Arts & Entertainment
Down by the seashore
Studio’s one-man show a clever exploration of longing and passion
‘The History of Kisses’
Through July 3
The Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW
202-332-3300
www.studiotheatre.com‘Purge’
Through July 3
SCENA Theatre
at H Street Playhouse, 1365 H St. NE
703-683-2824 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
www.scenatheater.org
David Cale in ‘The History of Kisses,’ a piece he also wrote and directs. (Photo by Carol Pratt)
Standing on a stage disguised as a stretch of sandy beach, a lone actor dressed in casual street clothes breaks out into his rendition of an old English seafarer’s chantey. He beckons his listeners to follow him to unknown places and because his song is so full of longing, promise and mystery, we gladly go along for the journey.
“The History of Kisses” — David Cale’s terrific one-man show making its world premiere at Studio Theatre — is a collection of interconnected monologues detailing mostly random erotic encounters that take place close to and on the ocean. The work’s central and most likable character James (a gay writer like Cale) is temporarily holed-up in a seaside California motel working on a collection of stories about desire and epiphany. His motel neighbors and a few more established friends are the subject of his intimate sketches.
Slim and bald, Cale (who not only performs but wrote the show) wholly inhabits his characters whether it’s Julie, a generally sensible woman who happily recalls her brief but memorable affair with a sexy fat man she picked up on a flight from New York to San Francisco; or Artie, an old married builder from New York who shares about a long ago, chance romantic encounter with Judy Garland on the beach in Malibu.
Moments move from funny to poignant. In a dream sequence, Cale transforms into an Australian surfing Adonis who doubles as the motel’s front desk clerk and funnily gives pointers on how to physically please a “Sheila” (i.e. woman in his Aussie jargon). That same surfer is later brokenhearted when his new married girlfriend dumps him, but ultimately finds dramatic renewal from the sea when he’s literally uplifted by a herd of whales. Love-weary James shares his own chance encounter with a middle-aged dentist who has recently come out.
Cale is a masterful storyteller. His long and impressive bio includes films, Broadway and music. He’s written lyrics for Elvis Costsello and Deborah Harry. “The History of Kisses” is his fourth solo work he’s done at Studio. While here and there British-born Cale’s American accents are a little shaky, the way in which he captures his characters’ physicality is uncanny — he can play both older women and young studs convincingly. His quirky, vulnerable subjects are finely drawn. The material is personal, fun, and even a little heartbreaking. Ultimately, Cale offers an inspiring testimony to human resilience.
Across town at the H Street Playhouse where SCENA is presenting Finnish-Estonian playwright Sofi Oksanen’s “Purge,” life is dangerous and memories are more painful. Set in both 1991 Estonia as well 1950s Estonia under Soviet rule, the bold drama tells the story of three generations of women who are the victims of sexual violence and the ongoing trauma that ensues.
Tucked away in her rustic, neatly tended dwelling old Aliide (Kerry Waters) bides her time in a changing world. Despite misgivings, she gives refuge to Zara (Colleen Delaney), a badly beaten woman on the run from pimps. In flashbacks we learn the old woman’s younger self (Irina Koval) and her young niece were once abused by Soviet soldiers.
While most of the work’s horrific violence is implied, interestingly the work’s most combative scene is a knock down drag out fight pitting Zara against old Aliide. The altercation, which includes Zara shoving the old woman’s heads in a full bed chamber, actually leads to the two women fully understanding one other, forging a bond and in the end, redemption.
To portray the tale’s strong women, director Robert McNamara has assembled an impressive trio: Waters and Koval are equally strong yet flawed as young and old Aliide. Delaney is known for giving theatergoers their money’s worth, and her emotionally strung out Zara is no exception. Eric Lucas offers some comic relief as Aliide’s communist doctrinaire husband, and Lee Ordeman is appropriately handsome and restless as young Aliide’s unrequited love. Stas Wronka and Armand Sindoni play the heavies (Soviet soldiers and pimps).
The playwright Oksanen identifies as bisexual. In 2009 she received an award from the organizers of Helsinki Pride for her activism on behalf of LGBT people in the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Russia. “Purge” also exists as a novel and a French film version is set to be released in 2012.
Theater
‘Octet’ explores the depths of digital addiction
Habits not easily shaken in Studio Theatre chamber musical
‘Octet’
Through Feb. 26
Studio Theatre
1501 14th Street, N.W.
Tickets start at $55
Studiotheatre.org
David Malloy’s “Octet” delves deep into the depths of digital addiction.
Featuring a person ensemble, this extraordinary a capella chamber musical explores the lives of recovering internet addicts whose lives have been devastated by digital dependency; sharing what’s happened and how things have changed.
Dressed in casual street clothes, the “Friends of Saul” trickle into a church all-purpose room, check their cell phones in a basket, put away the bingo tables, and arrange folding chairs into a circle. Some may stop by a side table offering cookies, tea, and coffee before taking a seat.
The show opens with “The Forest,” a haunting hymn harking back to the good old days of an analog existence before glowing screens, incessant pings and texts.
“The forest was beautiful/ My head was clean and clear/Alone without fear/ The forest was safe/ I danced like a beautiful fool / One time some time.”
Mimicking an actual step meeting, there’s a preamble. And then the honest sharing begins, complete with accounts of sober time and slips.
Eager to share, Jessica (Chelsea Williams) painfully recalls being cancelled after the video of her public meltdown went viral. Henry (Angelo Harrington II) is a gay gamer with a Candy Crush problem. Toby (Adrian Joyce) a nihilist who needs to stay off the internet sings “So anyway/ I’m doing good/ Mostly/ Limiting my time/ Mostly.”
The group’s unseen founder Saul is absent, per usual.
In his stead Paula, a welcoming woman played with quiet compassion by Tracy Lynn Olivera, leads. She and her husband no longer connect. They bring screens to bed. In a love-lost ballad, she explains: “We don’t sleep well/ My husband I/ Our circadian rhythms corrupted/ By the sallow blue glow of a screen/ Sucking souls and melatonin/ All of my dreams have been stolen.”
After too much time spent arguing with strangers on the internet, Marvin, a brainy young father played by David Toshiro Crane, encounters the voice of a God.
Ed (Jimmy Kieffer) deals with a porn addiction. Karly (Ana Marcu) avoids dating apps, a compulsion compared to her mother’s addiction to slot machines.
Malloy, who not only wrote the music but also the smart lyrics, book, and inventive vocal arrangements, brilliantly joins isolation with live harmony. It’s really something.
And helmed by David Muse, “Octet” is a precisely, quietly, yet powerfully staged production, featuring a topnotch cast who (when not taking their moment in the spotlight) use their voices to make sounds and act as a sort of Greek chorus. Mostly on stage throughout all of the 100-minute one act, they demonstrate impressive stamina and concentration.
An immersive production, “Octet” invites audience members to feel a part of the meeting. Studio’s Shargai Theatre is configured, for the first, in the round. And like the characters, patrons must also unplug. Everyone is required to have their phones locked in a small pouch (that only ushers are able to open and close), so be prepared for a wee bit of separation anxiety.
At the end of the meeting, the group surrenders somnambulantly. They know they are powerless against internet addiction. But group newbie Velma (Amelia Aguilar) isn’t entirely convinced. She remembers the good tech times.
In a bittersweet moment, she shares of an online friendship with “a girl in Sainte Marie / Just like me.”
Habits aren’t easily shaken.
Sports
Blade, Pride House LA announce 2028 Olympics partnership
Media sponsorship to amplify stories of LGBTQ athletes
The Los Angeles Blade and Washington Blade on Friday announced a media partnership with the Out Athlete Fund, which will produce Pride House LA for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Pride House is the home for LGBTQ fans and athletes that will become a destination during the L.A. Summer Games in West Hollywood in partnership with the City of WeHo. This 17-day celebration for LGBTQ athletes and fans will include medal ceremonies for out athletes, interactive installations, speakers, concerts, and more.
The Los Angeles Blade will serve as the exclusive L.A.-area queer media sponsor for Pride House LA and the Washington Blade will support the efforts and amplify coverage of the 2028 Games.
The Blade will provide exclusive coverage of Pride House plans, including interviews with queer athletes and more. The parties will share content and social media posts raising awareness of the Blade and Out Athlete Fund. The Blade will have media credentials and VIP access for related events.
“We are excited to partner with the Washington Blade, the oldest LGBTQ newspaper in the United States and the Los Angeles Blade, already a strong supporter of Out Athlete Fund and Pride House LA/West Hollywood,” said Michael Ferrera, CEO of Pride House LA. “Our mission is about increasing the visibility of LGBTQ+ athletes and fans to challenge the historical hostility toward our community in the sports world. Visibility is what publications like the Washington and Los Angeles publications are all about. We know they will play a key part in our success.”
“LGBTQ visibility has never been more important and we are thrilled to work with Out Athlete Fund and Pride House LA to tell the stories of queer athletes and ensure the 2028 Summer Games are inclusive and affirming for everyone,” said Blade Editor Kevin Naff.
Out Athlete Fund is a 501(c)3 designed to raise money to offset the training cost of out LGBTQ athletes in need of funding for training. The Washington Blade is the nation’s oldest LGBTQ news outlet; the Los Angeles Blade is its sister publication founded nine years ago.
In honor of Black History Month, the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a series of events uplifting the histories, artistry, and resilience of Black LGBTQ+ communities through dialogue, film, and intentional gathering.
The series begins with “Ballroom Culture: Rhythms of Resilience,” a panel discussion on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 at 7 p.m. Artists, activists, and leaders from the ballroom community will explore ballroom’s historical, cultural, and political significance as a site of resistance, kinship, creative expression, and social justice within Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities.
On Friday, Feb. 13 at 12:30 p.m., the Center will host a screening of the groundbreaking documentary “Paris is Burning,” which chronicles New York City’s ballroom scene and house culture while examining themes of race, class, identity, and survival through the voices of legendary performers including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, and Dorian Corey.
The month will conclude with “Soul Centered: A Black LGBTQ+ Gathering” on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. This free, RSVP-required event invites Black LGBTQ+ community members into a space of rest, connection, and reflection centered on love in all its forms. The gathering will feature a panel conversation with Black LGBTQ+ creatives, healers, and community members, followed by intentional speed connections and a closing social mixer.
For more details and to RSVP, visit the Center’s website.
‘Octet’ explores the depths of digital addiction
Why trans suffering is more palatable than trans ambition
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