Arts & Entertainment

Wide open spaces

Local gay actor plans ambitious Riverfront performance

Published

14 years ago

April 19, 2012

‘The Nautical Yards’
April 26-29
The Yards Park, 10 Water Street SE
$30 premium seating; free general admission (lawn/standing)
Force-collision.org

John Moletress, right, and company. (Photo courtesy force/collision)

For its upcoming production, force/collision has shunned details like securing rights to a play or leasing a theater. Instead, the new interdisciplinary company has opted to devise its own material — “The Nautical Yards” — and will premiere it outdoors at the Yards Park in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood located just south of Capitol Hill.

Inspired by the history and architecture of the adjacent Navy Yard, the hour-long performance blends movement, music and text to tell the story of two lovers separated by war and sea. And because it’s truly site specific, the production calls on its 30-person ensemble cast to make wide use of the open space, including its shallow canal, fountains, ultra-modern bridge and boardwalk.

“While [the performance] does draw on documented accounts of the Navy Yard civilian work force, personal war correspondence and letters and the mythology of water, it’s not a true narrative,” says John Moletress, director and force/collision founder. “I wanted to take all findings and source material and use it to respond to the architecture and the history. It’s a collage and layering of different images, musings and texts.”

Moletress, who’s gay, lives just two blocks from the park. He says when he first moved to the neighborhood four years ago, he instantly saw potential for drama. “The area was much less developed then — a lot of the big old buildings that have since repurposed were standing empty and abandoned. I asked the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District about doing a performance in one of the buildings then, but was told it was too dangerous. The structures were in bad shape and there was still a lot of scrap metal lying around from the 1950s.”

More recently, when Moletress approached the District about the Yards Park project, they were much more receptive, expressing eagerness to bring in varying kinds of arts to supplement their summer concert and movies series. Also, the late April performance dates coincide with a new residential building opening in the area as well as more restaurants and retail.

“The Nautical Yards” is the result of ongoing collaboration among director Moletress, composer Daniel Paul Lawson, choreographer Erica Rebollar, dance captain/assistant choreographer Ilana Faye Silverstein, costume designer Collin Ranney and talented force/collision company performers Karin Rosnizeck; Dane Figueroa Edidi, who typically performs by the name Lady Dane; Sue Jin Song; and Ranney, and busy local actor Frank Britton. (About 20 or so additional actors have been cast for the performance.) Britton, who’s bi, is thoroughly enjoying the entire site-specific performance experience. He describes dipping into the fountains as fun but chilly, and hopes for warm evenings during the show’s short run.

This is Moletress’ first foray into directing al fresco. Fortunately he has a loud outside voice, so giving directions to 30 performers in a well-trafficked park hasn’t been a problem. “It’s a wonderful way to engage in the arts and with your community in the outdoors, but it’s not without challenges. Because the process is very open,” he says. “You have to throw your ego out the window. All of your direction is on display. From the start, you’re getting feedback from all the locals who pass by. It’s interesting to see who chooses to be curious and engage and who runs away.”

“We have no rain dates. We’re playing it by ear,” Moletress says. “But if a performance is interrupted by bad weather, we can all wait it out in a nearby lumber shed. There’s room for everyone.”

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Out & About

This queer comedy show will warm you up

Catfish Comedy to feature LGBTQ lineup

Published

17 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.