Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Feb. 25
Concerts, exhibits, parties and more through next week
Friday, Feb. 25
Beat City, a rock and roll lounge party for queer folks and their friends, is tonight from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. upstairs at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room (1725 Columbia Rd., N.W.). There is no cover for this event and all attendees must be 21 or older.
Caliente Grande is tonight at Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.) starting at 9 p.m. DJ Michael Brandon will be spinning the Latin dance party in the main hall. There is a $10 cover charge. Attendees must be 18 to enter, 21 to drink.
The D.C. Cowboys host Brodeo tonight at Remingtons (639 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.) from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The party will feature country/western and disco/club music, live performances, giveaways, Jell-o shots and an auction.
DJ Chord Bezzera will be at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) tonight at 10 p.m. as part of Club London. There will be free vodka drinks from 11 p.m. to midnight and attendees could win a roundtrip ticket to London.
Women in Their Twenties, a social discussion and dinner group, will be meeting tonight from 8 to 9 pm. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
Lace Lounge (2214 Rhode Island Ave., N.E.) presents Social Climax tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. There is a $10 cover all night and free drinks before 11:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 26
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers will be helping Food and Friends with food preparation and packing groceries today from 8 to 10 a.m. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
Lincoln Congregational Temple UCC presents “From Slavery to Freedom: An Historical Musical Perspective” performed by the Community Chorus of Washington today at 3:30 p.m. at Lincoln Congregational Temple (1701 11th St., N.W.).
Every fourth Saturday of the month, Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) is hosting Jocks vs. Jocks from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Cover is $5 if wearing sports attire, $7 if not. There’s a trophy and cash prizes for the winning team.
Shift presents “Surrender. Your. Booty.” a celebration of its two year anniversary tonight at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. The party will feature resident DJ MAJR and guest DJs Matt Bailer of Mixtape, Junebullet of She-Rex and Zack Rosen of Homo/Sonic. Brightest Young Things will be there judging pirate costumes and the best dressed will win two tickets to Kylie Minogue at the Patriot Center on April 30.
DJ Escape will be at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.)tonight. Music and videos downstairs will be by Wess. Drag show starts at 10:30 p.m. Doors open at 10 pm. Cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after. All attendees must be 21 or older.
Sunday, Feb. 27
Flip-Out, D.C.’s LGBT flip cup league, has its weekly games today at 5 p.m. at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.). For more information, visit flipoutdc.com.
Lace Lounge presents “Lyrics and Lace,” an open mic, live entertainment exhibition. Appetizers will be half off and there will be drink specials. The Coolats band will be performing an the show starts at 8 p.m. E-mail [email protected] to perform. Visit lacedc.com for more information.
The Catholic University of America presents “She Said/She Said” by Rebecca Gingrich-Jones. Tickets range from $3 to $15. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit drama.cua.edu/hartke-season.cfm.
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) is hosting an Oscars watch party today starting at 5 p.m.
The D.C. Center presents “Glamour, Glitter and Gold,” its sixth annual Oscar celebration from 7 to 11:30 p.m. at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.). Tickets range from $20 for general admission to $50 for V.I.P.
Monday, Feb. 28
Bears do Yoga at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court N.W.) tonight at 6:30 p.m. Class lasts for an hour and serves as an introduction to yoga for people of all different body types and physical abilities. It’s taught by Michael Brazell. For more information, visit dccenter.org.
SAGE Metro D.C. is having its monthly meeting tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
Tuesday, March 1
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.
Mautner Project presents SHE Circle, a wellness community by and for African-American lesbian and bisexual women, today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Unity Fellowship Church (502 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). For more information and to RSVP, e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].
“A Room of Our Own,” an exhibit at Pepco Edison Place Gallery (702 8th St., N.W.) by the f11 Women’s Photography Collective opens today. The gallery is open from noon to 4 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through April 1.
Wednesday, March 2
The Tom Davaron Social Bridge Club will meet at 7:30 tonight at the Dignity Center, 721 8th St., S.E., (across from Marine Barracks) for social bridge. No partner is needed. Visit lambdabridge.com and click on “Social Bridge in Washington” for more information.
Bill Briggs and David Mariner invite executive directors of local LGBT organizations to join them for a local LGBT leader lunch today. The group will meet at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) at noon and go to a local restaurant from there.
Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) has two exhibits opening today: “Inspiration” with paintings by Betsy Forster and “Surfaces” with paintings by Michelee Cormier. Forster paints landscapes, particularly uninhabited areas. Cormier “captures the deterioration of urban surfaces over time.” The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the exhibits will be on display through March 27.
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) presents a speech by Opening Horizons founders Tony and Christina Vanderveldt on polyamory, open relationships and swinging from 7 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, March 3
“Shear Madness,” a comedy whodunit, will be performed at the Kennedy Center Theater Lab (2700 F St., N.W.) at 5 and 8 p.m. “Madness” takes place in present-day Georgetown, in the Shear Madness Hair Styling Salon. Visit kennedy-center.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Theater
Ford’s ‘First Look’ festival showcases three new productions
A chance to enjoy historical dramas for free before they’re completed
The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look – 2026
Jan. 16 & 17
Ford’s Theatre
511 Tenth St., N.W.
FREE
Fords.org
When Ford’s Theatre debuted its new plays festival, “A First Look,” in 2023, it was unclear whether people would come for the staged readings.
“Before the pandemic if you announced the reading of a play, 12 people might show up,” says José Carrasquillo, director of artistic programming at Ford’s Theatre. “Since then, we’ve experienced comparatively massive turnout. Maybe because it’s cheap, or because of the very newness of the works.”
This year’s fourth edition showcases readings of three pieces currently in varied stages of development. The free, two-day festival offers audiences a chance to encounter historical dramas long before they’re completed and fully produced. None are finished, nor have they been read publicly. And befitting the venue’s provenance, the works are steeped in history.
The festival kicks off with “Springs” by playwright Jeanne Sakata and directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Commissioned by The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions, it’s the both epic and personal story of Sakata’s Japanese American family including her grandfather’s experience in an internment camp.
“Sakata’s immigrant grandfather was an exceptionally skilled farmer who helped to stave off starvation in the camp. Still, he never gave up on the idea that he belonged in America. It’s very much a story of today,” says Carrasquillo.
Unlike “Springs,” the festival’s two other works weren’t commissioned by Ford’s. But they both fit the history brief and likely will benefit from the exposure and workshopping.
“Providence Spring,” by California based playwright Richard Helesen and directed by Holly Twyford, portrays Clara Barton (played by local favorite Erin Weaver) as a hero beyond the Red Cross whose then-radical initiatives included cataloguing the Civil War dead, many pulled from mass graves.
Directed by Reginald L. Douglas, “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest” explores a slice from the life of the legendary civil rights activist and longtime congressman. With book and lyrics by Psalmayene 24 and music by Kokayi this collaboratively staged reading between Ford’s and Mosaic Theater is slated to premiere fully produced at Mosaic as a 90-minute musical in the spring of 2026.
“When I was hired at Ford’s in 2018, we began discussing hiring writers who do historical drama,” says Carrasquillo. “Our intention was resolute, but we didn’t do it right away. It took getting through the pandemic to revisit the idea.”
At the same time, the racial reckoning spurred Ford’s to hire playwrights of color to tell stories that had previously been forgotten or ignored.
For Carrasquillo, who is gay, the impulse to commission was crystalized when he saw the film “Hidden Figures,” a true story about “three brilliant African-American women — at NASA during the Space Race, overcoming racial and gender discrimination to make crucial contributions to America’s spaceflight success.” He says, “the film floored me. How many stories like this are there that we don’t know about?”
One of the festival’s happiest experiences, he adds, was the commission of playwright Chess Jakobs’s “The American Five” and its subsequent success. It’s the story of Martin Luther King Jr. and his inner circle, including Bayard Rustin (MLK’s brilliant, unsung gay adviser) leading up to the 1963 March on Washington. The play later premiered fully produced in Ford’s 2025 season.
Increasingly, the readings at Ford’s have become popular with both artists and audiences.
At Ford’s, Carrasquillo wears many hats. In addition to selecting plays and organizing workshops, he serves as an in-house dramaturg for some of the nascent works. But he’s not alone. Also helming the festival are senior artistic advisor Sheldon Epps, and The Ford’s Theatre Legacy Commissions advisor Sydné Mahone.
Because the plays are in development, comments from directors, dramaturgs, and the audience are considered and may become part of the playwrights’ rewrites and changes. If and when the play resurfaces fully produced, audience members might find their suggestion in the completed work.
Is this year’s festival queer influenced? Yes, both by those involved and the topics explored.
Carrasquillo explains, “While Sakata’s “Springs” is primarily about immigration, its message is relevant to the queer community. Civil rights are being taken away from us. We need this playwright’s story to know what has happened and what can happen to any of us.
“Many of Ford’s legacy commissions underscore the importance of civil rights in our country and that’s important to all of us. Queer and not queer.”
Bars & Parties
Mid-Atlantic Leather kicks off this week
Parties, contests, vendor expo and more planned for annual gathering
The Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend will begin on Thursday, Jan 15.
This is an annual three-day event in Washington, D.C., for the leather, kink, and LGBTQ+ communities, featuring parties, vendors, and contests.
There will be an opening night event hosted the evening of Thursday, Jan. 15. Full package and three-day pass pickup will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Hyatt Capitol B. There will also be “Kinetic Dance Party” at 10 p.m. at District Eagle.
For more details, visit MAL’s website.
A protest was held outside of the White House on Saturday following the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. Across the Potomac, picketers held signs calling for “Justice for Renee” in Tysons, Va.
“ICE Out For Good” demonstrations were held in cities and towns across the country, according to multiple reports. A march was held yesterday in Washington, D.C., as the Blade reported. Further demonstrations are planned for tomorrow.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)









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