Arts & Entertainment
‘Patriot’ missile
Kathleen Turner plays Molly Ivins in Arena season kick-off
‘Red Hot Patriot’
Aug. 23-Oct. 28
Arena Stage
1101 Sixth Street, S.W.
Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle
$79-$109 at various performances
Kathleen Turner as Molly Ivins in the 2010 Philadelphia Theatre Company production of ‘Red Hot Patriot: the Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins.’ The show opened this week in Washington at Arena Stage where it plays through Oct. 28. (Photo by Mark Garvin via Arena)
It’s a very hot day in Missouri.
“Oh God, some of the hottest weather I’ve ever experienced,” says Kathleen Turner by phone from her mother’s house where she’s enjoying a mid-summer visit.
Mom’s doing “swell” and Turner is too, she says. The rheumatoid arthritis that’s plagued her off and on for years is under control and she feels great.
“I’m in remission and off the medication,” she says in her trademark throaty growl of a voice. “Which is lovely. The medication is life saving, but it’s nice not to have to take it every day, I do confess.”
They’ve been to the movies. Turner saw “The Intouchables” and “loved it.”
“I laughed out loud — I don’t often do that.”
This morning she filled the bird feeders and notices a hummingbird enjoying the flavored water she put out as we chat.
It’s the calm before a busy fall when we talked two weeks ago. This week she opened in Washington for a two-month-plus run of “Red Hot Patriot: the Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins,” a 75-minute, one-woman show Turner first read at Arena in 2009 before playing it in Philadelphia in 2010 and again in January and February at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. It’s Turner’s first appearance at Arena in more than 30 years. She last played at the storied company in a 1981 production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the same year she catapulted to national stardom in the film “Body Heat.”
Turner says she enjoys returning to the material, a tribute of sorts to the late Texan liberal newspaper columnist of the title.
“Every time I’ve gone back to a piece, whether it’s ‘Virginia Woolf’ or ‘High’ or this, it’s gotten cleaner. Clearer. There’s less fuss over the emotionalism of building the character and the production. It gets toned down, just clearer, sharper. I love going back to a piece.”
Ivins, a syndicated political columnist who died at age 62 in 2007 of breast cancer, has added relevance this election year, Turner says. Twin sisters Margaret Engel and Allison Engel wrote the piece using Ivins’ writings, interviews and speeches and interviews with her friends and colleagues.
“I really want to have Molly in Washington just before the election,” Turner says. “We need Molly here and Arena said they’d take us.”
Director David Esbjornson — he’s straight but says he’s an “honorary” gay for having directed so much gay-themed theater like “Angels in America” and two pieces by Larry Kramer — agrees.
“I think [‘Patriot’] has more to say now than it did before,” he says. “I think people right now are really desperate to hear Molly’s voice and they will really love spending an evening listening to her words and thinking about what she had to say.”
Esbjornson, who also did the show in Austin, Texas, without Turner (Barbara Chisholm played Ivins there), says Ivins “fought for the common man, the person who doesn’t have all the advantages financially and otherwise.”
Turner, who met Ivins, says the role was an easy choice. “Our positions are very much the same,” she says.
“It’s kind of a personality piece, very intimate. It’s really me talking to the audience directly, there’s nobody else up there. So it creates a real storytelling exercise kind of like combining acting and public speaking. It’s a wonderful mix and it surely suits me. … And the response has just been incredible. I’d come off in L.A. and be like, ‘What just happened?’ I was flabbergasted.”
Turner says the character couldn’t be more different from another legendary figure she played about 10 years ago in another one-woman show — Tallulah Bankhead.
“Tallulah was a real broken woman, terribly flawed,” Turner says. “Molly was no saint, but she didn’t have any false ideals. Her commitment to country and her knowledge and political savvy were just extraordinary. Tallulah was so self involved.”
Turner indulges a few quick questions about her craft before we part.
Having met Ivins was helpful, but not necessary — “I’m an actor, I don’t imitate. This is my interpretation.”
Of her increasingly theater-heavy oeuvre, Turner is fine with it, except that it “pays so poorly, which is a damn shame.” She loves the “extraordinary magic” of it, though.
Learning lines is always a physical thing for her — she never does it sitting down. It starts with “roping together” thoughts and links in the script.
Esbjornson says the show shifts and surprises in a way that keeps it tight, despite the lean mechanics.
“You never let people settle in fully and feel they know where this is going,” he says.
Turner arrives for an 8 p.m. curtain about 6 and does vocal warm-ups. Vocal stamina over a run is not a problem, “unless you get sick, then that’s a whole other thing.”
After a performance, Turner is low-key. She’s usually back to her apartment cooking or watching TV. “You get tired of eating out all the time,” she says. “And I’m a very good cook.”
The legendary actress is especially insightful on her gay sensibility, which she doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge.
“I don’t take myself so seriously,” she says. “I have a ‘fuck you’ attitude and I think gay people like that.”
Bars & Parties
Impulse Group DC to host fundraiser
Giving Tuesday and Happy Hour held at Thurst Lounge
Impulse Group DC, a local advocacy organization, will host “Giving Tuesday and Happy Hour” on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. at Thurst Lounge.
This event is a special happy hour fundraiser filled with good vibes, great food, and community connection. DJ Obie will be on deck keeping the energy high while you enjoy tacos, cocktails, and the kind of atmosphere only Thurst can deliver.
A portion of every signature cocktail sold goes directly toward supporting Impulse Group D.C.’s work in sexual health, mental health, harm reduction, and social justice for the D.C. community.
Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Friday, November 28
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 12 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. To RSVP, visit the DC Center’s website or email [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen Bar. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, November 29
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 12 p.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, November 30
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Coffee and Conversation” at 12 p.m. at As You Are. Guests are encouraged to come and enjoy stimulating conversation. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, December 1
“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 ([email protected]).
“Soulfully Queer: LGBTQ+ Emotional Health and Spirituality Drop-In” will be at 3 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This group will meet weekly for eight weeks, providing a series of drop-in sessions designed to offer a safe, welcoming space for open and respectful conversation. Each session invites participants to explore themes of spirituality, identity, and belonging at their own pace, whether they attend regularly or drop in occasionally. For more details visit the DC Center’s website.
Tuesday, December 2
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. Email [email protected] with any questions.
Friends of Dorothy Cafe will host “Choose Our Blend” at 6 p.m. at Stardust Vintage & Gift. Guests are encouraged to come sip, sample, and vote on a lineup of custom coffee blends from Rustic Route Coffee Co., a DMV-based queer-owned roaster. Guests’ votes will help Rustic Route choose the café’s official signature roast. Event organizers will take donations, and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, December 3
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. 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 www.thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Women’s Social 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, email [email protected].
Thursday, December 4
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 p.m. 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 is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breathwork, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
API Queer Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for the Asian and Pacific Islander Queer Community. For more details, email [email protected].
Theater
D.C. theater scene has something for everyone this holiday season
‘Nutcracker,’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’ and much more
With its familiar music, yuletide imagery, and storytelling, theater can be a big part of the holidays. Add to that making memories and theater tickets wrapped as presents under the tree, and it’s a seasonal no brainer.
Folger Theatre presents “Resplendent Joy: Christmas Traditions from Spain and Portugal” (Dec. 5-14); the marvelous Folger Consort will perform early Spanish Christmas carols and traditional holiday music from early modern Spain and Portugal: folger.edu/resplendent
At Round House Theatre, playwright Sam Holcroft’s “Rules for Living” (Dec. 3-Jan. 4) makes its U.S. premiere. The darkly funny holiday comedy was a hit in London and is now hoping to repeat that success with a version tailored for the states. The seven-person cast includes versatile actors Naomi Jacobson and real-life spouse John Lescault. Ryan Rillette directs. roundhousetheatre.org
Theatre J presents “Chanukah in the Dark” (Dec. 6-21), an hour-long play ideal for ages five and up. “When the lights go out during Chanukah, Max and family begin sharing songs, stories, and traditions — only to discover the lights they needed and the miracles they searched for were in their midst all along.” edcjcc.org
The Cathedral Choral Society’s “Joy of Christmas” (Dec. 13-14) presents a wonderful program of carols and beloved holiday favorites at the festively decorated National Cathedral. The program features Seraph Brass, organist Edward Hewes, Carillonneur Edward M. Nassor, percussionist Mary La Blanc of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, and the Eastern Concert Choir from Eastern Senior High School. Cathedralchoralsociety.org
With “The Holiday Show,” (Dec. 13, 14, and 20), the Gay Men’s Chorus returns to entertain audiences with its annual and most popular show.
This year the holiday extravaganza is bigger than ever at historic Lincoln Theatre with new, soulful arrangements of favorite holiday carols: “The reindeer will be high-kicking and the snowflakes will sparkle. Songs include “O Holy Night,” “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Let It Snow,” “We Wish You the Merriest,” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.’” gmcw.org
At Olney’s intimate Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab, out actor Michael Russotto is back for the holiday season in his solo show “Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas” (through Dec. 28). The talented Russotto portrays nearly 50 different characters from the Charles Dickens classic, that proves “funnier and far more relevant than you might imagine.” Olneytheatre.org
Also on holiday offer in the DMV are a jolly bunch of musical chestnuts as well as reliable Christmas crowd-pleasers.
Included on the roster is Olney Theatre’s production of Jerry Herman’s “Hello, Dolly!” (through Jan. 4) starring the mega-talented Nova Y. Payton. Based on the play “The Matchmaker” by famed gay playwright Thornton Wilder, the musical has proved a vehicle for many a diva including Carol Channing, Pearl Bailey, Bette Midler, and Barbra Streisand. Now Payton dons the mantle and the buzz is good.
Another beloved musical is “Fiddler on the Roof” (through Jan. 25), the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, his family and their tight-knit community who honor tradition while contending with pogroms in Czarist Russia. Currently being performed intimately in the round at Signature Theatre in Arlington and directed by Joe Calarco, the large cast features actors Douglas Sills, Chrisopher Bloch, and terrific out actor Jake Loewenthal as the poor tailor Motel Kamzoil, all singing Broadway favorites like “Sunrise, Sunset” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker.” sigtheatre.org
At Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall is Frank Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls” (through Jan. 4). Based on tales from famed American journalist Damon Runyon, the show focuses on two overlapping love stories set in Depression-era Times Square. The terrific score includes songs like “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and more songs you’ll know. Directed by Francesca Zambello and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse.
The cast includes Julie Benko, Lamont Brown, and Holly Twyford as General Matilda B. Cartwright, which is reason enough to buy a ticket. shakespearetheatre.org
And for hardcore traditionalists there’s the Washington Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” (through Dec. 29) with its balletic magic at the charming gilded Warner Theatre. The beloved production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, here set in 1882 Georgetown, features a retinue of agile partiers, children, soldiers, rats, and notable figures from American history. washingtonballet.org
And last but hardly least, historic Ford’s Theatre presents “A Christmas Carol” (through Dec. 31), an enduring Washington tradition since I was youngish. Conceived by Michael Baron, this charming Dickens’ moneymaker again spotlights Craig Wallace as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who after a night of ghostly visits, rediscovers Christmas joy. Fords.org
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Comings & Goings
Impulse Group DC to host fundraiser
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