Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: April 29
Concerts, exhibits, plays and more through May 5
Marcia's Coppel's 'I Have a Problem' is part of her new exhibit at Touchstone Gallery. An opening reception is schedule for May 6. (Image courtesy of Touchstone)
Today (Friday)
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) will be having an opening reception for an art display featuring works of Becca Kallem, tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.
Beat City, a rock ‘n’ roll lounge part for queer folks and their friends, will be tonight from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. upstairs at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room (1725 Columbia Rd., N.W.). All attendees must be 21 or older and there is no cover.
Caliente Grande: White Party 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 wearing white will be let in for free until 11 p.m. Attendees must be 18 to enter, 21 to drink.
D.C. Sentinels will be having its monthly happy hour at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) from 5 to 8 p.m.
Busboys & Poets will be hosting ASL open mic poetry tonight at 11 p.m. in the Langston Room at its 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). Anyone with sign language knowledge may sign up to recite a poem or sign a song by e-mailing [email protected]. There is a $5 cover.
Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) is hosting a screening at 8 p.m. of “Break Ground,” which follows 40 teens from the D.C. Metro area that “limit themselves from experiencing relationships that could free them from their pasts.” Three additional screenings will be Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Saturday, April 30
The 15th annual Youth Pride Day will be celebrated today from noon to 5 p.m. at Dupont Circle. Following the festival will be the Infatuation Dance for those 21 and younger with DJ Keenan at U Street Music Hall (1115-A U St., N.W.) from 5 to 9:30 p.m. There is a $5 cover for the dance.
Dennis Miller will be at the Warner Theatre (1299 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $49.50 to $65 and can be purchased online at livenation.com.
Kylie Minogue brings her Aphrodite Tour to the Patriot Center (4500 Patriot Circle) in Fairfax tonight at 7 p.m. Town’s Ed Bailey will be the opening DJ on stage at the concert. Tickets range from $55 to $125 and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com. Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) is hosting a “Aphterparty” at 10 p.m. There will be an $8 cover before 11 p.m. and $12 afterward. All attendees must be 21 or older.
The Lodge (21614 National Pike) in Boonsboro is hosting “Starry Night: The Lodge Prom” tonight from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There is a $5 cover before 10:30 p.m. and $8 after. Prom royalty will be chosen at 11 p.m. The Frederick, Md., Rainbow GLBT Meetup Group will also be hosting a potluck dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. before the prom. Attendees to the dinner must RSVP to [email protected].
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Hellmouth Happy Hour where every week an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” will be screened and drink specials will be offered. This week the episode is “Nightmares.”
Irvine Contemporary is hosting an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. with the artist [dNASAb] for its newest exhibit, Dataklysmos, featuring multimedia sculptures. The exhibit will be on display through June 4.
Sunday, May 1
ZOOM Urban Lesbian Excursions presents Karaoke Idol tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at Muzette Karaoke and Restaurant (2305 18th St., N.W.). Tickets are $15 and can be bought online at zoomexcursions.com.
Brendan Conway and Mila Naumova will be performing at the Church of the Holy City (1611 16th St., N.W.) today at 3:30 p.m. This is a free event.
Girls Rock! D.C. is hosting a volunteer kickoff event today at Hole in the Sky (2110 5th St., N.E.) from 3 to 5 p.m. The organization is looking for volunteers for camp week and year-round organizing. For more information, visit girlsrockdc.org.
Monday, May 2
There will be a public hearing on Bill 19-11: “Bullying and Intimidation Prevention Act of 2011” today from 10 a.m. to noon in room 120 of the John A. Wilson building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave.).
The D.C. Center’s (1318 U St., N.W.) monthly volunteer night is tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with activities such as sorting book donations, taking inventory and more. Also at the center will be the Youth Working Group meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Imperial Court of Washington, D.C. will be holding its meeting tonight at the Coldwell Banker building (1606 17th St., N.W.) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit imperialcourtdc.org.
Novelist Alice Walker will be discussing and signing her new book “The Chicken Chronicles, A Memoir” tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Busboys & Poets 5th and K streets location (1025 5th St., N.W.).
Tuesday, May 3
“Shear Madness,” a comedy whodunit, will be performed twice tonight 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. Tickets are $42. Visit kennedy-center.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, May 4
Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) has two new exhibits opening today, Marcia Coppel’s “Life Is Too Serious” featuring paintings of people talking in cafes and parks inspired by Mexico and Harvey Kupferberg’s “Infrared: The Invisible Light” featuring black and white photographs. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gallery plan b (1530 14th St., N.W.) has three exhibits featuring with paintings by Greg Minah, works on paper by Mars Tokyo and works in gold leaf by Andrew Wapinski. The gallery is open from noon to 7 p.m. and the works will be on display through May 15.
Thursday, May 5
Tonight is Team D.C. Night at the musical comedy, “National Pastime” at Keegan Theater (1742 Church St., N.W.). Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online. The theater is donating $10 from every ticket is Team D.C. For more information, visit teamdc.org.
ABBA – The Concert will be performed at Pier Six Pavilion (731 Eastern Ave.) in Baltimore, tonight at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $75 and can be purchased online at piersixpavilion.com.
E-mail calendar items to [email protected] two weeks prior to your event. Space is limited so priority is given to LGBT-specific events or those with LGBT participants. Recurring events must be re-submitted each time.
Theater
A hilarious ‘Twelfth Night’ at Folger full of ‘elegant kink’
Nonbinary actor Alyssa Keegan stars as Duke Orsino
‘Twelfth Night’
Through June 22
Folger Theatre
201 East Capitol St., S.E.
$20-$84
Folger.edu
Nonbinary actor Alyssa Keegan (they/them)loves tapping into the multitudes within.
Currently Keegan plays the melancholic Duke Orsino in Folger Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “Twelfth Night.” Director Mei Ann Teo describes the production as “sexy, hilarious, and devastating” and full of “elegant kink.”
Washington-based, Keegan enjoys a busy and celebrated career. Her vast biography includes Come From Away at Ford’s Theatre; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Helen Hayes Award, Best Actress) and Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive, both at Round House Theatre; Diana Son’s Stop Kiss directedby Holly Twyford for No Rules Theatre Company; and Contractions at Studio Theatre, to name just a few.
In addition to acting, Keegan works as a polyamory and ethical non-monogamy life and relationship coach, an area of interest that grew out of personal exploration. For them, coaching seems to work hand in hand with acting.
WASHINGTON BLADE: You’re playing the lovesick Orsino in Twelfth Night. How did that come about?
ALYSSA KEEGAN: The director was looking to cast a group of actors with diverse identities; throughout auditions, there were no constraints regarding anyone’s assigned sex at birth. It was really a free for all.
BLADE: What’s your approach to the fetching, cod-piece clad nobleman?
KEEGAN: Offstage I identify as completely nonbinary; I love riding in this neutral middle space. But I also love cosplay. The ability to do that in the play gives me permission to dive completely into maleness.
So, when I made that decision to play Orsino as a bio male, suddenly the part really cracked open for me. I began looking for clues about his thoughts and opinions about things like his past relationships and his decision not to date older women.
Underneath his mask of bravura and sexuality, and his firmness of feelings, he’s quite lonely and has never really felt loved. It makes sense to me why his love for Olivia is so misguided and why he might fall in love with the Cesario/Viola character.
BLADE: As an actor, do you ever risk taking on the feelings of your characters?
KEEGAN: Prior to my mental health education, yes, and that could be toxic for me. I’ve since learned that the nervous system can’t tell the difference between real emotional distress and a that of a fully embodied character.
So, I created and share the Empowered Performer Project. [a holistic approach to performance that emphasizes the mental and emotional well-being of performing artists]. It utilizes somatic tools that help enormously when stepping into a character.
BLADE: Has changing the way you work affected your performances?
KEEGAN: I think I’m much better now. I used to have nearly debilitating stage fright. I’d spend all day dreading going onstage. I thought that was just part of the job. Now, I’ve learned to talk to my body. Prior to a performance, I can now spend my offstage time calmly gardening, working with my mental health clients, or playing with my kid. I’m just present in my life in a different way.
BLADE: Is Orsino your first time playing a male role?
KEEGAN: No. In fact, the very first time I played a male role was at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va. I played Hipolito in Thomas Middleton’s The Revenger’s Tragedy.
As Hipolito, I felt utterly male in the moment, so much so that I had audience members see me later after the show and they were surprised that I was female. They thought I was a young guy in the role. There’s something very powerful in that.
BLADE: Do you have a favorite part? Male or female?
KEEGAN: That’s tough but I think it’s Maggie the Cat. I played the hyper-female Maggie in Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Round House. In the first act she didn’t stop talking for 51 minutes opposite Gregory Wooddell as Brick who barely had to speak. That lift was probably the heaviest I’ve ever been asked to do in acting.
BLADE: What about Folger’s Twelfth Night might be especially appealing to queer audiences?
KEEGAN: First and foremost is presentation. 99% of the cast identify as queer in some way.
The approach to Shakespeare’s text is one of the most bold and playful that I have ever seen. It’s unabashedly queer. The actors are here to celebrate and be loud and colorful and to advocate. It’s a powerful production, especially to do so close to the Capitol building, and that’s not lost on any of us.
The Washington Blade hosted the inaugural WorldPride Boat Parade at The Wharf DC on Friday, June 6. NBC4’s Tommy McFly served as the emcee.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The 2025 Capital Pride Honors awards ceremony and gala reception was held at the National Building Museum on Thursday, June 5. Honorees included Cathy Renna, Jerry St. Louis, Ernest Hopkins, Lamar Braithwaite, Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol, Kriston Pumphrey, Gia Martinez, Kraig Williams and SMYAL. Presenters and speakers included U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Amber Ruffin, Raven-Symoné and Paul Wharton.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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