Arts & Entertainment

Visit from an old friend

Studio’s ‘Habit’ spotlights Auden, Britten; features ‘Queer’ actor Harrison

Published

14 years ago

September 29, 2011

Actor Randy Harrison, remembered fondly from ‘Queer as Folk,’ is in Studio’s current production, ‘The Habit of Art.’ (Photo courtesy Studio)

‘The Habit of Art’
Through Oct. 23 (extended)
The Studio Theatre
1501 14th St. NW
$35-$69
202-332-3300

With his most recent offering “The Habit of Art” (now making its U.S. premiere at The Studio Theatre), gay British playwright Alan Bennett puts the spotlight on a pair of 20th century gay cultural titans — poet W.H. Auden and composer Benjamin Britten — in the last years of their long and celebrated careers. In doing so, Bennett gives an insider’s glimpse into the mad and maddening world of artistic collaboration and gay sex after 60.

The setting is one that’s familiar to Bennett — London’s National Theatre during rehearsal for a yet-untried play. Things are going badly: The director has been called to Leeds, a couple of cast members are off performing in another show and the playwright is appalled by unapproved script changes. What’s more, Fitz (Ted van Griethuysen), an aging actor cast as an aging Auden, is still struggling with his lines.

Titled “Caliban’s Day,” the play within a play takes place in 1972. It imagines a fictional, late-in-life meeting between former collaborators Auden and Britten. Troubled by his latest project — an operatic adaptation of “Death in Venice,” Thomas Mann’s novella about an older writer in love with a boy — Britten visits his old associate at Oxford where Auden is poet in residence.

What help precisely Britten is seeking from Auden is never made clear, but interesting conversation certainly ensues nonetheless. They speak of their collaboration as young expatriates in New York City, their respective partners and Britten’s interest in young choir boys. And yes, from Auden there’s a lot of talk about penises — not surprising considering his famous poem “The Platonic Blow.” But there’s also talk of artistic survival and the importance of continued, engaging work.

Thrown into the chaotic mix at Auden’s grossly untidy cottage are Humphrey Carpenter, a ubiquitous biographer on hand to interview the artists, and a local rent boy whom Auden has ordered up for a late-afternoon quickie.

Van Griethuysen is marvelous as both the tactless Auden and the testy actor Fitz who plays him. Equally superb is Paxton Whitehead as Fitz’s witty, gay co-star Henry who takes on the role of the more buttoned-down, angsty Britten.

Other standouts in the dozen person cast include two terrific gay actors: Cameron Folmar as Donald, an earnest actor willing to go to great lengths to understand his character; and Randy Harrison (best known from Showtime’s “Queer as Folk”) who plays Tim, an actor who’s happy to doff his boxer briefs to improve a scene, and Tim’s role: the no-nonsense rent boy who resents the glaring absence of sex workers from cultural history.

“The Habit of Art” is an impressively layered work, and because Bennett wrote it, it’s also smart, touching and a teensy bit smutty. A little sense of the history helps, but isn’t necessary. James Noone’s set within a set vividly brings to life the sty that was the notoriously sloppy Auden’s Oxford digs. Director David Muse’s staging is full of energy and wit.

Fortunately for us, Bennett has followed the old adage “write about what you know” (here, perhaps more than ever before).

Related Topics:Allen Bennett Benjamin Britten Out & About Queer as Folk Randy Harrison The Habit of Art The Studio Theatre W.H. Auden

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FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Out & About

This queer comedy show will warm you up

Catfish Comedy to feature LGBTQ lineup

Published

9 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Promotional image via Eventbrite)

Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.

Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Arts & Entertainment

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71

Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Matt Minton

(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.

O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.

In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.

In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”

Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.

Calendar

Calendar: January 30-February 5

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, January 30

Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).

Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, January 31

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, February 1

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, February 2

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam (adamheller@t hedccenter.org).

Tuesday, February 3

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].

Wednesday, February 4

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, February 5

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.