people liked the name, it didn’t necessarily vibe with the author. He concedes that he chooses names based on “easy to remember” and titles that won’t be easy to lose as a file.

Another is “Defacing Michael Jackson,” a coming-of-age dramedy set in rural Florida in 1984, specifically Squire’s native town Opa-locka, Miami, a fantastical place famed for its fanciful Moorish revival architecture.

Living in the shadow of exotic structures, he wasn’t particularly fazed. Squire says “It wasn’t until returning to visit after my freshman year at Northwestern University in Chicago that I realized how weird it was: When you grow up in a place, you take surroundings for granted no matter how over the top.”

Now based in New York (where for two happy years, 2017-2019, he shared digs with drag king Murry Hill), Squire returns frequently to Miami to be with family, but this summer has been filled with both work and travel.

Currently, he’s in Shepherdstown with CATF shaping up “My Favorite Sociopath.” Later this summer he will travel to South Africa for research, followed by a silent writing retreat in Santa Fe, N.M.

Much of Squire’s work reflects the Latino, African, Caribbean, African-American, and Jewish cultures he grew up around in South Florida.

When asked if today’s winds of anti-multiculturalism worry him, he replies, “No, because that’s going to pass. Most people don’t like, people are seeing the negative results of it, and the young people coming up despise it. White male gamers were tricked momentarily through the algorithms into voting against their own interests and they’re now seeing how it’s not working out for them.

“Conservatives always try to stop progress and eventually they always lose. It’s just a question of where we’ll be in the middle of the end of civilization before that happens. I’d like to hope we can turn the ship around before then.”

In addition to “My Favorite Sociopath,” CATF summer season features three other world premieres (Lisa D’Amour’s comedy “The Smoker,” “Refugee Rhapsody” by Yussef El Guindi, “Best Line Wins: A Play Inspired by the Improvised Lives of Elaine May & Mike Nichols” by Beth Kander) and “¡VOS!” by Christina Pumariega.

CATF runs from July 10-Aug. 2 in three venues on the Shepherd University campus: Frank Center, Marinoff Theater, and Studio 112.