Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: July 20

Parties, exhibits, concerts and more through July 26

Published

14 years ago

July 19, 2012

‘Wild Night: A Burlesque Adventure,’ is coming to the Warehouse Theater on Saturday at midnight. (Photo courtesy Warehouse)

TODAY (Friday)

The HIV Working Group is doing outreach tonight at Town’s (2009 8th St., N.W.) Bear Happy Hour. It begins at 7 p.m. and tickets are $5. For more information, visit towndc.com or thedccenter.org.

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, needs volunteers today through July 25 to help with the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall. To participate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

Whitman-Walker Health is having HIV Testing at Arena Stage (1101 Sixth St., S.W.) tonight at 5:30 p.m. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) is hosting two exhibits, “3D Collage the Adventure” by David Alfuth and “Being Affected” by Charles St. Charles until July 29. Alfuth’s artwork features are surreal 3-D collages consisting of newspapers, cloth, pressed flowers and other flat objects. St. Charles’ exhibition portrays faces with various reactions to shared circumstances. The exhibit is free. For more information, visit touchstonegallery.com.

Phase 1 (525 8th St. SE) is hosting its “Red, White & Boobs with D.C. Gurly Show” starting at 7:30 p.m. This event will have a special guest, Miss Flora Bush. Cover charge is $5. For more information, visit phase1dc.com.

Waverly Street Gallery (4600 East-West Highway, Bethesday) is hosting the exhibition “Heard it Through the Grapevine,” paintings and collage by Ronnie Spiewak today from noon to 6 p.m. Access to the exhibition is free. For more information, visit waverlystreetgallery.com.

The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) is having its happy hour today starting at 5 p.m. All drinks are half off until 7:30 p.m. After 9 p.m., admission is $15, and after 11 p.m. admission is $3. The party includes a pool, video gaming system and card tournaments. For details, visit thebachelorsmill.com.

Green Lantern (1111 14th St., Green Court, N.W.) is hosting its “Pop Goes the World” party tonight at 10 p.m. Cover charge is $5. For more information, visit greenlanterndc.com.

Saturday, July 21

A reception will be held tonight at 6 for artists John Gascot’s and MG Stout’s art exhibit at the D.C. Center (1318 U St. NW). Wine and refreshments will be served. Many or the paintings are inspired by or named after songs. The exhibit will be up through Sept. 8 and attendees can visit for free during the D.C. Center business hours. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Spunk-E Productions presents “Ink & Scruff” at Green Lantern (1111 14^th St., Green Court, N.W.) tonight at 10 p.m. There’s a hot body contest, drink specials all night and music by DJ Tone. Cover is $5. For details, visit greenlanterndc.com.

Tilted Torch’s “Wild Night: A Burlesque Adventure” is at the Warehouse Theater (645 New York Ave. N.W.) tonight at midnight. This burlesque show allows audience members decide what happens in the story. The decisions will lead to consequences, danger and even death. General admission is $17. For more information, visit warehousetheater.com.

The Black Cat (1811 14^th St., N.W.) tonight is hosting “Right Round,” its ‘80s alternative-pop dance night with DJ Lil’e. Tickets are $7 and doors open at 9:30. For more information, visit blackcatdc.com.

Town Danceboutique (2009 8^th St., N.W.) is hosting an AIDS 2012 Conference Party tonight at 10 p.m. The party is to bring men together to kick off the conference weekend. The music is by DJ Chord. Cover is $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after 11 p.m. There are $3 drinks before 11 p.m. A drag show starts at 10:30 p.m. For more information, visit towndc.com.

Sunday, July 22

Youth Score 2012 is hosting “Uniting an AIDS-Free Generation” today at the Bell Multicultural High School (3101 16th St., N.W.) from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. This basketball and soccer tournament will feature games are for ages 13-24 with great prizes for participants. The event is free. For details, visit facebook.com/YouthScore2012.

The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) is hosting the seven arts-related panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in its South Gallery. The show is free and will be up until July 27. The gallery is open daily between 10 a.m.-10 p.m. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org.

Monday, July 23

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) is hosting its Martini Monday tonight at 10 p.m. There is no cover charge and martinis are $5. For more information, visit cobaltdc.com.

The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8^th St., S.E.) is offering half-price drinks all night long. A free pool and NFL, NBA and NCAA games will be on the flat screen TVs. Admission is free. For details, visit thebachelorsmill.com.

Tuesday, July 24

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W) hosts its Flashback dance night with DJ Jason Royce starting at 10 p.m. There is no cover charge. For more details, visit cobaltdc.com.

Wednesday, July 25

The D.C. Center (1318 U St. NW) is hosting its Center arts meeting today at 5:30 p.m. Attendees are discussing things like chapbooks (handmade books of poetry), that are performed at Capturing Fire, the National Queer Spoken Word Summit, and Slam, a Busboys & Poets event. The meetings are free and occur on the fourth Wednesday of each month. For details, visit thedccenter.org.

Transgender Health Empowerment is hosting the benefit “Glam” at Omega (2122 P St., N.W.) tonight at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and the event will include drinks and a drag show. All proceeds goes toward HIV/AIDS services for the trans community in D.C. For more information, visit thedccenter.org or contact Evan Hempel at [email protected].

HIV Prevention Working Group, an HIV/AIDS prevention outreach, volunteer and education program, meets tonight at 7 p.m. at the DC Center (1318 U St. NW). For details, visit thedccenter.org.

Thursday, July 26

Lambda Sci-Fi book group (1425 S St., N.W.) meets tonight at 7 p.m. The book for this month is “Welcome to Bordertown,” an anthology edited by Ellen Kushner and Holly Black. For more information, visit lambdascifi.org.

Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W) is hosting its weekly Best Package Contest tonight at 9 p.m. There’s a $3 cover and there are $2 vodka drinks. Participants in the contest can win $200 in cash prizes. The event is hosted by Lena Lett and music by DJ Chord, DJ Madscience and DJ Sean Morris. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.

Photos

PHOTOS: 2026 Capital Pride Parade

Large crowds attend annual LGBTQ march in Washington, D.C.

Published

22 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Washington Blade photography department

David Archuleta is one of the Grand Marshals of the 2026 Capital Pride Parade. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2026 Capital Pride Parade was held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 20.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key, Robert Rapanut and Landon Shackelford)

Theater

‘Feeling Afraid’ explores life of a neurotic stand-up comic

Navigating sex, work, and possibly love in London

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2026

Patrick Folliard

Steven Webb in ‘Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen’ (Photo by DJ Corey)

‘Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going to Happen’
Through July 12
Studio Theatre
1501 14th St., N.W.
$55-$102
Studiotheatre.org

Wordily yet rightly titled, solo show “Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen” dives deeply into the world of a neurotic stand-up comic as he navigates sex, work, and possibly love in London.

Busy arranging hookups and dates on “The App,” the 36-year-old gay funnyman juggles a full dance card; still he’s never been in a romantic relationship. While he’s willing to give love a shot, he’s not pressed about it. As he says, he harbors no fear of dying alone.

Currently making its American premiere at Studio Theatre, this darkly humorous Edinburgh Fringe import features terrific out English actor Steven Webb as The Comedian who’s about to explore what it means to spend all his time with one man.

At Studio’s intimate Mead Theatre, Kat Heath’s minimal set says standard comedy club (fluorescent tube lighting, the mic with a long cord, a single stool backed by a rose-colored curtain), but gay playwright Marcelo Dos Santos has conjured something much more than a live comedy set.

Yes, The Comedian bounces onstage in his red Converse high tops, jeans, and pink shirt with a huge mouth emblazoned on the back, but he delivers more than jokes. At times hilariously self-deprecating, then dark, and occasionally a lesson on what makes standup work, this is a layered, well-acted piece.

With Webb (a keen caricaturist of types and voices) playing all the parts while conducting The Comedian’s hilariously frenetic interior monologue, “Feeling Afraid” takes us through a summer of love. It seems after six chaste dates with The American, our nervous hero has found Mr. Right. The American is earnest, smart, hesitant to initiate sex. He’s also well built with a beautiful smile. And strangely, he’s been medically advised not to laugh aloud.

The Comedian delights in the joys of new love: dates, first kisses, sex, and then suddenly spending all of his time with the adored. Visits to art galleries become fun. Eating home cooked meals followed by grim documentaries is a thing. The Comedian is beguiled as his own boyish figure fills out, but something isn’t right. He can’t entirely relax.

Along the way we meet the Aussie doctor, our protagonist’s longtime hookup; a young runner with some exceptional body parts; the random third in a failed threesome; grumpy working comics, male and female; and an ineffectual counselor.

Webb gives a lightning-fast performance that boggles the mind (in terms velocity and virtuosity). He can be impish, very impish. He’s nervous energy incarnate, flashing jazz hands, grimacing but handsome when still. He’s likeable, a necessity when delivering a hilariously rude joke just feet away from two stone-faced audience members. (Perhaps they were laughing on the inside? At any rate, they stayed through the end the show.)

Produced by the team behind Fringe hits “Fleabag” and “Baby Reindeer,” small stage works that were developed into major TV screen successes, “Feeling Afraid” is funny for sure, and it’s also highly confessional, sexually explicit, and raw.

Written by Dos Santos during COVID lockdown, the piece was a smash hit in the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe before finding further success in London. Its depiction of a youngish queer guy navigating the big city rings entirely true. Like so much Fringe stuff, the one-man show is delightfully lewd and standup inspired.

One little moan: the show closes cleverly but too abruptly with its star dashing offstage without sufficiently basking in the admiration and applause of his thoroughly chuffed audience.

They say third time’s a charm, and regarding “Feeling Afraid,” I’d agree. After two performance cancellations (first for laryngitis and the second involving faulty air conditioning on an especially muggy June evening), I made my third trek to Studio where I found both the actor and AC in very fine fettle. And truly, Webb’s work was more than worth the wait.