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Calendar: March 11

Concerts, parties, club meetings and more through March 17

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Washington National Opera’s production of ‘Madama Butterfly’ is at the Kennedy Center this week. (Photo by Scott Suchman, courtesy of Washington National Opera)

Tonight

Ziegfeld’s presents Long Island Heat as Latino night returns tonight. There’s a $5 cover from 9 to 10:30 p.m. and a $10 cover after 10:30.

Women in Their Twenties, a social discussion and dinner group, will be meeting tonight from 8 to 9 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).

Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) presents “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 8 p.m. and the exhibits will be on display through March 27.

Lace Lounge (2214 Rhode Island Ave., N.E.) presents Social Climax tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. There’s a $10 cover all night and free drinks before 11:30 p.m.

The D.C. Independent Film Festival continues today with two sessions at the Gala Theatre (3333 14th St., N.W.). The first session at 7 p.m. will feature movies about life and liberty and the second session at 9:45 p.m. will feature comedies. Tickets to individual sessions are $10 for general admission or $7 for students and seniors. Other ticket packages are available. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit dciff.org. The festival will continue through Sunday.

Saturday, March 12

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) launches its new monthly event, “Just Circuit” at 10 p.m. featuring all house music with DJ Wayne G upstairs and DH Kuhmeleon downstairs. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com or justcircuit.com.

Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) presents Funkytown, a retro dance party on the main floor with DJ Ed Bailey playing music from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. There will also be live performances by x-faction and the Ladies of Town. Doors open at 10 p.m. There is an $8 cover before 11 p.m. and $12 afterward. All attendees must be 21 or older.

Also at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) is the Team D.C. Fashion Show and Model Search. This event benefits the Team D.C. College Scholarship program. There is a $10 cover. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. For more information, visit teamdc.org.

plan b gallery (1530 14th St., N.W.) is hosting an opening reception for its exhibit of paintings by Kathy Beynette, Patrick Campbell and Michelee Montalbano from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight. Beynette’s narrative paintings are “fun and whimsical.” Campbell’s paintings are complex and saturated with color and Montabano creates a “ghost-like presence” in her paintings.

Sunday, March 13

As part of “maximum INDIA,” the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) hosts Bhangra class with DJ Rekha at 3 p.m. on the Millennium Stage. This is a free event.

The D.C. Kings continue their 11th anniversary celebration with a Best of show at Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) tonight at 10 p.m. The cover ranges from $5 to $10 and money raised will go to Chris Hara, a former king who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident.

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.

Monday, March 14

The Washington National Opera presents “Madama Butterfly” tonight at 7 p.m. at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) with Catherine Naglestad playing the role of Cio-Cio-San. The performance is in Italian with English supertitles. There will be an artist Q&A following the performance. Tickets range from $55 to $300 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.

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.

Tuesday, March 15

Mautner Project is having a volunteer orientation today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ideal volunteers should have access to a car, good driving record and a commitment to the needs of cancer patients. For more information, call 202-332-5536 or e-mail [email protected].

Druid Ireland presents the opening of Penelope at Studio Theatre (1501 14th St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Penelope is a riff on Homer’s Odyssey and is about four suitors dressed in Speedos and terrycloth robes trying to woo a young woman. Tickets range from $35 to $50. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit studiotheatre.org.

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.

Wednesday, March 16

D.C. Ice Breakers host their monthly open skate tonight from 8:15 to 9:15 p.m. at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, on top of the Ballston Common Mall parking garage (627 N Glebe Rd.) in Arlington. After skating the group will hit a local bar for a social hour. Skating is $8 plus $3 for skate rental. For more information, visit dcicebreakers.com.

The American Humanist Association presents “Humanism — An Introduction,” a one hour overview of the progressive, nontheist philosophy and an introduction to related local groups. This overview will be held at 1777 T St., N.W., at 2 p.m. It’s gay led but not gay specific. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 202-238-9088.

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.

Thursday, March 17

As part of “maximum INDIA,” the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) hosts a performance at 6 p.m. in the Eisenhower Theater of “Ticket to Bollywood,” showcasing the song and dance movie genre live on stage with artistic direction by Shubhra Bhardwaj. This is a free event.

Nellie’s is opening at 11 a.m. today for “Kegs and Eggs” as part of its St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Some other St. Patrick’s day specials include green beer, Irish car bombs, shepherd’s pie and green mini Maria cupcakes.

FotoDC and the Crystal City Business Improvement District present the opening of Flash, a month-long even showcasing photography. There will be two separate exhibits, a library of photography books and a lounge for refreshments and discussion. The penthouse gallery (2450 Crystal Drive) in Arlington is open from 5 to 10 p.m. The exhibit will run through April 17.

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Photos

PHOTOS: Night of Champions

Team DC holds annual awards gala

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Team DC President Miguel Ayala speaks at the 2024 Night of Champions Awards on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ-friendly sports teams and leagues in the D.C. area, held its annual Night of Champions Awards Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Hilton National Mall. The organization gave out scholarships to area LGBTQ student athletes as well as awards to the Different Drummers, Kelly Laczko of Duplex Diner, Stacy Smith of the Edmund Burke School, Bryan Frank of Triout, JC Adams of DCG Basketball and the DC Gay Flag Football League.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Photos

PHOTOS: National Cannabis Festival

Annual event draws thousands to RFK

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Growers show their strains at The National Cannabis Festival on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2024 National Cannabis Festival was held at the Fields at RFK Stadium on April 19-20.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Theater

‘Amm(i)gone’ explores family, queerness, and faith

A ‘fully autobiographical’ work from out artist Adil Mansoor

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Adil Mansoor in ‘Amm(i)gone’ at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. (Photo by Kitoko Chargois)

‘Amm(i)gone’
Thorough May 12
Woolly Mammoth Theatre
641 D St., N.W. 
$60-$70
Woollymammoth.net

“Fully and utterly autobiographical.” That’s how Adil Mansoor describes “Amm(i)gone,” his one-man work currently playing at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. 

Both created and performed by out artist Mansoor, it’s his story about inviting his Pakistani mother to translate Sophocles’s Greek tragedy “Antigone” into Urdu. Throughout the journey, there’s an exploration of family, queerness, and faith,as well as references to teachings from the Quran, and audio conversations with his Muslim mother. 

Mansoor, 38, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and is now based in Pittsburgh where he’s a busy theater maker. He’s also the founding member of Pittsburgh’s Hatch Arts Collective and the former artistic director of Dreams of Hope, an LGBTQ youth arts organization.

WASHINGTON BLADE: What spurred you to create “Amm(i)gone”? 

ADIL MANSOOR: I was reading a translation of “Antigone” a few years back and found myself emotionally overwhelmed. A Theban princess buries her brother knowing it will cost her, her own life. It’s about a person for whom all aspirations are in the afterlife. And what does that do to the living when all of your hopes and dreams have to be reserved for the afterlife?

I found grant funding to pay my mom to do the translation. I wanted to engage in learning. I wanted to share theater but especially this ancient tragedy. My mother appreciated the characters were struggling between loving one another and their beliefs. 

BLADE: Are you more director than actor?

MANSOOR: I’m primarily a director with an MFA in directing from Carnegie Mellon. I wrote, directed, and performed in this show, and had been working on it for four years. I’ve done different versions including Zoom. Woolly’s is a new production with the same team who’ve been involved since the beginning. 

I love solo performance. I’ve produced and now teach solo performance and believe in its power. And I definitely lean toward “performance” and I haven’t “acted” since I was in college. I feel good on stage. I was a tour guide and do a lot of public speaking. I enjoy the attention. 

BLADE: Describe your mom. 

MANSOOR: My mom is a wonderfully devout Muslim, single mother, social worker who discovered my queerness on Google. And she prays for me. 

She and I are similar, the way we look at things, the way we laugh. But different too. And those are among the questions I ask in this show. Our relationship is both beautiful and complicated.

BLADE: So, you weren’t exactly hiding your sexuality? 

MANSOOR: In my mid-20s, I took time to talk with friends about our being queer with relation to our careers. My sexuality is essential to the work. As the artistic director at Dreams of Hope, part of the work was to model what it means to be public. If I’m in a room with queer and trans teenagers, part of what I’m doing is modeling queer adulthood. The way they see me in the world is part of what I’m putting out there. And I want that to be expansive and full. 

So much of my work involves fundraising and being a face in schools. Being out is about making safe space for queer young folks.

BLADE: Have you encountered much Islamophobia? 

MANSOOR: When 9/11 happened, I was a sophomore in high school, so yes. I faced a lot then and now. I’ve been egged on the street in the last four months. I see it in the classroom. It shows up in all sorts of ways. 

BLADE: What prompted you to lead your creative life in Pittsburgh? 

MANSOOR: I’ve been here for 14 years. I breathe with ease in Pittsburgh. The hills and the valleys and the rust of the city do something to me. It’s beautiful, it’ affordable, and there is support for local artists. There’s a lot of opportunity. 

Still, the plan was to move to New York in September of 2020 but that was cancelled. Then the pandemic showed me that I could live in Pittsburgh and still have a nationally viable career. 

BLADE: What are you trying to achieve with “Amm(i)gone”? 

MANSOOR: What I’m sharing in the show is so very specific but I hear people from other backgrounds say I totally see my mom in that. My partner is Catholic and we share so much in relation to this. 

 I hope the work is embracing the fullness of queerness and how means so many things. And I hope the show makes audiences want to call their parents or squeeze their partners.

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